Psalm 98 9

Psalm 98:9 kjv

Before the LORD; for he cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity.

Psalm 98:9 nkjv

For He is coming to judge the earth. With righteousness He shall judge the world, And the peoples with equity.

Psalm 98:9 niv

let them sing before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity.

Psalm 98:9 esv

before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity.

Psalm 98:9 nlt

before the LORD,
for he is coming to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with justice,
and the nations with fairness.

Psalm 98 verses

Psalm 98 9 Meaning

Psalm 98:9 proclaims God's ultimate arrival to exercise universal and perfect judgment over all creation. It emphasizes that His judgment will be executed with inherent righteousness and absolute equity for all peoples and the entire world, establishing divine justice as supreme and faultless.

Psalm 98 9 Context

Psalm 98 is one of the "Kingship Psalms" (Psa 93, 95-99), celebrating Yahweh as the sovereign King. It is a "new song" psalm, indicating a call to praise God for His wondrous deeds and a fresh manifestation of His divine power. The preceding verses (Psa 98:1-8) praise God's past salvation, His holy arm, His faithfulness to Israel, and call on all creation to make joyful noise before Him. Verse 9 pivots to God's impending arrival as the universal Judge, providing the ultimate reason for the cosmic joy and worship described earlier. This promise of a perfectly righteous Judge was profoundly significant in ancient Israel, offering hope for justice in a world often marked by corruption and human injustice.

Psalm 98 9 Word analysis

• "for" (כִּֽי, ki): Connects this verse to the preceding call for joyous praise. It provides the reason or explanation for why all creation should celebrate: because of God's definitive future action.
• "He comes" (בָּא, ba): A participle form, conveying certainty and imminence. It implies a sure, decisive, and powerful advent of God, an active divine intervention rather than a passive observation. In prophecy, this often points to a theophany or divine manifestation.
• "to judge" (לִשְׁפֹּ֣ט, lishpot): From the root shaphat, meaning to rule, govern, defend, vindicate, and administer justice. This is not solely about condemnation but establishing order, righting wrongs, and delivering justice according to God's standard. It implies supreme governance.
• "the earth" (הָאָ֑רֶץ, ha'aretz): Refers to the entire habitable world and its inhabitants. This emphasizes the comprehensive, universal scope of God's authority and judgment. No place or person is beyond His reach.
• "He will judge" (יִשְׁפֹּֽט, yishpot): Repetition of the verb, shifting from the participatory "comes to judge" to the explicit future tense "will judge." This reiterates the certainty and decisiveness of the divine act. It's an active, definitive role that God undertakes.
• "the world" (תֵּבֵ֥ל, tevel): Specifically denotes the inhabited world, referring to humanity and human societies. This expands upon "the earth" by highlighting God's judgment over all aspects of human civilization, culture, and social order.
• "with righteousness" (בְּצֶדֶק, betzedek): Tzedek signifies inherent moral integrity, ethical correctness, and adherence to divine truth and law. God's judgment is fundamentally fair, just, and aligned with His perfect, holy character, not based on arbitrary power or human preference.
• "and the peoples" (וְֽ֝עַמִּים, v'amim): Refers to all the diverse nations, ethnic groups, and communities of humanity. This further underscores the universality and particularity of God's judgment, addressing every unique human collective.
• "with equity" (בְּמֵישָׁרִֽים, b'meisharim): Meisharim (from yashar, meaning straight or upright) denotes fairness, impartiality, and perfect balance. It assures that God's justice is devoid of bias, error, or corruption, ensuring that every individual and group receives precisely what is due according to perfect truth and balance.

Words-group by words-group analysis

• "for He comes to judge the earth": This foundational phrase establishes the ultimate purpose of God's activity as ruler—to administer justice globally. It is a declaration of divine intent that assures a final resolution to the injustices and disorder prevalent in the world, bringing cosmic praise.
• "He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity": This expands on the previous declaration by defining the nature and extent of God's judgment. It emphasizes not only the certainty and universality of His judgment (over "the world" and "the peoples") but also its perfect moral character, based on unchanging "righteousness" (tzedek) and unwavering "equity" (meisharim). This distinction highlights God's justice as inherently pure, incorruptible, and ultimately vindicating.

Psalm 98 9 Bonus section

This verse carries significant prophetic and messianic weight, looking forward to the future day when God—or more specifically in Christian theology, Jesus Christ as the embodiment of God's Son—will return to exercise ultimate judgment. The New Testament affirms that all judgment has been entrusted to the Son (Jn 5:22, 27). Therefore, Psalm 98:9 finds its profound fulfillment in the second advent of Christ, who will finally establish God's perfect kingdom. The close relationship between tzedek (righteousness) and meisharim (equity) in Hebrew thought forms a holistic concept of justice, emphasizing that God's judgment is not only inherently right in its principles but also impartially applied to every specific case. This foundational truth assures believers of God's unwavering character, even when faced with the apparent lack of justice in the present age.

Psalm 98 9 Commentary

Psalm 98:9 presents the grand culmination of God's reign celebrated throughout the psalm. The anticipation of God's "coming to judge" is framed not as a threat for the righteous, but as the supreme reason for universal joy and praise, assuring the ultimate triumph of justice. The powerful repetition of "judge" and the universal scope ("earth," "world," "peoples") underscore the comprehensive and decisive nature of this divine act. Crucially, God's judgment is characterized by "righteousness" (tzedek) and "equity" (meisharim), guaranteeing a perfect, unbiased, and just ruling unlike any human administration. This verse provides profound comfort and hope, affirming that God's moral order will finally prevail, settling all accounts and restoring divine harmony. It offers a firm promise of final vindication for those who have suffered injustice and serves as a call to righteous living in anticipation of His coming.