John Calvin Commentary Psalms 96

Sing unto Jehovah a new song. This commencement shows that, as I have already observed, the Psalmist is exhorting the whole world, and not the Israelites merely, to the practice of devotion. Nor could this happen unless the gospel were universally diffused as the means of conveying the knowledge of God. The saying of Paul must necessarily hold true,

How shall they call upon him in whom they have not believed? (Romans 10:14).

The same Apostle proves the calling of the Gentiles by citing as testimony, Praise the Lord, ye Gentiles, with his people (Romans 15:11). From this it follows that fellowship in the faith is connected with the joint celebration of praise. Besides, the Psalmist requires a new song, not one that was common and had previously been sung.

He must therefore refer to some unusual and extraordinary display of Divine goodness. Thus, when Isaiah speaks of the restoration of the Church, which was wonderful and incredible, he says, Sing unto the Lord a new song (Isaiah 42:10). The Psalmist therefore suggests that the time had come when God would establish His kingdom in the world in a manner altogether unexpected.

As he proceeds, he suggests even more clearly that all nations would share in the favor of God. He calls upon them everywhere to proclaim His salvation. His desire that they should celebrate it from day to day signifies that it was not of a fading or evanescent nature, but one that would endure forever.

Declare his glory among the heathen. Additional terms are brought forward to commend the salvation spoken of. It is called his glory and his wonders; which is equivalent to saying that it was glorious and admirable.

By such titles, the Psalmist intended to distinguish it from any deliverances that had previously been granted, for indeed, there can be only one opinion that when God appeared as Redeemer of all the world, he gave a display of his mercy and of his favor such as he had never bestowed before. This salvation, as I have said, the Gentile nations could not possibly have celebrated had they been left without it.

These words teach us that we can never be said to have rightly apprehended the redemption accomplished by Christ unless our minds have been raised to the discovery of something incomparably wonderful about it.

For Jehovah is great, and greatly to be praised. He particularly describes that God, whom he wants people to celebrate, and this is because the Gentile nations were prone to fall into error on this subject. So that the whole world might renounce its superstitions and unite in the true religion, he points out the one true God who is worthy of universal praise.

This is a point of the greatest importance. Unless people are restrained by proper respect for it, they can only dishonor him all the more when they attempt to worship him. We must observe this order if we are not to profane the name of God and count ourselves among unbelieving people, who put forward gods of their own invention.

The term gods in the verse can mean, as I observed already (Psalms 95:3), either angels or idols. I am still of the opinion that the term comprehends whatever is, or is considered, deity. As God, so to speak, sends rays of himself throughout all the world by his angels, these reflect some sparks of his Divinity.

People, again, in framing idols, fashion for themselves gods that have no existence. The Psalmist seeks to convince them that it is a gross error to ascribe undue honor either to the angels or to idols, thus detracting from the glory of the one true God. He convicts the pagan nations of clear infatuation, on the grounds that their gods are vanity and nothing, for such is the meaning of the Hebrew word אלילים , elilim, which is here applied to idols in contempt.

The Psalmist’s great point is to show that, since the Godhead is truly to be found only in the one Maker of the world, those religions that corrupt the pure worship of him are vain and contemptible.

Some may ask: Are angels then to be considered nothing and vanity, merely because many have been deceived in thinking them gods? I would reply that we wrong the angels when we give them the honor that is due to God alone. And while, for this reason, we are not to maintain that they are nothing in themselves, yet whatever imaginary glory has been attached to them must count for nothing. But the Psalmist is considering the gross delusions of the pagans, who impiously fashioned gods for themselves.

Before refuting their absurd notions, he very properly remarks about God that he is great, and greatly to be praised. — insinuating that his glory as the infinite One far excels any glory they dreamt was attached to their idols. We cannot help but notice the confidence with which the Psalmist asserts the glory of the true God, in opposition to the universal opinion that people might hold.

The people of God at that time were called to maintain a conflict of no small or ordinary kind with the vast array and enormous weight of superstitions that then filled the whole world. It might be said that the true God was confined to the obscure corner of Judea. Jupiter was the god universally accepted — and adored throughout all of Asia, Europe, and Africa.

Every country had its own particular gods, but these were also known in other regions, and it was only the true God who was robbed of the glory that belonged to him. All the world had conspired to believe a lie. Yet the Psalmist, aware that the vain delusions of people could take nothing away from the glory of the one God, looks down with indifference on the opinion and universal consensus of humanity.

The inference is clear: we must not conclude that the religion meeting with the approval of the multitude is necessarily the true one. For the Psalmist's judgment would have immediately collapsed if religion were something to be determined by the votes of people, and the worship of God depended on their whim.

So, however many may agree in error, we shall insist, following the Holy Spirit, that they cannot diminish God’s glory. For humanity is vanity itself, and all that comes from humanity is to be distrusted. Having asserted the greatness of God, he proves it by reference to the creation of the world, which reflects his perfections.

God must necessarily be self-existent and self-sufficient, which shows the vanity of all gods who did not make the world. The heavens are mentioned — a part for the whole — as the power of God is principally apparent in them, when we consider their beauty and adornment.

Strength and honor are before him: I translate the Hebrew word הוד, hod, as strength, and I think those interpreters who render it glory have not properly considered the context. It is evident that the next part of the verse is a repetition, and there it reads, Power and Glory are in his sanctuary. The Psalmist means that we cannot be said to know God if we have not discovered that there is in him an incomparable glory and majesty.

He first takes notice of his power and strength, as that in which his glory consists. There, as God is invisible, he directs the thoughts of his people to the sanctuary, which we have already seen to be the symbol of his presence. Such is the weakness of our minds that we rise with difficulty to the contemplation of his glory in the heavens. The Psalmist reminds us that we have no reason to say that his glory is obscure, since there were emblems of his presence in the temple, the sacrifices, and the ark of the covenant. Let us endeavor, when we speak of God, to conceive of this glory which shines before him — otherwise, if we do not apprehend his power, it is a dead God rather than a living God whom we worship.

Give to Jehovah, etc. Since praise waited for God in Zion (Psalms 65:1), and that was the place devoted to the celebration of his worship, and the descendants of Abraham were alone invested with the privilege of priesthood, we cannot doubt that the Psalmist refers here to that great change which was to take place in the Church upon the advent of Christ.

An opposition or distinction is intended between God’s ancient people and the Gentile tribes, who were to be afterwards adopted into the same fellowship. To declare his glory and strength, is the same as declaring the glory of his strength.

And to show that humanity can boast nothing of its own, and in refusing to celebrate God, impiously strips him of his just honors, the Psalmist adds, Give unto the Lord the glory of his name. This expression denotes that God borrows nothing from outside himself, but comprehends all that is worthy of praise in himself.

He explicitly calls upon the Gentile nations to render to God the same worship that the Jews did. This does not mean that we must worship God now according to the outward ritual that was prescribed under the Law, but he signifies that there would be one rule and form of religion in which all nations should agree.

Now, unless the middle wall of partition had been broken down, the Gentiles could not have entered with God’s children into the courts of the sanctuary. Thus, we have here a clear prediction of the calling of the Gentiles, who needed to have their uncleanness taken away before they could be brought into the holy assembly.

The mincha, or oblation, was only one kind of sacrifice, but it is here used to denote the whole worship of God, because it was a more commonly practiced part of divine service. We see from this and other passages that the inspired writers describe the inward worship of God using symbols common in the age when they lived.

God would not have meat offerings presented to him after Christ had come; but the words that the Psalmist uses suggest that the doors of the temple, once shut, were now to be opened for the admission of the Gentiles. The Apostle, in his Epistle to the Hebrews (Hebrews 13:15), tells us what those sacrifices are with which God will now be worshipped.

Hence the absurdity of the Papists, who would adduce such passages in support of the mass and their other fooleries. However, we may very properly learn from these words that we ought not to come empty-handed into the presence of God, as we are instructed to present ourselves and all that we have as a reasonable service to him (Romans 12:1; 1 Peter 2:5).