Sing to the LORD, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse doesn't just ask us to tell of God's salvation, but to "show forth" it, which carries the powerful meaning of "publishing good news" or "evangelizing." This highlights that God's salvation isn't meant to be kept quiet, but actively proclaimed as joyful tidings from one day to the next.
Sing to the LORD, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!
English Standard Version (ESV)
This psalm is a call to a global celebration of God's kingship, beginning with Israel and expanding to all nations. It urges a "new song" because God's reign is being revealed as universal, not just over one people. The verses immediately preceding and following emphasize the magnitude of this divine kingship, calling on all creation to acknowledge His glory and might.
Why does this Psalm insist on a 'new song'? It’s more than just fresh music; it’s about recognizing God’s ongoing, world-changing work.
Psalm 96 calls for a 'new song' not just because it's a beautiful hymn, but because it celebrates God’s kingship being revealed on a global scale.
A Wider Kingdom
Unlike earlier psalms focusing on God’s rule over Israel, this one declares His reign extends to all nations. This 'new' perspective opens up His praise beyond just one people. It’s a declaration that God’s saving power and kingly authority are for everyone.
Echoes of Restoration and Hope
This 'new song' was likely inspired by the return from exile, seeing it as a glimpse of God’s worldwide dominion. Even though the full realization is still future, the song celebrates the beginning of this global display of His power. It’s a hopeful anthem for a world still struggling, pointing towards a brighter future under His reign.
The verse doesn't just say 'tell about His salvation,' it uses a word that means 'publish glad tidings.' What does this ongoing proclamation involve?
The command to 'tell of his salvation' isn't a casual mention; it uses a powerful Hebrew word that means to 'proclaim good news' or 'evangelize.'
The Gospel in a Nutshell
This 'salvation' refers to God's saving acts, especially the deliverance He brings. In this context, it’s the core message of His power as King. It's the good news that God saves, that He reigns, and that His deliverance is available.
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A Never-Ending Mission
The phrase 'from day to day' emphasizes constancy. This isn't a one-time announcement, but a continuous declaration. Every day offers a fresh opportunity to share this life-changing message, highlighting God’s ongoing mercy and the wonders of His saving grace.
Understand the original words
barak · Hebrew Verb
To speak well of, honor, or pronounce a blessing upon; in a vertical sense, it is an act of worship acknowledging God as the source of all goodness.
yeshu'ah · Hebrew Noun
A comprehensive term for God's redemptive activity, deliverance, and rescue, ultimately culminating in the work of Jesus Christ to save humanity from sin and death.
kabod · Hebrew Noun
The manifest presence, weight, majesty, and splendor of God that demands recognition and awe from all creation.
goyim · Hebrew Noun
Refers to the non-Israelite peoples or ethnic groups, emphasizing God's universal lordship and the scope of His redemptive mission.
niphle'owth · Hebrew Noun
Extraordinary, wondrous, or miraculous acts performed by God that display His power and intervene in human history.
Psalm 96 likely emerged from the context of the post-exilic community, celebrating God's renewed kingship and salvation, not just for Israel, but for all nations, as a 'new song' following their return from exile.
c. 538 BC
Edict of Cyrus
King Cyrus the Great of Persia issues a decree allowing exiled peoples, including the Judeans, to return to their homelands and rebuild their temples.
c. 537 BC
First Return of Exiles
A large group of Judeans, led by Zerubbabel, returns from Babylonian exile to Jerusalem, beginning the task of rebuilding the Temple and the city.
c. 516 BC
Rebuilding of the Second Temple
The Second Temple in Jerusalem is completed and dedicated, marking a significant spiritual and national renewal after the exile.
c. 458 BC - 432 BC
Ministry of Ezra and Nehemiah
Ezra and Nehemiah lead further waves of returnees, focusing on religious reform, rebuilding the city walls, and re-establishing covenant faithfulness among the people.
c. 5th - 4th century BC— this verse
Composition of the Psalter
Psalms like Psalm 96, which celebrate God's kingship and salvation, likely found their place in the developing collection of temple worship songs during the post-exilic period.
c. 1st century AD
Quotation in Chronicles
Parts of Psalm 96 are incorporated into 1 Chronicles 16, showing its continued use and significance in the worship of God's people.
This passage is directly linked as the source for the 'new song' mentioned in Psalm 96, emphasizing that the call to praise is rooted in God's redemptive acts and His reign.
1 Chronicles 16:23This verse shares a significant portion of its wording with Psalm 96:2, highlighting the continuous and universal call to 'show forth his salvation' as a core aspect of worship.
Luke 2:10The command to 'show forth his salvation' echoes in the angel's announcement to the shepherds, framing the birth of Jesus as the ultimate 'good news' of God's salvation for all people.
Romans 10:14-15This passage underscores the necessity of proclaiming God's salvation, directly linking the act of 'showing forth' His salvation with the responsibility of spreading the Gospel message.
expositorsPsalms 96:1-13: "O sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth."
Psalm 96:1-13 THE praise of Jehovah as King has, in the preceding psalms, chiefly celebrated His reign over Israel. But this grand coronation anthem takes a wider sweep, and hymns that kingdom as extending to all nations, and as reaching beyond men, for the joy and blessing of a renovated earth. It fails into four strophes, of which the first three contain three verses each, while the last extends to four. The…
cambridgePsalms 96:2: "Sing unto the LORD, bless his name; shew forth his salvation from day to day."
2 . Shew forth &c.] Lit., Proclaim the good tidings (LXX, εὐαγγελίζεσθε ) of his salvation, the deliverance which He has wrought for Israel, from day to day, renewing your praises with each returning day, for such a revelation of infinite mercy demands unceasing celebration. Cp. Isaiah 52:7 . Psalm 96:1 b , 2 b are combined in 1 Chronicles 16:23 , Psalm 96:1 a , Psalm 96:2 a being omitted.
The verse doesn't just ask us to tell of God's salvation, but to "show forth" it, which carries the powerful meaning of "publishing good news" or "evangelizing." This highlights that God's salvation isn't meant to be kept quiet, but actively proclaimed as joyful tidings from one day to the next.
This psalm is a call to a global celebration of God's kingship, beginning with Israel and expanding to all nations. It urges a "new song" because God's reign is being revealed as universal, not just over one people. The verses immediately preceding and following emphasize the magnitude of this divine kingship, calling on all creation to acknowledge His glory and might.
This psalm is a call to a global celebration of God's kingship, beginning with Israel and expanding to all nations. It urges a "new song" because God's reign is being revealed as universal, not just over one people. The verses immediately preceding and following emphasize the magnitude of this divine kingship, calling on all creation to acknowledge His glory and might.
"Sing to the LORD, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!" — The verse doesn't just ask us to tell of God's salvation, but to "show forth" it, which carries the powerful meaning of "publishing good news" or "evangelizing." This highlights that God's salvatio…
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Last reviewed October 2026