to reign · verb, qal perfect, 3rd person masculine singular
earth
הָאָ֑רֶץha.'A.retz
H776
the earth (at large · definite article + noun, common feminine singular absolute
rejoice
תָּגֵ֣לta.Gel
H1523
properly · verb, qal jussive, 3rd person feminine singular
multitude
רַבִּֽיםra.Bim
H7227
abundant (in quantity · adjective, masculine plural absolute
isles
אִיִּ֥ים'i.Yim
H339
properly · noun, common masculine plural absolute
glad
יִ֝שְׂמְח֗וּyis.me.Chu
H8055
probably to brighten up · verb, qal imperfect, 3rd person masculine plural
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
Psalms 96:10-11 Say among the heathen that the LORD reigneth: the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved: he shall judge the people righ…
Psalms 99:1 The LORD reigneth; let the people tremble: he sitteth between the cherubims; let the earth be moved.
Colossians 1:13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
Psalms 93:1 The LORD reigneth, he is clothed with majesty; the LORD is clothed with strength, wherewith he hath girded himself: the world also is stabli…
Psalms 98:4-6 Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.
Revelation 11:17 Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and…
Isaiah 24:14-16 They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing for the majesty of the LORD, they shall cry aloud from the sea.
Isaiah 49:13 Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the LORD hath comforted his people, and will have me…
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on Psalms 97:1-7
What was to be said among the heathen in the foregoing psalm (Psa 97:10) is here said again (Psa 97:1) and is made the subject of this psalm, and of psalm 99. The Lord reigns; that is the great truth here laid down. The Lord Jehovah reigns, he that made the world governs it; he that gave being gives motion and power, gives law and commission, gives success and event. Every man's judgment proceeds from the Lord, from his counsel and providence, and in all affairs, both public and private, he performs the thing which he himself has appointed. The Lord Jesus reigns; the providential kingdom is twisted in with the mediatorial and the administration of both is in the hand of Christ, who therefore…
The Lord reigneth,.... He has reigned, now reigns, will and must reign until all enemies are made his footstool; See Gill on Psalm 93:1; see Gill on Psalm 96:10,
let the earth rejoice: not the land of Judea only, and the inhabitants of it, to whom the King Messiah came; for there were but few among them that received him, and rejoiced at his coming; but the whole earth, the vast continent, as distinguished from the isles after mentioned, and they that dwell upon it; the Gentiles, who had a concern in his coming, in whom they were to be blessed, to whom they were to be gathered, and in whom they should find a glorious rest; and therefore he is called
the desire of all nations: the first pre…
Psalm 97:1-5
1. Jehovah reigns: let the earth rejoice, let the great islands [95] be glad. 2. Clouds and darkness are round about him; righteousness and judgment are the habitation [96] of his throne. 3. A fire shall go before his face, and shall burn up his enemies round about. 4. His lightnings enlightened the world; the earth shall see, and tremble. 5. The hills flow down like wax at the presence of Jehovah, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.
1 Jehovah reigns His inviting men to rejoice, is a proof that the reign of God is inseparably connected with the salvation and best happiness of mankind. And, the joy he speaks of being common to the whole world and to the regions beyo…
The Church Fathers
For if the earth has to suffer either joy or injury, it is simply on people's account, that they may suffer the joy or the sorrow through the events that happen to their dwelling place, whereby they will rather have to pay the penalty that, simply on their account, even the earth must suffer. When, therefore, God even threatens the earth, I would prefer saying that he threatens the flesh. So likewise, when he makes a promise to the earth, I would rather understand him as promising the flesh; as in that passage of David: "The Lord is King, let the earth be glad," meaning the flesh of the saints, to which appertains the enjoyment of the kingdom of God.
The title of the psalm is prescribed thus: "When his land was restored." When it says "was restored," it is shown that it existed before, and afterward did not exist, and again was established. What then is this land of David which was restored? David's land is holy Mary, the mother of the Savior. "Who was made to him of the seed of David according to the flesh." What was promised to David was fulfilled in Mary's virginity and childbearing, where a virgin is begotten of a virgin. And thus was accomplished what is said in the Gospel, "The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us": so that what had been promised to David might be restored to us through holy Mary.
"The Lord has reigned, let the earth rejoice." Let the earth rejoice: let it have one king, which before was held by many. "Let the many islands be glad." It is said in a certain prophet: "Speak to the inhabitants of this island," that is, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. You see, then, that Jerusalem is called an island. Before David's land was restored, therefore, only the one island of Judea rejoiced; but now, David's land having been restored, it is said, "Let the many islands be glad." By the many islands we can mean the various provinces or cities of the believing peoples, or we shall interpret them as the various churches. For just as islands are beaten this way and that by the waves of the sea, so also the churches are indeed beaten by the various storms of temptations, but are not overturned.
The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).
Dictionary and topics
Island · Prophecies concerning — Prophecies concerning
Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).
We have here nothing but echoes of the older literature: Psa 97:1, cf. Isa 42:10-12; Isa 51:5; Psa 97:2, cf. Psa 18:10, Psa 18:12; Psa 97:2 = Psa 89:15; Psa 97:3, cf. Psa 50:3; Psa 18:9; Psa 97:3, cf. Isa 42:25. Beginning with the visible coming of the kingdom of God in the present, with מלך ה the poet takes his stand upon the standpoint of the kingdom which is come. With it also comes rich material for universal joy. תּגל is indicative, as in Psa 96:11 and frequently. רבּים are all, for all of them are in fact many (cf. Isa 52:15). The description of the theophany, for which the way is preparing in Psa 97:2, also reminds one of Hab. 3. God's enshrouding Himself in darkness bears witness to…
Ps 97 God is greatly exalted over the gods and over all the earth. Awe-inspiring phenomena accompany his coming. Even the created order is visibly affected and the wicked perish, but the people of Zion love his coming and rejoice.
97:1 The farthest coastlands represent the most remote parts of the world.
Spurgeon's Treasury of David on Psalms 97:1
The Lord reigneth; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad thereof.
The Lord reigneth. This is the watchword of the psalm—Jehovah reigns. It is also the essence of the gospel proclamation, and the foundation of the gospel kingdom. Jesus has come, and all power is given unto him in heaven and in earth, therefore men are bidden to yield him their obedient faith. Saints draw comfort from these words, and only rebels cavil at them. Let the earth rejoice, for there is cause for joy. Other reigns have produced injustice, oppression, bloodshed, terror; the reign of the infinitely gracious Jehovah is the hope of mankind, and when they all yield to it the race will have its paradis…
