Sing a new song! Psalm 96

“Oh sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth!” Psalm 96:1.

An enthronement psalm in the 93 and 95-100 grouping and in a section without superscripts in the Hebrew Bible, Psalm 96 invites worshipers to worship God and gives the reasons why. The Septuagint has, though … “when the house was built after the Captivity, a Song by David,” and so it suggests that this may have been used for worship at the new temple after the remnant returned and rebuilt.

The connection to David as he lived much earlier might be from David’s song of thanksgiving that Ezra recorded for the returning exiles in 1 Chronicles 16:23-33.

Singing a new song is found in six psalms, Isaiah, and twice in Revelation, where the saved sing about the Lamb that was slain and with His blood “ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation” (Revelation 5:9).

We are to ascribe the glory to Him as we enter His courts for worship in “holy attire” which is understood as our wedding clothes (Matthew 22:11), the putting on of Christ (Galatians 3:26-27) in baptism. And, as testimony to the broader range of the gospel, the whole earth should rejoice in God.