Psalm 98:2 kjv
The LORD hath made known his salvation: his righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen.
Psalm 98:2 nkjv
The LORD has made known His salvation; His righteousness He has revealed in the sight of the nations.
Psalm 98:2 niv
The LORD has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations.
Psalm 98:2 esv
The LORD has made known his salvation; he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations.
Psalm 98:2 nlt
The LORD has announced his victory
and has revealed his righteousness to every nation!
Psalm 98 2 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Psa 96:3 | Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples. | God's universal glory revealed. |
| Psa 50:6 | And the heavens declare His righteousness, For God Himself is Judge. | Heavens declare God's righteousness. |
| Isa 52:10 | The LORD has made bare His holy arm In the eyes of all the nations; And all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. | God's salvation for all nations. |
| Isa 45:8 | "Rain down, O heavens, from above...let salvation spring forth...I, the LORD, have created it." | God's creation tied to salvation. |
| Isa 46:13 | I bring My righteousness near, it shall not be far off; My salvation shall not linger. | God's righteousness bringing salvation. |
| Luke 2:30-32 | "For my eyes have seen Your salvation, Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles..." | Simeon's prophecy of universal salvation. |
| Acts 13:47 | "For so the Lord has commanded us: 'I have set you as a light to the Gentiles, That you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.'" | Paul quotes Isa 49, universal mission. |
| Rom 1:16 | For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes... | Gospel as God's power for salvation. |
| Rom 1:17 | For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith... | God's righteousness revealed through gospel. |
| Rom 3:21-22 | But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all... | God's righteousness revealed in Christ. |
| Rom 10:18 | But I say, have they not heard? Yes indeed: "Their sound has gone out to all the earth, And their words to the ends of the world." | Gospel spread to all the world. |
| Gal 3:8 | And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, "In you all the nations shall be blessed." | Abrahamic promise of blessing for nations. |
| Eph 3:5-6 | which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men... that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs... through the gospel. | Mystery of Gentile inclusion revealed. |
| Tit 2:11 | For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men... | God's saving grace visible to all. |
| Isa 49:6 | "Indeed He says, 'It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob... I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, That You should bring My salvation to the ends of the earth.'" | Messiah as light and salvation to Gentiles. |
| Jer 33:16 | ...this is the name by which she will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. | God as source of righteousness. |
| 1 John 4:14 | And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. | Christ as Savior of the world. |
| Rev 7:9-10 | After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude... from all tribes and tongues standing before the throne... Crying out with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation belongs to our God..." | Multitude from all nations saved. |
| Hab 2:14 | For the earth will be filled With the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, As the waters cover the sea. | Future global knowledge of God. |
| Psa 22:27 | All the ends of the world shall remember and turn to the LORD... for the kingdom is the LORD's, And He rules over the nations. | All nations turning to God. |
| Zep 3:5 | The LORD in her midst is righteous... Every morning He brings His justice to light... | God's consistent justice. |
| Acts 2:39 | For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call. | Universal scope of God's promise. |
| Joel 2:28-32 | "And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh..." | Universal outpouring of God's Spirit. |
Psalm 98 verses
Psalm 98 2 Meaning
God, the LORD, has actively and plainly disclosed His powerful deliverance (salvation) to humanity. He has openly demonstrated His righteous character and fidelity for all the nations to observe. This signifies a universal, public, and undeniable revelation of God's saving power and justice.
Psalm 98 2 Context
Psalm 98 is one of the "enthronement psalms" (along with Psalms 96 and 97) which anticipate and celebrate the universal kingship of YHWH. It is a "new song," urging all creation to praise God for His wondrous acts, particularly His victory over adversaries and His coming reign. This verse establishes the foundation for the praise, explaining why such universal praise is warranted: because God's saving power and just character are not confined to Israel but are openly revealed to all humanity. The historical and cultural context reflects Israel's unique covenant relationship with YHWH amidst surrounding polytheistic nations. This psalm presents a powerful polemic against the limited and powerless pagan deities, asserting YHWH's exclusive, active, and universal sovereignty and efficacy. It points forward to a time when God's revelation will extend globally, contrasting with the common ancient worldview where gods were localized to specific territories or peoples.
Psalm 98 2 Word analysis
- The LORD (YHWH, יְהוָה): Refers to the covenant-keeping, personal, and supreme God of Israel. It emphasizes His unique and unparalleled divine nature. It is not a generic god but the one true God who actively intervenes in history.
- has made known (gālah, גָּלָה): A causative verb meaning "to reveal," "uncover," or "disclose." It signifies God's deliberate and active choice to make something previously hidden, secret, or unknown, now visible and understandable. This is not passive realization, but divine initiative.
- His salvation (yəšūʿāh, יְשׁוּעָה): Encompasses deliverance, rescue, victory, welfare, and prosperity. It refers to God's redemptive acts, often historically demonstrated in events like the Exodus, and ultimately pointing to spiritual deliverance and the ultimate saving work of the Messiah. It highlights God's power to overcome all opposition.
- He has openly shown: This phrase echoes the active revelation in "made known." The Hebrew uses parallelism here. While "made known" (gālah) is explicit, "openly shown" is implied from the public nature expressed by "in the sight of." It suggests a clear, undeniable demonstration.
- His righteousness (ṣedāqāh, צְדָקָה): Implies justice, moral integrity, conformity to divine standards, and faithfulness to covenant promises. In the context of salvation, God's righteousness is not merely His moral attribute but His consistent character and fidelity that compels Him to act in deliverance and uphold His promises, both to judge wickedness and to save His people. It is the righteous character from which salvation flows.
- in the sight of (ləʿēyne, לְעֵינֵי): Literally "before the eyes of," indicating a public, observable, and unmistakable display. It's not a secret or hidden work but one visible to all.
- the nations (hagōyīm, הַגּוֹיִם): Refers to the non-Israelite peoples or Gentiles. This term signifies the universal scope of God's revelation and saving acts. It explicitly includes all of humanity beyond the covenant people of Israel, extending God's message and actions globally.
Words-group analysis:
- "The LORD has made known His salvation; He has openly shown His righteousness": This couplet reveals divine parallelism. God's "salvation" and "righteousness" are deeply intertwined aspects of His character and actions. His saving acts are righteous, flowing from His just and faithful character. His righteousness guarantees and effects salvation. The active verbs "made known" and "shown" emphasize God's initiating and public agency.
- "in the sight of the nations": This phrase radically expands the audience and significance of God's revelation beyond Israel to the entire world. It prophesies and affirms a global scope for God's saving activity and His moral character, paving the way for the New Testament's universal proclamation of the Gospel.
Psalm 98 2 Bonus section
The active and deliberate nature of God's revelation implied by "made known" and "shown" suggests a continuous, unfolding process throughout history. While rooted in Israel's experience, it finds its climactic fulfillment in the Person and work of Jesus Christ, who fully embodies God's salvation and righteousness and through whom this message is propagated to the ends of the earth. The psalmist's vision here is eschatological, looking forward to the consummation of God's redemptive plan when His glory, salvation, and righteousness will be fully acknowledged by all creation. This verse also lays foundational theology for the inclusion of Gentiles into God's plan of salvation, highlighting His overarching desire for all peoples to know Him.
Psalm 98 2 Commentary
Psalm 98:2 presents a profound declaration of God's active and universal revelation. The verse asserts that God, YHWH, has not merely performed acts of salvation and righteousness but has intentionally and publicly made them known and displayed them before all the world. This truth serves as the catalyst for the universal call to praise in the rest of the Psalm. God's "salvation" is His redemptive work, powerfully liberating and preserving, seen both in historical events (like the Exodus for Israel) and prophetically pointing to the ultimate salvation in Christ. This salvation is inseparable from His "righteousness," which is not just an attribute but His faithfulness to His covenant promises, His just dealing, and His moral perfection. It is out of His righteous nature that He saves and judges. The phrase "in the sight of the nations" is crucial; it underscores that God's plan is not limited to one people but is for all humanity to witness and respond to. This anticipates the Great Commission and the global spread of the Gospel, where the salvation accomplished through Christ (God's ultimate righteousness revealed) is proclaimed to every nation. The verse implicitly challenges all forms of idolatry and limited views of deity, asserting the unrivaled power and justice of the one true God over all peoples.