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Psalm 98 · a question people ask

Which "marvelous things" (98:1) does the psalm mean?

In the text

The psalm doesn't name an event. Its title says only "A Psalm." (98:1), with no writer and no occasion, and no New Testament verse names a writer for it. What it does say is what the LORD did and how: "His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him" (98:1), "The LORD has made known his salvation" (98:2), "He has remembered his loving kindness and his faithfulness toward the house of Israel" (98:3). The same words stand elsewhere. The song by the sea says, "Your right hand, LORD, is glorious in power" (Exodus 15:6), with 98:1's word for right hand. Another psalm says, "You have redeemed your people with your arm" (Psalm 77:15). And Isaiah has 98:3's last line word for word in the WEB (Isaiah 52:10; see Go deeper). Psalm 98 itself doesn't say which deeds it has in view, and these notes don't choose one for it.

The verses

“A Psalm. Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things! His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him. The LORD has made known his salvation. He has openly shown his righteousness in the sight of the nations. He has remembered his loving kindness and his faithfulness toward the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.”
Psalm 98:1-3 · World English Bible
“Your right hand, LORD, is glorious in power. Your right hand, LORD, dashes the enemy in pieces.”
Exodus 15:6 · World English Bible
“You have redeemed your people with your arm, the sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah.”
Psalm 77:15 · World English Bible
“The LORD has made his holy arm bare in the eyes of all the nations. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.”
Isaiah 52:10 · World English Bible

From Favor's study of Psalm 98

Psalm 98: All the ends of the earth have seen

The last line of 98:3, "All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God", is word for word in Isaiah 52:10, and the two verses are the only places the Hebrew Bible says "his holy arm". And the psalm names the nations and "the house of Israel" in one breath (98:2-3).

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Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Every answer cites the verses it rests on. What we believe · All Bible questions