Psalms 98:1–6
Sing a new song with harp, trumpets and horn
Study it word by word1A psalm. Sing to YHWH a new song, for he has done wonders; his right hand and his holy arm have saved him.
2YHWH has made known his salvation; before the eyes of the nations he has uncovered his righteousness.
3He has remembered his loyal love and his faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our Elohim.
4Raise a shout to YHWH, all the earth; break forth and shout for joy and sing psalms.
5Sing psalms to YHWH with the lyre, with the lyre and the voice of song.
6With trumpets and the voice of the horn raise a shout before the king, YHWH.
In its context
…
7Let the sea thunder, and what fills it, the world and those who dwell in it.
8Let the rivers clap their palms; together let the mountains shout for joy
Its words in the original
- מִזְמוֹרmizmor· psalm
Psalm: a song sung with instruments. It is the title of many of the poems in the book of Psalms.
- שִׁירוּshiru· sing
Sing; singer.
- יהוָהyhva· YHWH
The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.
- שִׁירshir· song
Song, singing.
- חָדָשׁchadash· new
New.
- נִפְלָאוֹתniflaot· be wonderful, too hard
Be extraordinary, beyond what one can do; be wonderful. "Is anything too hard for YHWH?"
- עָשָׂהasa· do, make
Do, make, in the widest sense: build, produce, carry out, keep (a command), prepare.
- הוֹשִׁיעָהhoshia· save
Save: deliver someone from danger or from an oppressor. From this root come the names Joshua and Jesus.
- יְמִינyemin· right hand, south
Right, right hand. Facing the east, the right is the south. It is also the side of honor and of strength.
- זְרוֹעַzeroa· arm
Arm; an image of strength.
- קָדְשׁkadsh· holiness, holy place
Holiness: what is set apart for God. Also a holy place or a holy thing; "the holy of holies" is the most holy place.
- הוֹדִיעַhodia· know
Know. Not only having a fact: it is knowing by experience and closely; also recognize, care for, make known. So Hebrew also uses it for the intimate union of a man and his wife ("he knew his wife").
- יְשׁוּעָתyeshuat· salvation
Salvation: the help with which God delivers from danger; also victory. The name "Jesus" (Yeshua) comes from the same root.
- עֵינֵיene· eye
Eye. "In someone's eyes" means "in his opinion"; "find favor in the eyes of" is to please him. Also a spring of water.
- גּוֹיִםgoyim· nation
Nation, a people with its land. In the plural, "the nations": all the peoples of the world, and especially those who are not Israel.
- גִּלָּהgila· uncover, reveal; exile
Uncover, lay bare; be exposed. Also reveal something; and go into exile.
- צִדְקָתtsidkat· righteousness
Righteousness: being right with God and acting rightly with others; justice.
- זָכַרzachar· remember
Remember, call to mind; also mention. When God "remembers" someone, it is not that he had forgotten: it means he acts in his favor.
- חַסְדּchasd· loyal love
"Chesed": love that stays faithful to a commitment. It is kindness that does not remain a feeling: it acts in favor of the other and does not abandon him. The Bible says it above all of God's love for his people.
- אֱמוּנָתemunat· faithfulness, steadiness
Steadiness; from there faithfulness, being trustworthy.
- בֵיתvet· house, household
House. Also the family that lives in it ("the house of Noah") and someone's descendants ("the house of David"); also a temple, "the house of God".
- יִשְׂרָאֵלyisrael· Israel
Israel, the new name Jacob received from God, explained as "you have striven with God" (Genesis 32:28); then the name of the people that came from him and, after the division, of the northern kingdom.
- רָאוּrau· see
See. Also look, observe, notice, consider; in some forms, "appear" or "show".
- אַפְסֵיafse· end; only
End, limit; as an adverb, "only," "however."
- אָרֶץarets· earth, land
The earth, in two senses: the whole world in contrast with the heavens, or a particular country or region ("the land of Egypt").
- אֱלֹהֵיelohe· Elohim, God, gods
The Hebrew word usually translated "God". This translation keeps "Elohim" when it speaks of the one true God, the Creator, the God of Israel. The word ends like a plural, but it does not mean several: for him the verb is singular ("Elohim created"); the plural form expresses greatness. The same word as a common noun names the "gods" of other peoples, and there it is a true plural, translated "gods". It is also used of mighty ones or judges.
- הָרִיעוּhariu· shout, sound an alarm
Make a loud sound: shout for joy or in alarm, acclaim, sound the signal with the trumpet.
- פִּצְחוּpitschu· break forth
To break out, to burst into song or into shouts of joy.
- רַנְּנוּrannu· shout for joy
Shout for joy, sing joyfully.
- זַמֵּרוּzameru· sing praise, make music
Sing praise: sing or play a stringed instrument in praise. The word for "psalm" comes from it.
- כִנּוֹרchinor· lyre
Lyre: a small stringed instrument.
- קוֹלkol· voice, sound
Voice or sound: what is heard, from a person, an animal or a thing (thunder, steps).
- זִמְרָהzimra· melody, song
A song with instrumental accompaniment, a melody.
- חֲצֹצְרוֹתchatsotsrot· trumpet
Trumpet: a straight metal instrument, different from the ram's horn.
- שׁוֹפָרshofar· horn (shofar)
Shofar: a ram's horn blown like a trumpet.
- פְנֵיfene· face, presence
Face. From there "surface" (the face of something) and "presence" (being before someone's face); with a preposition it means "before" or "in front of".
- מֶּלֶךְmelech· king
King: the ruler of a city, a people or a kingdom.