Albert Barnes Commentary


Albert Barnes Commentary
"Sing unto Jehovah, bless his name; Show forth his salvation from day to day." — Psalms 96:2 (ASV)
Sing to the Lord, bless his name - This verse is substantially the same as 1 Chronicles 16:23: Sing to the Lord, all the earth; show forth from day to day his salvation.
Show forth his salvation - His interposition; the fact that he has saved or delivered us. This may have referred originally, in particular, to what he had done to save the people in time of danger, but the language is also such as to express salvation in a higher sense—salvation from sin and death. As such, it may be employed to express what God has done for mankind—for all people, Jews and Gentiles—in providing a way of salvation and making it possible for them to reach heaven. For this, all people have occasion for praise.
From day to day - Continually; always. It is a fit subject for unceasing praise. Every man should praise God every day—on each returning morning and on every evening—for the assurance that there is a way of salvation provided for him, and that he may be happy forever. If we had right feelings, this would be the first thought that would burst upon the mind each morning, irradiating, as with sunbeams, all around us; and it would be the last thought that would linger in the soul as we lie down at night and close our eyes in slumber—making us grateful, calm, happy, as we sink to rest, for whether we wake or not in this world, we may be forever happy.