Psalms 96:7
in Psalms 96Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the nations, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Ascribe unto Jehovah, ye kindreds of the peoples, Ascribe unto Jehovah glory and strength.
KJV
Give unto the Lord, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the Lord glory and strength.
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This verse in Psalms 96
Commentary
11 notes on this verseBring to the Lord, you families of the nations, bring to the Lord glory and honor. If it is said of the temple at Jerusalem, what does it now mean: Bring to the Lord, you families of the nations, bring to the Lord glory and honor? The multitude of the nations, the calling of the nations, is the gathering of the Church. Bring to the Lord glory and honor. When we honor the Lord in our body, the Lord is glorified in us. Bring to the Lord glory to his name.
This site's exposition
O families of the nations
on Psalms 96:7-9
These verses repeat Psalm 29:1 and 2 almost word for word, with O families of the nations standing where Psalm 29 addresses the heavenly beings. The summons reaches the whole earth, and it asks for worship in the splendor of His holiness. An offering comes into His courts with it.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
And if they say that they were chosen to act as priests and to offer worship to God, it can be shown that the Word promised that he would give to the Gentiles an equal share in his service, when he said, "Render to the Lord, O you kindreds of the nations, render to the Lord glory and honor: bring sacrifices and come into his courts." To which the oracle in Isaiah may be conjoined: "There shall be an altar to the Lord in the land of Egypt … and the Egyptians will know the Lord. And they shall sacrifice, and say prayers to the Lord and make offering." And in this you will understand that it is prophesied that an altar will be built to the Lord away from Jerusalem in Egypt and that the Egyptians will there offer sacrifice, say prayers and give gifts to the Lord. Yes, and not only in Egypt, but in the true Jerusalem itself, whatever it is thought to be, all the nations, including the Egyptians indeed, the most superstitious of them all, are invited to keep the feast of tabernacles, as a feast of the heart.
What then? If "confession and beauty are before Him: holiness and greatness in His sanctification" (ver. 7). This we declare, when we are building the house; behold, it is already declared unto the heathen; what ought the heathen to do, to whom those who have cleared away the wood have declared the Lord's honour? He now saith to the heathen themselves, "Ascribe unto the Lord, O ye kindreds of the people: ascribe unto the Lord worship and honour." Ascribe them not unto yourselves: because they also who have declared it unto you, have not declared their own, but His honour. Do ye then "ascribe unto the Lord worship and honour;" and say, "Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us: but unto Thy Name give the praise." Put not your trust in man. If each of you is baptized, let him say: He baptizeth me, of whom the friend of the Bridegroom said, "He baptizeth with the Holy Ghost." For when ye say this, ye ascribe unto the Lord worship and honour: "Ascribe unto the Lord worship and honour."
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
All the earth is here summoned to fear before the Lord, to worship him according to his appointment. In every place incense shall be offered to his name, Mal. i. This indeed spoke mortification to the Jews, but, withal, it gave a prospect of that which would redound very much to the glory of God and to the happiness of mankind.
Give unto the Lord, O ye kindreds of the people,....
Thine is the kingdom, and therefore thine is the power and the glory. "Give the glory to God; do not take it to yourselves, nor give it to any creature." (3.) We must give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name, that is, to the discovery he has been pleased to make of himself to the children of men.
4 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century4 voices
The first six verses commenced with an exhortation to sing, three times repeated, with the name of the Lord thrice mentioned; here we meet with the expression, Give unto the Lord, used in the same triple manner. This is after the manner of those poets whose flaming sonnets have best won the ear of, the people, they reiterate choice words till they penetrate the soul and fire the heart. The invocation of the sweet singer is still addressed to all mankind, to whom he speaks as, Ye kindreds of the people.
The first six verses commenced with an exhortation to sing, three times repeated, with the name of the Lord thrice mentioned; here we meet with the expression, Give unto the Lord, used in the same triple manner. This is after the manner of those poets whose flaming sonnets have best won the ear of, the people, they reiterate choice words till they penetrate the soul and fire the heart. The invocation of the sweet singer is still addressed to all mankind, to whom he speaks as, Ye kindreds of the people. Divided into tribes and families, we are called in our courses and order to appear before him and ascribe to him all honour. "All worship be to God only, "is the motto of one of our City companies, and it may well be the motto of all the families upon earth. Family worship is peculiarly pleasing unto him who is the God of all the families of Israel. Give unto the Lord glory and strength, that is to say, recognise the glory and power of Jehovah, and ascribe them unto him in your solemn hymns. Who is glorious but the Lord? Who is strong, save our God? Ye great nations who count yourselves both famous and mighty, cease your boastings! Ye monarchs, who are styled imperial and puissant, humble yourselves in the dust before the only Potentate. Glory and strength are nowhere to be found, save with the Lord, all others possess but the semblance thereof. Well did Massilion declare, "God alone is great."
Ye kindreds of the people - Ye families, all the tribes of Israel in your respective divisions.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Give unto the Lord - Ascribe unto the Lord - to Yahweh. This is extracted literally from 1Ch 16:28. O ye kindreds of the people - Hebrew, “Families” of the people: people, as united by family ties. The idea is that of worship not merely as individuals, nor as a mere “aggregate” of individuals united by no common bonds, but as those united by strong ties; bound by blood and affection; constituted into communities. It is a call on such to worship God in their capacity as thus bound together; to come as families and to worship God. In other words, it is a call on families “as such” to acknowledge God. A family is a proper place where to honor God. When the same joy pervades all hearts in prosperity, and when all are alike made sorrowful in adversity, there is an evident fitness that all should unite in the same worship of God; and that, as in all other things they have common interests, sympathies, and affections, so they should have in religion - in the service of their Creator. Give unto the Lord glory and strength - That is, Proclaim that these belong to God; or, worship him as a God of glory and power.
The words behind it
8 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| הָב֣וּ | havu | ascribe | H3051 → | 34 times |
| לַ֭יהוָה | layahweh | to Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| מִשְׁפְּח֣וֹת | mishpechot | O clans of | H4940 → | 303 times |
| עַמִּ֑ים | ʾamim | peoples | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| הָב֥וּ | havu | ascribe | H3051 → | 34 times |
| לַ֝יהוָ֗ה | layahweh | to Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| כָּב֥וֹד | kavod | glory | H3519 → | 200 times |
| וָעֹֽז׃ | vaoz | and strength | H5797 → | 92 times |
הָב֣וּascribe
havuH3051 →34 times
לַ֭יהוָהto Yahweh
layahwehH3068 →6520 times
מִשְׁפְּח֣וֹתO clans of
mishpechotH4940 →303 times
עַמִּ֑יםpeoples
ʾamimH5971 →1873 times
הָב֥וּascribe
havuH3051 →34 times
לַ֝יהוָ֗הto Yahweh
layahwehH3068 →6520 times
כָּב֥וֹדglory
kavodH3519 →200 times
וָעֹֽז׃and strength
vaozH5797 →92 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Matthew 6:13And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will…
- Matthew 26:41
“Watch and pray so that you will not enter into temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”
- John 17:15
I am not asking that You take them out of the world, but that You keep them from the evil one.
- Revelation 7:14–17
“Sir,” I answered, “you know.” So he replied, “These are the ones who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the…
- 1 Corinthians 10:13
Through
Revelation 5:9And they sang a new song: “Worthy are You to take the scroll and open its seals, because You were slain, and by Your blood You purchased for God those from every tribe and…
it leads to
- 1 Peter 1:18–19
For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life you inherited from your forefathers,
- 1 John 1:7
But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.
- Matthew 26:28
This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
- Romans 3:24–26
and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
- 1 Peter 1:18–19
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Psalms
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Psalms; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, Exposition on Psalm 96; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Vol. 4; Eusebius of Caesarea, PROOF OF THE GOSPEL 2:3; Jerome, Homily 23, on Psalm 95; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.