4 His lightnings H1300 enlightened H215 the world: H8398 the earth H776 saw, H7200 and trembled. H2342
The voice H6963 of thy thunder H7482 was in the heaven: H1534 the lightnings H1300 lightened H215 the world: H8398 the earth H776 trembled H7264 and shook. H7493
He looketh H5027 on the earth, H776 and it trembleth: H7460 he toucheth H5060 the hills, H2022 and they smoke. H6225
And it came to pass on the third H7992 day H3117 in the morning, H1242 that there were thunders H6963 and lightnings, H1300 and a thick H3515 cloud H6051 upon the mount, H2022 and the voice H6963 of the trumpet H7782 exceeding H3966 loud; H2389 so that all the people H5971 that was in the camp H4264 trembled. H2729 And Moses H4872 brought forth H3318 the people H5971 out of the camp H4264 to meet H7125 with God; H430 and they stood H3320 at the nether H8482 part of the mount. H2022 And mount H2022 Sinai H5514 was altogether on a smoke, H6225 because H6440 H834 the LORD H3068 descended H3381 upon it in fire: H784 and the smoke H6227 thereof ascended H5927 as the smoke H6227 of a furnace, H3536 and the whole mount H2022 quaked H2729 greatly. H3966
Which shaketh H7264 the earth H776 out of her place, H4725 and the pillars H5982 thereof tremble. H6426
Bow H5186 thy heavens, H8064 O LORD, H3068 and come down: H3381 touch H5060 the mountains, H2022 and they shall smoke. H6225 Cast forth H1299 lightning, H1300 and scatter H6327 them: shoot out H7971 thine arrows, H2671 and destroy H2000 them.
But the LORD H3068 is the true H571 God, H430 he is the living H2416 God, H430 and an everlasting H5769 king: H4428 at his wrath H7110 the earth H776 shall tremble, H7493 and the nations H1471 shall not be able to abide H3557 his indignation. H2195
G1161 Jesus, G2424 when he had cried G2896 again G3825 with a loud G3173 voice, G5456 yielded up G863 the ghost. G4151 And, G2532 behold, G2400 the veil G2665 of the temple G3485 was rent G4977 in G1519 twain G1417 from G575 the top G509 to G2193 the bottom; G2736 and G2532 the earth G1093 did quake, G4579 and G2532 the rocks G4073 rent; G4977
And, G2532 behold, G2400 there was G1096 a great G3173 earthquake: G4578 for G1063 the angel G32 of the Lord G2962 descended G2597 from G1537 heaven, G3772 and came G4334 and rolled back G617 the stone G3037 from G575 the door, G2374 and G2532 sat G2521 upon G1883 it. G846 G1161 His G846 countenance G2397 was G2258 like G5613 lightning, G796 and G2532 his G846 raiment G1742 white G3022 as G5616 snow: G5510
And G2532 the temple G3485 of God G2316 was opened G455 in G1722 heaven, G3772 and G2532 there was seen G3700 in G1722 his G846 temple G3485 the ark G2787 of his G846 testament: G1242 and G2532 there were G1096 lightnings, G796 and G2532 voices, G5456 and G2532 thunderings, G1027 and G2532 an earthquake, G4578 and G2532 great G3173 hail. G5464
And G2532 I saw G1492 heaven G3772 opened, G455 and G2532 behold G2400 a white G3022 horse; G2462 and G2532 he that sat G2521 upon G1909 him G846 was called G2564 Faithful G4103 and G2532 True, G228 and G2532 in G1722 righteousness G1343 he doth judge G2919 and G2532 make war. G4170
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Keil & Delitzsch Commentary » Commentary on Psalms 97
Commentary on Psalms 97 Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
The Breaking Through of the Kingdom of God, the Judge and Saviour
This Psalm, too, has the coming of Jahve, who enters upon His kingdom through judgment, as its theme, and the watchword “Jahve is King” as its key-note. The lxx inscribes it: τῷ Δαυίδ ὅτε ἡ γῆ αὐτοῦ καθίσταται ( καθίστατο ); Jerome: quando terra ejus restituta est . The τῷ Δαυίδ is worthless; the time of restoration, from which it takes its rise, is the post-exilic, for it is composed, as mosaic-work, out of the earlier original passages of Davidic and Asaphic Psalms and of the prophets, more especially of Isaiah, and is entirely an expression of the religious consciousness which resulted from the Exile.
We have here nothing but echoes of the older literature: Psalms 97:1, cf. Isaiah 42:10-12; Isaiah 51:5; Psalms 97:2 , cf. Psalms 18:10, Psalms 18:12; Psalms 97:2 = Psalms 89:15; Psalms 97:3 , cf. Psalms 50:3; Psalms 18:9; Psalms 97:3 , cf. Isaiah 42:25. Beginning with the visible coming of the kingdom of God in the present, with מלך ה the poet takes his stand upon the standpoint of the kingdom which is come. With it also comes rich material for universal joy. תּגל is indicative, as in Psalms 96:11 and frequently. רבּים are all, for all of them are in fact many (cf. Isaiah 52:15). The description of the theophany, for which the way is preparing in Psalms 97:2, also reminds one of Hab. 3. God's enshrouding Himself in darkness bears witness to His judicial earnestness. Because He comes as Judge, the basis of His royal throne and of His judgment-seat is also called to mind. His harbinger is fire, which consumes His adversaries on every side, as that which broke forth out of the pillar of cloud once consumed the Egyptians.
Again we have nothing but echoes of the older literature: Psalms 97:4 = Psalms 77:19; Psalms 97:4 , cf. Psalms 77:17; Psalms 97:5 , cf. Micah 1:4; Psalms 97:5 , cf. Micah 4:13; Psalms 97:6 = Psalms 50:6; Psalms 97:6 , cf. Isaiah 35:2; Isaiah 40:5; Isaiah 52:10; Isaiah 66:18. The poet goes on to describe that which is future with historical certainty. That which Psalms 77:19 says of the manifestation of God in the earlier times he transfers to the revelation of God in the last time. The earth sees it, and begins to tremble in consequence of it. The reading ותּחל , according to Hitzig (cf. Ew. §232, b ) traditional, is, however, only an error of pointing that has been propagated; the correct reading is the reading of Heidenheim and Baer, restored according to MSS, ותּחל (cf. 1 Samuel 31:3), like ותּבן , ותּקם , ותּרם , and ותּשׂם . The figure of the wax is found even in Psalms 68:3; and Jahve is also called “Lord of the whole earth” in Zechariah 4:14; Zechariah 6:5. The proclamation of the heavens is an expression of joy, Psalms 96:11. They proclaim the judicial strictness with which Jahve, in accordance with His promises, carries out His plan of salvation, the realization of which has reached its goal in the fact that all men see the glory of God.
When the glory of Jahve becomes manifest, everything that is opposed to it will be punished and consumed by its light. Those who serve idols will become conscious of their delusion with shame and terror, Isaiah 42:17; Jeremiah 10:14. The superhuman powers (lxx ἄγγελοι ), deified by the heathen, then bow down to Him who alone is Elohim in absolute personality. השׁתּחווּ is not imperative (lxx, Syriac), for as a command this clause would be abrupt and inconsequential, but the perfect of that which actually takes place. The quotation in Hebrews 1:6 is taken from Deuteronomy 32:43, lxx. In Psalms 97:8 (after Psalms 48:12) the survey of the poet again comes back to his own nation. When Zion hears that Jahve has appeared, and all the world and all the powers bow down to Him, she rejoices; for it is in fact her God whose kingship has come to the acknowledge. And all the daughter-churches of the Jewish land exult together with the mother-church over the salvation which dawns through judgments.
This distichic epiphonema ( Psalms 97:9 = Ps 83:19; Psalms 97:9 , cf. Psalms 47:3, 10) might close the Psalm; there follows still, however, a hortatory strophe (which was perhaps not added till later on).
It is true Psalms 97:12 is = Psalms 32:11, Psalms 97:12 = Psalms 30:5, and the promise in Psalms 97:10 is the same as in Psalms 37:28; Psalms 34:21; but as to the rest, particularly Psalms 97:11, this strophe is original. It is an encouraging admonition to fidelity in an age in which an effeminate spirit of looking longingly towards lit. ogling heathenism was rife, and stedfast adherence to Jahve was threatened with loss of life. Those who are faithful in their confession, as in the Maccabaean age ( Ἀσιδαῖοι ), are called חסדיו . The beautiful figure in Psalms 97:11 is misapprehended by the ancient versions, inasmuch as they read זרח (Psalms 112:4) instead of זרע . זרע does not here signify sown = strewn into the earth, but strewn along his life's way, so that he, the righteous one, advances step by step in the light. Hitzig rightly compares ki'dnatai ski'dnatai, used of the dawn and of the sun. Of the former Virgil also says, Et jam prima novo spargebat lumine terras .