Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
Psalms 98:3

Clarke's Commentary

Verse Psalms 98:3. He hath remembered his mercy — His gracious promises to their forefathers.

And his truth — Faithfully accomplishing what he had promised. All this was fulfilled under the Gospel.

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

Psalms 97-100 God the universal king

Psalms 97:0 follows on from the thought on which the previous psalm closed (namely, that God is king over the earth). It shows that holiness, righteousness and justice are the basis of God’s kingdom. His judgment will be as universal as a flash of lightning and as powerful as an all-consuming fire (97:1-5). Every thing will bow before his rule (6-7). His own people already recognize him as Lord and bring him fitting worship (8-9). They can experience the light and joy of his salvation in their everyday lives as they reject what is evil and choose what is good (10-12).

Continuing the theme of the previous psalm, Psalms 98:0 reminds the people to welcome the divine universal king. By his power, he has conquered evil and established his kingdom in righteousness and love (98:1-3). People worldwide are to praise God with music and singing because of his great victory (4-6). The physical creation is invited to join in the praise, rejoicing because of him who rules the earth with justice (7-9).

From his throne in Zion, the city of God, God rules over the earth in holiness and justice (99:1-4) and people respond with worship (5). The psalmist refers to the lives of Moses, Aaron and Samuel to show how God answered the prayers of those who submitted to his rule and obeyed his law (6-7). When people disobeyed they were punished, but when they repented God forgave them (8). The God who rules in Zion is holy, and those who worship him must also fear him (9).

Psalms 100:0 is the climax of this group of six psalms. People of all the world are to worship God gladly, acknowledging him as their God, their maker and their shepherd (100:1-3). They are invited to come into his temple, where they can unite in thankfully praising him for his loving faithfulness to them (4-5).

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

“He hath remembered his lovingkindness and his faithfulness toward the house of Israel: All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.”

The psalmist, who was an Israelite, naturally stressed the marvelous things God had done on behalf of Israel. The deliverance from Egypt, the Red Sea crossing, the wilderness wonders, the pillar of cloud, the pillar of fire, the manna, and the water from the smitten rock were among those wonders; and the conquest of Canaan and the eviction of the pagan nations by the conquest - all these marvelous doings upon Israel’s behalf were continually brought before the minds of the chosen people.

“All the ends of the earth have seen.” Indeed, this was true. One of the constellations in the heavens was believed to represent Israel; all the nations were aware that none other than God himself had delivered Israel from Egypt, cast the pagan nations out of Canaan and settled Israel therein. Even in the times when the Saviour was born, all the kings of the earth were expecting the birth of the Mighty One.

Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

He hath remembered his mercy - Compare the notes at Luke 1:54-55 (note), Luke 1:72 (note), where this passage in the Psalms was not improbably referred to by Mary and Zacharias. The idea is, that God had called to mind his promise of mercy to his people; that he had not suffered it to pass out of his recollection; that he had kept his word.

And his truth - He has kept his promise; he has shown that he is a God of truth.

Toward the house of Israel - Toward his people.

All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God - This appears to have been quoted from Isaiah 52:10. See the notes at that passage. The resemblance in the language is so strong as to make it probable that the psalm was composed after the times of Isaiah, and not improbably to be used (as remarked above) in the dedication of the temple after the captivity. The whole psalm would be appropriate to celebrate that deliverance; while, at the same time, like the language in Isaiah, it would be adapted to celebrate a higher deliverance - under the Messiah - of which that was an emblem.

Calvin's Commentary on the Bible

3He hath remembered his goodness Having spoken of the general manifestation of his salvation, he now celebrates his goodness more particularly to his own chosen people. God exhibited himself as a Father to Gentiles as well as Jews; but to the Jews first, who were, so to speak, the first-born. ⁽¹⁰⁹⁾ The glory of the Gentiles lay in their being adopted and in-grafted into the holy family of Abraham, and the salvation of the whole world sprung from the promise made to Abraham, as Christ said, “Salvation is of the Jews,” (John 4:22) The Psalmist therefore very properly observes, that God in redeeming the world remembered his truth, which he had given to Israel his people — language, too, which implies that he was influenced by no other motive than that of faithfully performing what he had himself promised. ⁽¹¹⁰⁾ The more clearly to show that the promise was not grounded at all on the merit or righteousness of man, he mentions the goodness of God first, and afterwards his faithfulness, which stood connected with it. The cause, in short, was not to be found out of God himself, (to use a common expression,) but in his mere good pleasure, which had been testified long before to Abraham and his posterity. The word remembered is used in accommodation to man’s apprehension; for what has been long suspended seems to have been forgotten. Upwards of two thousand years elapsed from the time of giving the promise to the appearance of Christ, and as the people of God were subjected to many afflictions and calamities, we need not wonder that they should have sighed, and given way to ominous fears regarding the fulfillment of this redemption. When it is added, all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of God, this is not merely commendatory of the greatness of the salvation, meaning that it should be so illustrious that the report of it would reach the ends of the earth; but it signifies that the nations formerly immersed in delusions and superstitions would participate in it.

(109) “Afin qu’ils fussent comme les aisnez.” — Fr.

(110) “Qu’il n’a point este induit par autre raison, sinon afin que fidelement il accomplist ce qu’il avoit promis.” — Fr.

Smith's Bible Commentary

Psalms 98:1-9

Now Psalms 98:1-9 , as I said, parallels Psalms 96:1-13 in many things. Notice Psalms 96:1-13 , "O sing unto the Lord a new song." Psalms 98:1-9 :

Sing unto the LORD a new song; for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand, his holy arm, have gotten him the victory. The LORD hath made known his salvation: his righteousness hath he openly showed in the sight of the heathen. He hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel: all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise. Sing unto the LORD with the harp; with the harp, and the voice of a psalm. With trumpets, the sound of the cornet make a joyful noise before the LORD, the King. Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. Let the floods clap their hands: let the hills be joyful together. Before the LORD; for he cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity ( Psalms 98:1-9 ).

Now notice in Psalms 96:1-13 it begins, "O sing unto the Lord," and the encouragement to praise God and to offer the offerings and so forth unto Him. And then calling the heavens to rejoice and the earth and the sea roaring, and the fullness thereof. And so in verse Psalms 98:7 , "Let the sea roar, the fullness thereof." And then the thirteenth verse of ninety-six compared with the ninth verse, they are pretty much the same, "The Lord cometh to judge the earth with righteousness shall He judge."

Now there are people who are constantly worried about, "How can a God of love do this or that or the other?" God, when He judges, will judge righteously. I do not believe that we have in our court systems today really righteous judgment. I long to see righteous judgment. I think that it's a shame, a travesty and all that the Supreme Court should rule concerning the Ten Commandments put up in the classrooms. They don't mind and they don't do anything to stop the pictures of the development from an anthropoid to a man in the classrooms. That's pawned off as science. And yet it's a religious system; it takes more faith to believe in that than it does to believe that God created things. And yet, the schools in Kentucky where they had the Ten Commandments placed in each of the classrooms, the Supreme Court has ordered that that is a violation of the separation of church and state, etc. State not imposing any religion. Of course, they didn't... "The Lord will judge the earth, with righteousness shall He judge the world." And I long for righteous judgment. "

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

1. God’s past revelation of His salvation 98:1-3

Psalms 98:1 anticipates a future victory for which the psalmist called on his readers to praise God. Already God had demonstrated His saving ability by redeeming Israel. All the world was familiar with what God had done for His chosen people, not only in the Exodus but throughout their history.

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

Psalms 98

This is another psalm that calls the earth to praise God in view of His coming reign. This psalm inspired Isaac Watts to write the hymn, "Joy to the World!" [Note: Wiersbe, The . . . Wisdom . . ., p. 268.]

"It is a close companion to Psalms 96, but is wholly given up to praise. Here there are no comparisons with the heathen, no instructions in right worship: all is joy and exhilaration." [Note: Kidner, Psalms 73-150, p. 352.]

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

He hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel,.... His mercy promised them, in raising up a Saviour to them, one that should be the glory of them; and his truth, in fulfilling that and every other promise concerning him; see Luke 1:72,

all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God; either Christ himself, who is the salvation or Saviour of God's appointing, providing, and sending; or the salvation which he has wrought out, the Gospel declaring it; which has been sent throughout the world; and many in all parts of it, even in the most distant parts of it, in the very ends of it, have been made to see the nature, want, worth, and value of it; not every individual person in the world, but some in the several parts, and in the remote corners of it, whither the Gospel has been or will be sent; see Isaiah 52:10.

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

A psalm.

      1 O sing unto the LORD a new song; for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory.   2 The LORD hath made known his salvation: his righteousness hath he openly showed in the sight of the heathen.   3 He hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel: all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

      We are here called upon again to sing unto the Lord a new song, as before, Psalms 96:1. "Sing a most excellent song, the best song you have." Let the song of Christ's love be like Solomon's on that subject, a song of songs. A song of praise for redeeming love is a new song, such a song as had not been sung before; for this is a mystery which was hidden from ages and generations. Converts sing a new song, very different from what they had sung; they change their wonder and change their joy, and therefore change their note. If the grace of God put a new heart into our breasts, it will therewith put a new song into our mouths. In the new Jerusalem there will be new songs sung, that will be new to eternity, and never wax old. Let this new song be sung to the praise of God, in consideration of these four things:--

      I. The wonders he has wrought: He has done marvellous things,Psalms 98:1; Psalms 98:1. Note, The work of our salvation by Christ is a work of wonder. If we take a view of all the steps of it from the contrivance of it, and the counsels of God concerning it before all time, to the consummation of it, and its everlasting consequences when time shall be no more, we shall say, God has in it done marvellous things; it is all his doing and it is marvellous in our eyes. The more it is known the more it will be admired.

      II. The conquests he has won: His right hand and his holy arm have gotten him the victory. Our Redeemer has surmounted all the difficulties that lay in the way of our redemption, has broken through them all, and was not discouraged by the services or sufferings appointed him. He has subdued all the enemies that opposed it, has gotten the victory over Satan, disarmed him, and cast him out of his strong-holds, has spoiled principalities and powers (Colossians 2:15), has taken the prey from the mighty (Isaiah 49:24), and given death his death's wound. He has gotten a clear and complete victory, not only for himself, but for us also, for we through him are more than conquerors. He got this victory by his own power; there was none to help, none to uphold, none that durst venture into the service; but his right hand and his holy arm, which are always stretched out with good success, because they are never stretched out but in a good cause, these have gotten him the victory, have brought him relief or deliverance. God's power and faithfulness, called here his right hand and his holy arm, brought relief to the Lord Jesus, in raising him from the dead, and exalting him personally to the right hand of God; so Dr. Hammond.

      III. The discoveries he has made to the world of the work of redemption. What he has wrought for us he has revealed to us, and both by his Son; the gospel-revelation is that on which the gospel-kingdom is founded--the word which God sent,Acts 10:36. The opening of the sealed book is that which is to be celebrated with songs of praise (Revelation 5:8), because by it was brought to light the mystery which had long been hid in God. Observe, 1. The subject of this discovery--his salvation and his righteousness, Psalms 98:3; Psalms 98:3. Righteousness and salvation are often put together; as Isaiah 61:10; Isaiah 46:13; Isaiah 51:5; Isaiah 51:6; Isaiah 51:8. Salvation denotes the redemption itself, and righteousness the way in which it was wrought, by the righteousness of Christ. Or the salvation includes all our gospel-privileges and the righteousness all our gospel-duties; both are made known, for God has joined them together, and we must not separate them. Or righteousness is here put for the way of our justification by Christ, which is revealed in the gospel to be by faith, Romans 1:17. 2. The plainness of this discovery. He has openly shown it, not in types and figures as under the law, but it is written as with a sunbeam, that he that runs may read it. Ministers are appointed to preach it with all plainness of speech. 3. The extent of this discovery. It is made in the sight of the heathen, and not of the Jews only: All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God; for to the Gentiles was the word of salvation sent.

      IV. The accomplishment of the prophecies and promises of the Old Testament, in this (Psalms 98:3; Psalms 98:3): He has remembered his mercy and his truth towards the house of Israel. God had mercy in store for the seed of Abraham, and had given them many and great assurances of the kindness he designed them in the latter days; and it was in pursuance of all those that he raised up his Son Jesus to be not only a light to lighten the Gentiles, but the glory of his people Israel; for he sent him, in the first place, to bless them. God is said, in sending Christ, to perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember the holy covenant,Luke 1:72. It was in consideration of that, and not of their merit.