Psalm 97


Psalm 97 is the 97th psalm of the Book of Psalms, generally known in English by its first verse, in the King James Version, "The Lord reigneth; let the earth rejoice", also as "The Lord is King". The Book of Psalms is part of the third section of the Hebrew Bible, and a book of the Christian Old Testament. In the Greek Septuagint version of the bible, and in its Latin translation in the Vulgate, this psalm is Psalm 96 in a slightly different numbering system. In Latin, it is known as "Dominus regnavit exultet terra". The psalm is a hymn psalm.
The psalm is a regular part of Jewish, Catholic, Anglican and Protestant liturgies. It has been set to music often, notably by Otto Nicolai as a German motet, and by Antonín Dvořák who set it in Czech in his Biblical Songs.

Text

Hebrew Bible version

Following is the Hebrew text of Psalm 97:
VerseHebrew
1יְהֹוָ֣ה מָ֖לָךְ תָּגֵ֣ל הָאָ֑רֶץ יִ֜שְׂמְח֗וּ אִיִּ֥ים רַבִּֽים
2עָנָ֣ן וַֽעֲרָפֶ֣ל סְבִיבָ֑יו צֶ֥דֶק וּ֜מִשְׁפָּ֗ט מְכ֣וֹן כִּסְאֽוֹ
3אֵשׁ לְפָנָ֣יו תֵּלֵ֑ךְ וּתְ֜לַהֵ֗ט סָבִ֥יב צָרָֽיו
4הֵאִ֣ירוּ בְרָקָ֣יו תֵּבֵ֑ל רָֽאֲתָ֖ה וַתָּחֵ֣ל הָאָֽרֶץ
5הָרִ֗ים כַּדּוֹנַ֗ג נָ֖מַסּוּ מִלִּפְנֵ֣י יְהֹוָ֑ה מִ֜לִּפְנֵ֗י אֲד֣וֹן כָּל־הָאָֽרֶץ
6הִגִּ֣ידוּ הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם צִדְק֑וֹ וְרָא֖וּ כָל־הָֽעַמִּ֣ים כְּבוֹדֽוֹ
7כָּל־עֹ֥בְדֵי פֶ֗סֶל הַמִּתְהַלְלִ֥ים בָּֽאֱלִילִ֑ים הִשְׁתַּֽחֲווּ־ל֜֗וֹ כָּל־אֱלֹהִֽים
8צִיּ֗וֹן וַ֖תָּגֵלְנָה בְּנ֣וֹת יְהוּדָ֑ה לְמַ֖עַן מִשְׁפָּטֶ֣יךָ יְהֹוָֽה
9כִּֽי־אַתָּ֚ה יְהֹוָ֗ה עֶלְי֥וֹן עַל־כָּל־הָאָ֑רֶץ מְאֹ֥ד נַֽ֜עֲלֵ֗יתָ עַל־כָּל־אֱלֹהִֽים
10אֹֽהֲבֵ֥י יְהֹוָ֗ה שִׂנְא֫וּ רָ֥ע שֹׁ֖מֵר נַפְשׁ֣וֹת חֲסִידָ֑יו מִיַּ֥ד רְ֜שָׁעִ֗ים יַצִּילֵֽם
11א֖וֹר זָרֻ֣עַ לַצַּדִּ֑יק וּלְיִשְׁרֵי־לֵ֥ב שִׂמְחָֽה
12שִׂמְח֣וּ צַ֖דִּיקִים בַּֽיהֹוָ֑ה וְ֜הוֹד֗וּ לְזֵ֣כֶר קָדְשֽׁוֹ

King James Version

  1. The Lord reigneth; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad thereof.
  2. Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne.
  3. A fire goeth before him, and burneth up his enemies round about.
  4. His lightnings enlightened the world: the earth saw, and trembled.
  5. The hills melted like wax at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.
  6. The heavens declare his righteousness, and all the people see his glory.
  7. Confounded be all they that serve graven images, that boast themselves of idols: worship him, all ye gods.
  8. Zion heard, and was glad; and the daughters of Judah rejoiced because of thy judgments, O Lord.
  9. For thou, LORD, art high above all the earth: thou art exalted far above all gods.
  10. Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.
  11. Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart.
  12. Rejoice in the Lord, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.

    Themes

Psalm 97 foreshadows the messianic era when God will reign supreme over the earth. Its verses reference God's sovereignty, his enactment of justice, and the widespread rejoicing that will ensue.

Uses

Judaism

Psalm 97 is the third of six psalms recited during the Kabbalat Shabbat service. These six psalms represent the six days of the week, with Psalm 97 corresponding to the third day.
Verse 11 of the psalm, "Light is sown for the righteous...", is recited by Ashkenazi Jews at the start of the Kol Nidre service on Yom Kippur.
Verse 11 is also one of the verses which the Shulchan Aruch advises a person to say if he is having trouble falling asleep.

New Testament

Verse 7 is quoted in of the New Testament.

Musical settings

Heinrich Schütz set the psalm in German as part of his setting of the Becker Psalter, which he published in 1628. Titled "Der Herr ist König überall", it is catalogued as SWV 195. Johann Sebastian Bach based the first movement of a wedding cantata, Dem Gerechten muß das Licht, BWV 195, on in possibly in 1727. Friedrich Ludwig Benda set the psalm in German as a cantata for three soloists, choir and orchestra in 1786. Otto Nicolai set Psalm 97 in German as a psalm motet for choir a cappella with solo passages, "Der Herr ist König" in 1832, published by Bote & Bock in Berlin in 1977. Antonín Dvořák set verses 2–6 in Czech to music in No. 1 of his Biblical Songs, Op. 99, in 1894.
Works for Anglican services include a setting by Joseph Barnby, The Lord is King.

Cited sources

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