Tehillim 98 | "Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth"

This psalm calls upon all to sing a new song in praise of a salvation that has already taken place. Those summoned to shout for joy to God are “all the earth”: “Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth; burst into song, sing with joy, make music” (98:4). The phrase “all the earth” carries a dual meaning. At first, it seems to refer to the people of Israel, or perhaps all humanity, singing to God with the harp. But then all of creation joins in the on the praise: “Let the sea roar, and all that fills it, the world and all who live in it. Let the rivers clap their hands and the mountains sing together for joy” (98:7–8).

This psalm parallels psalm 96. in its opening phrase, “A psalm, sing a new song to the Lord” (98:1) parallels to "Sing to the Lord a new song" (96:1), in its conclusion, and in many of its expressions throughout the psalms (see comparative charts attached from the "Tanakh Lab"). In both psalms, it is “all the earth” that is called to sing to God. However, a crucial difference lies in who leads this song - In Psalm 96, the nations of the world sing, with no mention of Israel, while in Psalm 98 the song focuses on the lovingkindness God has shown to Israel, and it is them who lead all of creation in song to God.

The language of this psalm also mirrors many expressions found in the book of Yeshayahu. This correspondence can be understood in two ways, depending on when the psalm was composed , and who drew from whom – Yeshayahu from Tehillim or Tehillim from Yeshayahu. If the psalm was written after the prophecies of Yeshayahu, then the echoes of his language serve to declare – the visions of Yeshayahu have finally been fulfilled through God’s mercy, and now it is time to give thanks. But if Psalm 98 is an earlier psalm, predating Yeshayahu, then the implication is the reverse: for generations, the people dreamed, prayed, and even gave thanks in anticipation of God's salvation. When the prophet Yeshayahu later spoke of the future redemption during the return from exile, he chose the language of these familiar prayers, as if to declare – God above affirms the prayers that have risen from below.

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