John Calvin Commentary Psalms 97:8

"Zion heard and was glad, And the daughters of Judah rejoiced, Because of thy judgments, O Jehovah." — Psalms 97:8 (ASV)

Zion heard, and was glad. In the former part of the psalm, he had spoken of that joy which should be common to all the world. Now he makes special mention of God’s chosen nation; and this partly because they were to enjoy the first-fruits of this joy, and partly because he would remove all occasion for rivalry or envy.

Accordingly, having said that the Gentile nations should be brought to equal privileges with the posterity of Abraham, he adds that the Jews would not suffer any diminution of honor by this co-partnership of privilege, but might rather reasonably rejoice in being chosen by God to be the fountain from which the world was to be watered and refreshed.

Those of whom the Psalmist speaks were the true children of Abraham, and only them. They had a double reason for rejoicing when God extended his government and glory from the rising to the setting sun; for while he exhibited to them in Christ the complete fulfillment of the redemption that was promised, they, at the same time, saw the glory of God diffused from the narrow limits of Judea to all parts of the world.

When the nations were blessed in the seed of Abraham, in agreement with the prediction that had gone before, this was no inconsiderable confirmation of their faith, as it also was when they saw a religion that had been hated and despised universally embraced. But why, it may be asked, does he speak of those things being heard, rather than seen?

Two reasons may be given for this: first, he would have God’s believing people anticipate the blessing by hope before its consummation arrived; and second, the language intimates that the glory of the Gospel would be spread to such distant quarters that the Jews would rather hear of it by report than witness it with their own eyes.