Psalm 96:7

Give unto the LORD, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the LORD glory and strength.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(7-9) These verses are a relic of Psalm 29:1-2, where see Notes, but instead of being addressed to the angels it is, in accordance with the world of new ideas and feelings in which Israel lived after the Captivity, addressed to all the people of the world. A truly Messianic character is thus impressed on the psalm.

Benson Commentary

Psalm 96:7-9. Give unto the Lord, O ye kindreds of the people — O ye people, from whatsoever family ye come, or, O ye nations of the world, Give unto the Lord glory and strength — Ascribe to Jehovah that incomparable majesty, and supreme dominion and authority, which you have been wont to give to your imaginary gods. Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name — Renouncing all your idols, acknowledge Jehovah alone to be the omnipotent king of all the world, and do him honour suitable to the excellence of his majesty. Bring an offering, and come into his courts — The courts of his house. Bring him an oblation, in token of your subjection to him; and humbly worship him in his temple. He speaks of the worship of the New Testament under the expressions of the Jewish worship, as the prophets elsewhere do: see Malachi 1:11. O worship the Lord — O come and cast yourselves down before the Lord, in the beauty of holiness — In his sanctuary, where he hath fixed his glorious residence among us; or, rather, being clothed with all those holy ornaments, those gifts and graces, which are necessary and required in God’s worship. Fear before him, all the earth — Let all the people approach his presence with a holy fear and sacred reverence, standing in awe of, and dreading to offend, their sovereign Lord and King.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

96:1-9 When Christ finished his work on earth, and was received into his glory in heaven, the church began to sing a new song unto him, and to bless his name. His apostles and evangelists showed forth his salvation among the heathen, his wonders among all people. All the earth is here summoned to worship the Lord. We must worship him in the beauty of holiness, as God in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself. Glorious things are said of him, both as motives to praise and matter of praise.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Give unto the Lord - Ascribe unto the Lord - to Yahweh. This is extracted literally from 1 Chronicles 16:28.

O ye kindreds of the people - Hebrew, "Families" of the people: people, as united by family ties. The idea is that of worship not merely as individuals, nor as a mere "aggregate" of individuals united by no common bonds, but as those united by strong ties; bound by blood and affection; constituted into communities. It is a call on such to worship God in their capacity as thus bound together; to come as families and to worship God. In other words, it is a call on families "as such" to acknowledge God. A family is a proper place where to honor God. When the same joy pervades all hearts in prosperity, and when all are alike made sorrowful in adversity, there is an evident fitness that all should unite in the same worship of God; and that, as in all other things they have common interests, sympathies, and affections, so they should have in religion - in the service of their Creator.

Give unto the Lord glory and strength - That is, Proclaim that these belong to God; or, worship him as a God of glory and power.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

7-9. Give—or, "ascribe" (Ps 29:1) due honor to Him, by acts of appointed and solemn worship in His house.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

O ye kindreds of the people; or, O ye families of the people of the world. And the word families may be understood either,

1. Strictly and properly; and so it may be intimated that this great blessing of salvation by Christ should not be imparted to whole nations, but only to some persons taken out of every people and nation, as it is expressed, Revelation 5:9. Or,

2. More largely for nations, as it is taken, Genesis 12:3 Jeremiah 25:9 Zechariah 14:18; and so it may be implied that not only some few of the heathen people should be brought to the acknowledgment and worship of the true God, as was usual in the times of the Old Testament, but that whole nations should come in to the church of God together.

Give unto the Lord; ascribe to him, or acknowledge to be in him.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Give unto the Lord, O ye kindreds of the people,.... Or families (p): the Targum is,

"give unto the Lord a song, ye families of the people;''

by whom are meant not the tribes and families of the people of Israel, but the Gentiles, the nations of the world, who were to be blessed in the seed of Abraham, the family of Egypt, and others; see Amos 3:2, Zechariah 14:17, even such as were chosen of them, taken out from among them for a people to his name; who were redeemed out of every kindred, tongue, people, and nation; and were taken, one of a city, and two of a family, and brought to Zion: give unto the Lord glory and strength; See Gill on Psalm 29:1.

(p) "familiae", Pagninus, Montanus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, &c.

Geneva Study Bible

Give unto the LORD, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the LORD glory and {e} strength.

(e) As by experience you see that it is only due to him.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

7. O ye kindreds of the people] Ye families of the peoples. Cp. Psalm 22:27; Amos 3:2.

7–9. An appeal to the nations to acknowledge Jehovah. These verses are a free imitation of Psalm 29:1-2.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 7. - Give unto the Lord, O ye kindreds of the people; rather, O ye fatuities of the peoples. A renewed appeal to the heathen to join in the song of praise (comp. ver. 1). Give unto the Lord glory and strength. "Give" must be understood in the sense of "ascribe" (see Professor Cheyne's translation, and compare the Prayer book Version). Both this and the next verse are echoes of Psalm 29:1, 2. Psalm 96:7

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

Call to the families of the peoples to worship God, the One, living, and glorious God. הבוּ is repeated three times here as Psalm 29:1-11, of which the whole strophe is an echo. Isaiah (ch. 60) sees them coming in with the gifts which they are admonished to bring with them into the courts of Jahve (in Chr. only: לפניו). Instead of בּהדרת קדשׁ here and in the chronicler, the lxx brings the courts (חצרת) in once more; but the dependence of the strophe upon Psalm 29:1-11 furnishes a guarantee for the "holy attire," similar to the wedding garment in the New Testament parable. Instead of מפּניו, Psalm 96:9, the chronicler has מלּפניו, just as he also alternates with both forms, 2 Chronicles 32:7, cf. 1 Chronicles 19:18.