John Gill Commentary Psalms 96:9

"Oh worship Jehovah in holy array: Tremble before him, all the earth." — Psalms 96:9 (ASV)

O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness
(See Gill on Psalms 29:2), in this and the three preceding verses there is a manifest allusion to the form of addresses made to kings in the eastern nations; who being arrayed, and seated in a majestic manner, with all the marks of royal honour and dignity about them, whom their subjects approach with ascriptions of glory to them; bringing presents in their hands, and bowing down to the ground before them, as the word ^F18 for "worship" signifies; expressing the utmost awe and reverence of them, as in the next clause:

fear before him, all the earth ;
or, as the Targum,

``all the inhabitants of the earth;'' it is the duty of all men to fear the Lord; but none can fear him aright without his grace, or an heart given them to fear him: this respects the latter day, when the Jews shall seek the Lord, and fear him and his goodness; when all nations shall fear and worship him; when, from the rising of the sun to the going down of the same, the name of the Lord shall be great and tremendous among the Gentiles; see (Hosea 3:5) (Revelation 15:3Revelation 15:4) (Malachi 1:11) .

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FOOTNOTES:

• F18: (wwxtvh) "incurvate vos", Pagninus, Montanus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; "prosternite vos", Tigurine version.