the sky (as aloft · definite article + noun, common masculine plural absolute
declare
הִגִּ֣ידוּhi.Gi.du
H5046
properly · verb, hiphil perfect, 3rd person common plural
righteousness
צִדְק֑וֹtzid.Ko
H6664
the right (natural · noun, common masculine singular construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
people
הָעַמִּ֣יםha.'a.Mim
H5971
a people (as a congregated unit) · definite article + noun, common masculine plural absolute
see
וְרָא֖וּve.ra.'U
H7200
to see · conjunction + verb, qal sequential perfect, 3rd person common plural
glory
כְּבוֹדֽוֹke.vo.Do
H3519
properly · noun, common masculine singular construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
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
Isaiah 66:18 For I know their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory.
Psalms 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.
Psalms 50:6 And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself. Selah.
2 Samuel 22:47 The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock; and exalted be the God of the rock of my salvation.
Psalms 67:4 O let the nations be glad and sing for joy: for thou shalt judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon earth. Selah.
Isaiah 6:3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.
Isaiah 40:5 And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
Isaiah 45:6 That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else.
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 heavens declare his righteousness,.... His justice in punishing his enemies; the lightning and the thunder in the heavens, the tokens of his wrath, and instruments of it; his wrath itself, which is revealed from heaven, Romans 1:18, or the inhabitants of heaven, as Aben Ezra; the angels of heaven; so the Targum, "the angels on high (or of heaven, as in the king's Bible) declare his righteousness"; see Revelation 16:5, it is true of the ministers of the Gospel, who are Christ's angels or messengers, men of heavenly gifts and grace, whose work it is to declare the justifying righteousness of Christ, which is revealed in the Gospel from faith to faith, and which is therefore called the word…
Psalm 97:6-8
6. The heavens have declared his righteousness, and all the people have seen his glory. 7. Confounded be all those who serve graven images, who glory in their inventions; [98] let all the gods worship before him. 8. Zion heard, and was glad; and the daughters of Judah [99] rejoiced because of thy judgments, O Jehovah!
6 The heavens have declared his righteousness Here he states that there would be such an illustrious display of the righteousness of God, that the heavens themselves would herald it. The meaning is not the same as in the beginning of the nineteenth psalm, "The heavens declare the glory of God," etc. In that psalm David means no more than that the wisdom and power…
The Church Fathers
The heavens have announced his justice. These are the heavens of which it is said also in the eighteenth psalm, "The heavens declare the glory of God." The heavens announce his justice: the earth does not announce it. Whoever is heaven does not fear the just God: whoever is of the heavens does not fear to announce his justice: whoever is holy and is heaven, he does not fear the just God. But the sinner seeks a merciful God.
"The heavens announced his justice, and all peoples saw his glory." In these two little verses two things are signified: the heavens announce the justice of the Lord, and all peoples see his glory. For unless someone has become heaven, he cannot announce the justice of the Lord. For if to the sinner it is said, "You are earth, and into earth you shall go," why should it not be said to the just one, "You are heaven, and into heaven you shall go"? For we do not bear the image of the earthly, but the image of the heavenly: since "our citizenship is in the heavens." If anyone, therefore, walks upon the earth, although in the flesh yet not according to the flesh, that one can freely announce the justice of the Lord. For if someone less knowing should suffer a scruple, and say, "What is it that we see the just in this life pressed down by labors and want, and sinners flourishing in riches and every comfort?" — unless the churchman has been instructed in the divine Scriptures, how can he show the justice of God in cases of this kind? But if he labors in the meditation of the law day and night, he will easily answer, that the brief lowliness of the present time is to be compensated afterward by eternal rewards. For it is much better for someone, for the sake of the Lord, in the small span of his life, to endure voluntary poverty, that he may in the future enjoy eternal riches, than here to abound in luxuries, and afterward be tortured with intolerable punishments. "And all peoples saw his glory." Those who before were scandalized at the cross of the Lord, because by themselves they could not recognize him, afterward, when the heavens announced the justice of God, glorify God.
"The heavens have declared His righteousness: and all the people have seen His glory" [Psalm 97:6]. What heavens have declared? "The heavens declare the glory of God." Who are the heavens? Those who have become His seat; for as God sits in the heavens, so does He sit in the Apostles, so does He sit in the preachers of the Gospel. Even thou, if you will, shall be a heaven. Do you wish to be so? Purge from your heart the earth. If you have not earthly lusts, and hast not in vain uttered the response, that you have "lifted up your heart," you shall be a heaven. "If you be risen with Christ," says the Apostle to believers, "set your affection on things above, not on things of the earth." [Colossians 3:1-2] You have begun to set your affection upon things above, not on things upon earth; have you not become a heaven? Thou carriest flesh, and in your heart you are already a heaven; for your conversation will be in heaven. [Philippians 3:20] Being such, thou also declarest Christ; for who of the faithful declares not Christ?...Therefore the whole Church preaches Christ, and the heavens declare His righteousness; for all the faithful, whose care it is to gain unto God those who have not yet believed, and who do this from love, are heavens. From them God thunders forth the terror of His judgment; and he who was unbelieving trembles, and is alarmed, and believes. He shows unto men what power Christ had throughout the world, by pleading with them, and leading them to love Christ. For how many this day have led their friends either to some pantomimist, or flute-player? Why, except from their liking him? And do ye love Christ. For He who conquered the world has exhibited such spectacles, as that no man can say that he finds in them cause for blame. For each person's favourite in the theatre is often vanquished there. But no man is vanquished in Christ: there is no reason for shame. Seize, lead, draw, whom you may: be without fear, you are leading unto Him, who displeases not those who see Him; and ask ye Him to enlighten them, that they may behold to good account.
Dictionary and topics
Righteousness Of God, The · The heavens shall declare — The heavens shall declare
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).
Again we have nothing but echoes of the older literature: Psa 97:4 = Psa 77:19; Psa 97:4, cf. Psa 77:17; Psa 97:5, cf. Mic 1:4; Psa 97:5, cf. Mic 4:13; Psa 97:6 = Psa 50:6; Psa 97:6, cf. Isa 35:2; Isa 40:5; Isa 52:10; Isa 66:18. The poet goes on to describe that which is future with historical certainty. That which Psa 77:19 says of the manifestation of God in the earlier times he transfers to the revelation of God in the last time. The earth sees it, and begins to tremble in consequence of it. The reading ותּחל, according to Hitzig (cf. Ew. ֗232, b) traditional, is, however, only an error of pointing that has been propagated; the correct reading is the reading of Heidenheim and Baer, restor…
As the Lord enters the world, the testimony of his righteousness resounds from above (50:6). • Every nation will view the open display of the Lord’s glory (see 8:1; 19:1-4a; 24:7; Isa 40:5).
Spurgeon's Treasury of David on Psalms 97:6
The heavens declare his righteousness, and all the people see his glory.
The heavens declare his righteousness. It is as conspicuous as if written across the skies, both the celestial and the terrestrial globes shine in its light. It is the manner of the inspired poets to picture the whole creation as in sympathy with the glory of God, and indeed it is not mere poetry, for a great truth underlies it, the whole creation has been made to groan through man's sin, and it is yet to share in the joy of his restoration. And all the people see his glory. The glorious gospel became so well known and widely promulgated, that it seemed to be proclaimed by every star, and published by the very skies th…
