Why read Psalm 96?
Psalm 96 encourages joy in faith and a continued love of goodness. God's sovereignty and the light given to the righteous lead to praise and a rejection of evil.
You can read this psalm when its themes speak to your circumstances, or as part of your regular reading of the Psalter. This explanation draws on the text itself; the psalm is not reserved for one particular need.
"The Lord is King! Let the earth rejoice..." — so begins Psalm 96, thirteen verses from the Thirteenth Kathisma. The Psalter is read in the Orthodox Church at every service, and this psalm has its own place in the order of prayer.
The text of Psalm 96
1. The Lord is King! Let the earth rejoice, let many islands be glad.
2. Cloud and darkness are round about Him; righteousness and judgement are the foundation of His throne.
3. Fire shall go before Him, and shall burn up His enemies on every side.
4. His lightnings have shone upon the world; the earth saw and trembled.
5. The mountains melted like wax at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.
6. The heavens have declared His righteousness, and all the peoples have seen His glory.
7. Let all them be ashamed that worship graven images, and that boast themselves in their idols.
8. Worship Him, all ye His angels; Sion heard and was glad,
9. And the daughters of Judah rejoiced, because of Thy judgements, O Lord.
10. For Thou art the Lord Most High over all the earth; Thou art exalted exceedingly above all gods.
11. Ye that love the Lord, hate evil; the Lord keepeth the souls of His saints; out of the hand of the sinner shall He deliver them.
12. Light is sprung up for the righteous, and gladness for the upright of heart.
13. Rejoice in the Lord, ye righteous, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holiness!
When Psalm 96 is read
- It belongs to the Thirteenth Kathisma and is read in the course of the Psalter at the services; the faithful read it during fasts and in times of need.
- At the end of each psalm, the tradition adds: "Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen."
Neighbouring psalms
Read also
The numbering follows the Orthodox Psalter (Septuagint). The same psalm may have a different number in other Bible editions.
