Charles Spurgeon

The LORD reigns, let the earth rejoice; let the distant shores be glad.

“The Lord reigneth. This is the watchword of the psalm—Jehovah reigns. It is also the essence of the gospel proclamation, and the foundation of the gospel kingdom.”

Clouds and darkness surround Him; righteousness and justice are His throne’s foundation.

“Clouds and darkness are round about him. So the Lord revealed himself at Sinai, so must he ever surround his essential Deity when he shows himself to the sons of men, or his excessive glory would destroy them.”

Fire goes before Him and consumes His foes on every side.

“A fire goeth before him. Like an advance guard clearing the way. So was it at Sinai, so must it be: the very Being of God is power, consuming all opposition; omnipotence is a devouring flame which burneth up his enemies round about.”

His lightning illuminates the world; the earth sees and trembles.

“His lightnings enlightened the world. In times of tempest the whole of nature is lighted up with a lurid glare, even the light of the sun itself seems dim compared with the blaze of lightning.”

The mountains melt like wax at the presence of the LORD, before the Lord of all the earth.

“The hills melted like wax at the presence of the Lord. Inanimate nature knows its Creator, and worships him in its own fashion. States and kingdoms which stand out upon the world like mountains are utterly dissolved when he decrees their end.”

The heavens proclaim His righteousness; all the peoples see His glory.

“The heavens declare his righteousness. It is as conspicuous as if written across the skies, both the celestial and the terrestrial globes shine in its light.”

All worshipers of images are put to shame— those who boast in idols. Worship Him, all you gods!

“Confounded be all they that serve graven images, that boast themselves of idols. They shall be so; shame shall cover their faces, they shall blush to think of their former besotted boastings.”

Zion hears and rejoices, and the towns of Judah exult because of Your judgments, O LORD.

“Zion heard, and was glad. While the heathen are confounded the people of God are made to triumph, for they love to see their God exalted. The day shall come when the literal Zion, so long forsaken, shall joy in the common salvation.”

For You, O LORD, are Most High over all the earth; You are exalted far above all gods.

“For thou, Lord, art high above all the earth. And therefore do we rejoice to see the idols abolished and to see all mankind bending at thy throne.”

Hate evil, O you who love the LORD! He preserves the souls of His saints; He delivers them from the hand of the wicked.

“Ye that love the Lord, hate evil. For He hates it, his fire consumes it, his lightnings blast it, his presence shakes it out of its place, and his glory confounds all the lovers of it.”

Hate evil, O you who love the LORD! He preserves the souls of His saints; He delivers them from the hand of the wicked.

“THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION is a golden chain with which the hands of men are fettered from all hatred. The spirit of Christ is love. Wherever he governs, love reigns as a necessary consequence. The Christian man is not allowed to hate any one.”

Light shines on the righteous, gladness on the upright in heart.

“Light is sown for the righteous. All along their pathway it is strewn. Their night is almost over, their day is coming, the morning already advancing with rosy steps is sowing the earth with orient pearls.”

Rejoice in the LORD, you righteous ones, and praise His holy name.

“Rejoice in the Lord, ye righteous. The psalmist had bidden the earth rejoice, and here he turns to the excellent of the earth and bids them lead the song. If all others fail to praise the Lord, the godly must not.”

Sing to the LORD a new song, for He has done wonders; His right hand and holy arm have gained Him the victory.

“THERE MUST BE NEW SONGS on new occasions of triumph. It would have been absurd for Miriam with her timbrel to conduct the music of the daughters of Israel to some old sonnet that they had learned in Egypt.”

Sing to the LORD a new song, for He has done wonders; His right hand and holy arm have gained Him the victory.

“O sing unto the Lord a new song; for he hath done marvellous things. We had a new song before (Ps 96:1-13) because the Lord was coming, but now we have another new song because he has come, and seen and conquered.”

The LORD has proclaimed His salvation and revealed His righteousness to the nations.

“The Lord hath made known his salvation, by the coming of Jesus and by the outpouring of the Holy Ghost, by whose power the gospel was preached among the Gentiles.”

He has remembered His love and faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

“He hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel. To them Jesus came in the flesh, and to them was the gospel first preached; and though they counted themselves unworthy of eternal life, yet the covenant was not broken, for the…”

Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre, in melodious song with the harp.

“Sing unto the Lord with the harp. Skill in music should not be desecrated to the world's evil mirth, it should aid the private devotions of the saint, and then, like George Herbert, he will sing, Martin Luther was thus wont to praise the Lord…”

With trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn shout for joy before the LORD, the King.

“With trumpets and sound of cornet make a joyful noise. God's worship should be heartily loud. The far resounding trump and horn well symbolise the power which should be put forth in praise. Before the Lord, the King.”

Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy

“Let the floods clap their hands. The rolling rivers, the tidal estuaries, the roaring cataracts, are here summoned to pay their homage, and to clap their hands, as men do when they greet their sovereigns with acclamation.”

before the LORD, for He comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness and the peoples with equity.

“Before the Lord; for he cometh to judge the earth. Stiller music such as made the stars twinkle with their soft kind eyes suited his first coming at Bethlehem, but his second advent calls for trumpets, for he is a judge; and for all earth's…”

The LORD reigns; let the nations tremble! He is enthroned above the cherubim; let the earth quake!

“The Lord reigneth. One of the most joyous utterances which ever leaped from mortal lip. The overthrow of the reign of evil and the setting up of Jehovah's kingdom of goodness, justice, and truth, is worthy to be hymned again and again, as we have…”

Great is the LORD in Zion; He is exalted above all the peoples.

“The Lord is great in Zion. Of old the temple's sacred hill was the centre of the worship of the great King, and the place where his grandeur was most clearly beheld: his church is now his favoured palace, where his greatness is displayed, acknowledged…”

Let them praise Your great and awesome name— He is holy!

“Let them praise thy great and terrible name: let all the dwellers in Zion and all the nations upon the earth praise the Lord, or "acknowledge thankfully" the goodness of his divine nature, albeit that there is so much in it which must inspire their…”

Moses and Aaron were among His priests; Samuel was among those who called on His name. They called to the LORD and He answered.

“Moses and Aaron among his priests, and Samuel among them that call upon his name. Though not ordained to the typical priesthood, Moses was a true priest, even as Melchizedek had been before him.”