Psalms 97:1
in Psalms 97The LORD reigns, let the earth rejoice; let the distant shores be glad.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Jehovah reigneth; let the earth rejoice; Let the multitude of isles be glad.
KJV
The Lord reigneth; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad thereof.
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This verse in Psalms 97
Commentary
14 notes on this verseThe 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. Jesus has come, and all power is given unto him in heaven and in earth, therefore men are bidden to yield him their obedient faith. Saints draw comfort from these words, and only rebels cavil at them. Let the earth rejoice, for there is cause for joy.
This site's exposition
let the distant shores be glad
on Psalms 97:1-3
The LORD reigns, and the gladness reaches the distant shores. Clouds and darkness around Him is the language of Sinai, where Exodus 20:21 puts God in the thick darkness. Fire goes before Him there, and righteousness and justice hold the throne up.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers5 voices
..."The Lord is King, let the earth be glad: yea, let the multitude of the isles be joyous" [Psalm 97:1]. It is so indeed, because the word of God hath been preached not in the continent alone, but also in those isles which lie in mid sea: even these are full of Christians, full of the servants of God. For the sea doth not retard Him who made it. Where ships can approach, cannot the words of God? The isles are filled. But figuratively the isles may be taken for all the Churches. Why isles? Because the waves of all temptations roar around them. But as an isle may be beaten by the waves which on every side dash around it, yet cannot be broken, and rather itself doth break the advancing waves, than by them is broken: so also the Churches of God, springing up throughout the world, have suffered the persecutions of the ungodly, who roar around them on every side; and behold the isles stand fixed, and at last the sea is calmed.
For if the earth has to suffer either joy or injury, it is simply on people's account, that they may suffer the joy or the sorrow through the events that happen to their dwelling place, whereby they will rather have to pay the penalty that, simply on their account, even the earth must suffer. When, therefore, God even threatens the earth, I would prefer saying that he threatens the flesh. So likewise, when he makes a promise to the earth, I would rather understand him as promising the flesh; as in that passage of David: "The Lord is King, let the earth be glad," meaning the flesh of the saints, to which appertains the enjoyment of the kingdom of God.
A Psalm of David, when his land was established. We read in the books of Kingdoms and of Chronicles that David was a warlike man, that he subjected all the surrounding nations, and reduced them under his own power. This for the moment according to the letter, so that we understand it in this way: A Psalm of David which he sang to the Lord, when, his adversaries having been conquered, he restored peace to his land, that is, to Judaea. This according to the history. But if David is interpreted as "strong in hand," and no one is strong in hand except him who conquered all nations, our David, to whom the demons cried out, "Why have you come to torment us before the time, Son of David?" — then this psalm was composed by him, when his land was established. And the holy presbyter said excellently, that this land which is established is our bodies. For truly at that time ought we to sing to God, when our land has been set in order. But let us also speak of it in another way; for it does no harm, if we understand the same thing in two or three ways. For it is written in Solomon: "You shall take these things," he says, "upon the tablet of your heart threefold." It does no harm to say something different, when it is said with one spirit. When his land was established. This land, before our David conquered all, did not have peace, but everywhere there was discord. One nation worshipped Jupiter, another Mercury, another Juno, and all the nations had different idols. The standard of the cross was raised up, and all the land was established.
"The Lord has reigned, let the earth rejoice." Let the earth rejoice: let it have one king, which before was held by many. "Let the many islands be glad." It is said in a certain prophet: "Speak to the inhabitants of this island," that is, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. You see, then, that Jerusalem is called an island. Before David's land was restored, therefore, only the one island of Judea rejoiced; but now, David's land having been restored, it is said, "Let the many islands be glad." By the many islands we can mean the various provinces or cities of the believing peoples, or we shall interpret them as the various churches. For just as islands are beaten this way and that by the waves of the sea, so also the churches are indeed beaten by the various storms of temptations, but are not overturned.
The Lord has reigned, let the earth exult. Let the whole earth, and all the world, which had before been subjected to demons and idols, rejoice now that the Lord reigns. The Lord has reigned. The Lord the Creator who made you, he himself has reigned. O you who before were subjected under the lord the devil, now you are subjected under the Lord the Creator. Let the many islands be glad — the holy presbyter spoke well of our souls, which are battered this way and that by various thoughts as if by various waves. But let us also call the churches islands. And indeed it is said in another place too: "Many islands shall be converted to me." Do you wish to know that the churches are called islands? It is said in the prophet in the person of the Lord: "Speak," he says, "to the inhabitants of this island." Let the many islands be glad. For just as islands are set in the midst of the sea, so also the churches are set as it were in the midst of the sea of this world, and thus they are battered by persecutions as if by diverse waves. But these islands are battered daily, yet they are not overthrown. They are indeed in the sea, but they have Christ for their foundation, who cannot be moved.
7 more voices on this verse
The Church Fathers1 voice
The title of the psalm is prescribed thus: "When his land was restored." When it says "was restored," it is shown that it existed before, and afterward did not exist, and again was established. What then is this land of David which was restored? David's land is holy Mary, the mother of the Savior. "Who was made to him of the seed of David according to the flesh." What was promised to David was fulfilled in Mary's virginity and childbearing, where a virgin is begotten of a virgin.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
) is, Let the earth rejoice; but it is only the sons of Zion and the daughters of Judah that do rejoice. All should bid the kingdom of the Messiah welcome, but few do. The reasons that are given for Zion's joy in the government of the Redeemer.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
The Lord reigneth,....
The Lord Jesus reigns; the providential kingdom is twisted in with the mediatorial and the administration of both is in the hand of Christ, who therefore is both the head of the church and head over all things to the church. The kingdom of Christ is so constituted that, I.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
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. Jesus has come, and all power is given unto him in heaven and in earth, therefore men are bidden to yield him their obedient faith. Saints draw comfort from these words, and only rebels cavil at them. Let the earth rejoice, for there is cause for joy. Other reigns have produced injustice, oppression, bloodshed, terror; the reign of the infinitely gracious Jehovah is the hope of mankind, and when they all yield to it the race will have its paradise restored. The very globe itself may well be glad that its Maker and liege Lord has come to his own, and the whole race of man may also be glad, since to every willing subject Jesus brings untold blessings. Let the multitude of isles be glad thereof. To the ancient Israelites all places beyond the seas were isles, and the phrase is equivalent to all lands which are reached by ships. It is remarkable, however, that upon actual islands some of the greatest victories of the Cross have been achieved. Our own favoured land is a case in point, and not less so the islands of Polynesia and the kingdom of Madagascar. Islands are very numerous; may they all become Holy Islands, and Isles of Saints, then will they all be Fortunate Islands, and true Formosas. Many a land owes its peace to the sea; if it had not been isolated it would have been desolated, and therefore the inhabitants should praise the Lord who has moated them about, and given them a defence more available than bars of brass. Jesus deserves to be Lord of the Isles, and to have his praises sounded along every sea beaten shore. Amen, so let it be.
The Lord reigneth - Here is a simple proposition, which is a self-evident axiom, and requires no proof: Jehovah is infinite and eternal; is possessed of unlimited power and unerring wisdom; as he is the Maker, so he must be the Governor, of all things. His authority is absolute, and his government therefore universal. In all places, on all occasions, and in all times, Jehovah reigns. But this supreme King is not only called hwhy Yehovah, which signifies his infinite and eternal being, unlimited power, and unerring wisdom; and, as Creator, his universal government; but he is also ynd) Adonai, the Director and Judge. He directs human actions by his word, Spirit, and Providence. Hence are his laws and revelation in general; for the governed should know their governor, and should be acquainted with his laws, and the reasons on which obedience is founded. As Adonai or Director, he shows them the difference between good and evil; and their duty to their God, their neighbors, and themselves: and he finally becomes the Judge of their actions. But as his law is holy, and his commandment holy, just, and good, and man is in a fallen, sinful state; hence he reveals himself as; אלהים Elohim, God, entering into a gracious covenant with mankind, to enlighten his darkness, and help his infirmities; that he may see what is just, and be able to do it. But as this will not cancel the sins already committed, hence the necessity of a Savior, an atonement; and hence the incarnation, passion, death, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus. This is the provision made by the great God for the more effectual administration of his kingdom upon earth. […]
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
The Lord reigneth - See the notes at Psa 93:1. This is the general fact to be dwelt upon; this is the foundation of joy and praise. The universe is not without a sovereign. It is not the abode of anarchy. It is not the production of chance. It is not subject to mere physical laws. It is not under the control of evil. It is under the government of a God: a wise, holy, intelligent, just, benevolent Being, who rules it well, and who presides over all its affairs. If there is anything for which we should rejoice, it is that there is One Mind, everlasting and most glorious, who presides over the universe, and conducts all things according to his own wise and eternal plan. Let the earth rejoice - The earth itself; all parts of it; all that dwell upon it. As the earth everywhere derives whatever it has of fertility, beauty, grandeur, or stability, from God - as order, beauty, productiveness are diffused everywhere over it - as it has received so many proofs of the divine beneficence toward it, it has occasion for universal joy. Let the multitude of isles be glad thereof - Margin, “Many, or great isles.” The Hebrew is many. So the Septuagint, the Latin Vulgate, the Chaldee, and the Syriac. The eye of the psalmist is evidently on the many islands which are scattered over the sea. Not merely the continents - the extended countries where nations dwell - have occasion for joy, but the beautiful islands - the spots of earth which have risen from the deep, and which are covered with fruits and flowers - these, too, have occasion to rejoice: to rejoice that God has raised them from the waters; that he keeps them from being overflowed or washed away; that he clothes them with beauty; that he makes them the abode of happy life; that he places them in the wastes of the ocean as he does the stars in the wastes of the sky, to beautify the universe. […]
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
The Lord has reigned when He takes the kingdom from Amalek and from his descendants.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| יְהוָ֣ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| מָ֭לָךְ | malokh | he reigns | H4427 → | 348 times |
| תָּגֵ֣ל | tagel | let it be glad | H1523 → | 45 times |
| הָאָ֑רֶץ | haaretz | the earth | H776 → | 2504 times |
| יִ֝שְׂמְח֗וּ | yismechu | let them rejoice | H8055 → | 155 times |
| אִיִּ֥ים | ʾiyim | islands | H339 → | |
| רַבִּֽים׃ | rabim | many | H7227 → | 454 times |
יְהוָ֣הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
מָ֭לָךְhe reigns
malokhH4427 →348 times
תָּגֵ֣לlet it be glad
tagelH1523 →45 times
הָאָ֑רֶץthe earth
haaretzH776 →2504 times
יִ֝שְׂמְח֗וּlet them rejoice
yismechuH8055 →155 times
אִיִּ֥יםislands
ʾiyimH339 →
רַבִּֽים׃many
rabimH7227 →454 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
Colossians 1:13He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of His beloved Son,
it leads to
- Ephesians 5:8
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light,
- Acts 26:18
to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those sanctified…
- 1 Peter 2:9
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.
- Titus 3:3–6
For at one time we too were foolish, disobedient, misled, and enslaved to all sorts of desires and pleasures—living in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.
- 1 Thessalonians 2:12
encouraging you, comforting you, and urging you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.
- Ephesians 5:8
Through
Psalms 93:1The LORD reigns! He is robed in majesty; the LORD has clothed and armed Himself with strength. The world indeed is firmly established; it cannot be moved.
it leads to
- Psalms 96:10
Declare among the nations: “The LORD reigns!” The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved; He will judge the peoples with equity.
- 1 Chronicles 29:12
Both riches and honor come from You, and You are the ruler over all. In Your hands are power and might to exalt and give strength to all.
- Psalms 99:1
The LORD reigns; let the nations tremble! He is enthroned above the cherubim; let the earth quake!
- Psalms 96:10
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 97; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Vol. 4; Jerome, Homily 24, on Psalm 96; Jerome, Homily 73, on Psalm 96 (Alternate Series); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Tertullian, ON THE RESURRECTION OF THE FLESH 26.