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1. When our joy is a fruit of the Spirit of the Lord (Galatians 5:22).

2. When it looketh to God and acknowledgeth Him the true God, and in His Son whom He hath sent, His God reconciled, appeased, and well pleased (Romans 5:1). Our prophet here calls the righteous to rejoice upon this ground. When a man rejoiceth in God's favour, forgiving sin, and in fellowship with God and Jesus Christ, then he rejoiceth in the Lord.

3. When it respecteth the special pledges of God's favour, as the works of regeneration, the happy change we find in ourselves, the shining and beautiful graces of God's Holy Spirit, with the daily increase of them: thus to rejoice in the Lord's image renewed, is to rejoice in the Lord Himself.

4. When our joy is set upon God's ordinances and Word, in which the Lord revealeth Himself, and communicateth Himself more freely unto us, when in them we get a faster hold of God, and grow up into further fellowship with Him, especially when His gracious promises feed our hearts, and we rejoice in His truth and faithfulness, making them good not only to others, but also to our own selves.

5. When we rejoice in the hope of eternal glory, both in soul and body (Romans 5:3). Hoping and expecting and rejoicing that we shall fully enjoy Him as He is, and drink freely of that water of life, which we have already tasted.

(T. Taylor, D. D.)

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KJV: Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.

WEB: Be glad in Yahweh, and rejoice, you righteous! Shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart!