Albert Barnes Commentary Psalms 95

O come, let us sing to the Lord - The word translated here as 'come,' properly means "go"; but it is used here, as it often is, as a formula of invitation, calling on others to share in what the speaker is doing.

It is to be understood in this context as used by one part of an assembly convened for worship addressing another part, and calling on them to unite in the praise of God.

Let us make a joyful noise - The word used here commonly means to make a loud noise, to shout (Job 30:5). It is especially used:

• of warlike shouts (Joshua 6:16; 1 Samuel 17:20);
• of the shout of triumph (Judges 15:14);
• of the sound or clangor of a trumpet (Numbers 10:9; Joel 2:1).

It may thus be used to denote any shout of joy or praise. In public worship, it would denote praise of the most animated kind.

To the Rock of our salvation - The strong ground of our confidence; the basis of our hope; our security. See the notes at Psalm 18:2.

Let us come before his presence - Margin, as in Hebrew, “prevent his face.” The word in Hebrew literally means to come before; to anticipate. It is the word commonly rendered “prevent.” See Job 3:12, note; Psalms 17:13, note; Psalms 59:10, note; and 1 Thessalonians 4:15, note.

Here it means to come before, in the sense of “in front of.” Let us stand before His face; that is, in His very presence.

With thanksgiving - Expressing our thanks.

And make a joyful noise unto him - This is the same word that occurs in Psalms 95:1.

With psalms - Songs of praise.

For the Lord is a great God - For Yahweh is a great God. The object is to exalt Jehovah, the true God, as distinguished from all who were worshipped as gods. The first idea is that He is “great;” that He is exalted over all the universe; that He rules over all, and that He is to be worshipped as such.

And a great King above all gods - This does not mean that He is a great ruler of all other gods, as if they had a real existence, but that He is king or ruler far above all that were worshipped as gods, or to whom homage was paid. Whoever, or whatever was worshipped as God, Yahweh was supreme over all things. He occupied the throne; and all others must be beneath Him, and under His dominion. If the sun, the moon, or the stars were worshipped - if the mountains or the rivers - if angels good or bad - yet Yahweh was above all these. If imaginary beings were worshipped, yet Yahweh in His perfections was exalted far above all that was ascribed to them, for He was the true God, and the Ruler of the universe, while they were beings of the imagination only.

In his hand — In his power, or under his control as his own. That is, he so possesses all things that they can be claimed by no other. His right over them is absolute and entire.

Are the deep places of the earth — The word used here, מחקר mechqâr, means the interior, the inmost depth; that which is “searched out,” from חקר châqar—to search, search out, or explore. The primary idea is that of searching by boring or digging. The allusion here is to the parts of the earth that could be explored only by digging, such as in mining or sinking shafts into the earth.

The meaning is that all those places which lie beyond ordinary human power of observation are in the hand of God. He knows them as clearly as those which are most plain to human view. He possesses or owns them as his own as truly as he does those on the surface of the ground.

The strength of the hills is his also — Margin, “The heights of the hills are his.” The word rendered “strength,” תועפות tô‛âphôth, properly means swiftness or speed in running; then, weariness or wearisome labor; and hence, wealth obtained by labor—“treasures.” Here the expression means “treasures of the mountains”; that is, treasures obtained from the mountains, such as precious metals, etc. Compare the notes at Job 22:25, where the same word occurs.

All this belongs to God. Since he is the Maker of these hills and of all that they contain, the absolute proprietorship is in him.

The sea is his – The margin, as in Hebrew, is “Whose the sea is.” That is, the sea belongs to him, with all that it contains.

And he made it – It is his, because he made it. The creation of anything gives the highest possible right over it.

And his hands formed the dry land – He has a claim, therefore, that it should be recognized as his, and that all who dwell upon it, and derive their support from it, should acknowledge him as its great Owner and Lord.