This isn't just a call for nature to be noisy; it's a profound statement about God's reign encompassing everything. The verse invites the "fulness" of the sea and the "dwellers" of the world to join the chorus, suggesting even inanimate creation and all humanity are inextricably linked to God's rule and rightful praise. It expands the audience for worship far beyond just humans to include the entire created order.
Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world and those who dwell in it! Let the rivers clap their hands; let the hills sing for joy together before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This psalm is calling for all of creation to celebrate God's righteous rule and His mighty acts of salvation, echoing themes from earlier psalms and prophecies. Following the call for all the earth to make a joyful noise and for instruments to play, the psalmist expands this invitation to the natural world itself. The verse culminates in the anticipation of God's coming judgment and reign, where all creation will testify to His justice.
When the Bible calls on the sea to 'roar' and the world to 'dwell' in joyful noise, what does that really mean? It's more than just a poetic image!
This verse is a magnificent call for all of creation to join in celebrating God's reign.
A Cosmic Hallelujah
When the psalmist says, 'Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world and those who dwell in it!', he's not just speaking poetically. He's inviting the entirety of God's creation to participate in worship.
Think about it: the sea, with its immense power and boundless depths, is personified as roaring. The world, with all its inhabitants – from the grandest mountains to the smallest creatures, and of course, humanity – is called to add its voice.
Echoes of Creation
This isn't a new idea in the Psalms. The writers often use vivid imagery to show that creation itself bears witness to its Creator. It's as if nature has an innate capacity to reflect God's glory, and when God's people sing His praises, nature is meant to chime in. It's a cosmic choir, with every part, animate and inanimate, playing its role in a grand symphony of praise.
Why does the sea need to roar? What's the big deal about God taking His 'great power and reign'? It's the ultimate good news!
This powerful verse is rooted in the incredible news of God's kingship.
The King Has Come!
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The context of Psalm 98, and particularly this verse, is a celebration of God's victory and His assumption of His rightful rule. It's a declaration that God is King!
This isn't just a past event; it echoes forward to Jesus Christ, our King, whose reign brings salvation. When God reigns, it’s not a somber affair. It’s a cause for earth-shattering joy that resonates from the deepest oceans to the highest heavens. The 'roar' of the sea and the 'dwelling' of the world are reactions to the awesome power and justice of God's rule being established.
A Kingdom of Goodness
God's reign means justice, righteousness, and salvation for His people. This is why creation itself is invited to rejoice – because the King who rules is good, and His rule brings blessing to all.
Understand the original words
shaphat · Hebrew Verb
To act as a judge, govern, or vindicate; in a biblical context, it refers to God's executive authority to restore order, punish evil, and uphold justice in His creation.
tsedeq · Hebrew Noun
The standard of moral integrity and uprightness that corresponds to God’s own nature and His revealed law.
meysharim · Hebrew Noun
Fairness, impartiality, and straightness in dealing with others; it describes a state of moral rectitude where God’s judgment is devoid of corruption or bias.
Psalm 98 celebrates God's victorious deliverance, likely inspired by the return from Babylonian exile. The vivid imagery of nature joining in the praise highlights the immense scope of God's saving power, extending even to creation itself.
c. 586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem
The Babylonians conquer Jerusalem, destroy the Temple, and exile many of the remaining population. This event marks a low point for the Judean people, who believe God has abandoned them.
c. 539 BC
Cyrus the Great's Conquest of Babylon
The Persian king Cyrus the Great conquers the Babylonian Empire, opening the door for the exiled Judeans to return to their homeland.
538 BC— this verse
Edict of Cyrus
Cyrus issues a decree allowing the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their Temple. This marks a significant turning point, a divine 'salvation' that prompts renewed worship and hope.
c. 516 BC
Rebuilding of the Temple
The Second Temple is completed in Jerusalem, a symbol of the people's restored covenant relationship with God and their return from exile.
c. 142-63 BC
Hasmonean Dynasty Rule
A period of Jewish independence under the Hasmonean rulers, characterized by both religious fervor and political upheaval.
63 BC
Roman Conquest of Judea
Rome conquers Judea, marking the end of the Hasmonean dynasty and the beginning of Roman occupation. This ushers in a new era of foreign rule for the Jewish people.
This passage also calls for the world and all its inhabitants to rejoice, directly linking to the idea of the entire creation participating in God's praise.
Psalms 96:11This verse shares the same imagery of nature, specifically the sea, roaring in response to God's coming, highlighting a recurring theme of creation's reaction to divine presence.
Isaiah 55:12This verse echoes the joyful expression of nature, stating that the mountains and hills will break forth into singing, similar to how the sea and world are called to roar in Psalm 98.
Revelation 11:15This New Testament passage speaks of great voices in heaven proclaiming that the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and his Christ, which provides a fulfillment context for the universal rejoicing called for in Psalm 98.
pulpitPsalms 98:7: "Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein."
Verse 7. - Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof (see above, Psalm 96:11, where the same phrase occurs). The call on the inanimate things of nature to rejoice is grounded on man's sympathy with nature, which makes him desire, and half believe, that nature may sympathize with him. The world, and they that dwell therein (comp. Psalm 24:1).
ellicottPsalms 98:7: "Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein."
(7) See Psalm 96:11 . “Listen! the mighty Being is awake And doth with His eternal motion make A sound like thunder everlastingly.” WORDSWORTH.
This isn't just a call for nature to be noisy; it's a profound statement about God's reign encompassing everything. The verse invites the "fulness" of the sea and the "dwellers" of the world to join the chorus, suggesting even inanimate creation and all humanity are inextricably linked to God's rule and rightful praise. It expands the audience for worship far beyond just humans to include the entire created order.
This psalm is calling for all of creation to celebrate God's righteous rule and His mighty acts of salvation, echoing themes from earlier psalms and prophecies. Following the call for all the earth to make a joyful noise and for instruments to play, the psalmist expands this invitation to the natural world itself. The verse culminates in the anticipation of God's coming judgment and reign, where all creation will testify to His justice.
This psalm is calling for all of creation to celebrate God's righteous rule and His mighty acts of salvation, echoing themes from earlier psalms and prophecies. Following the call for all the earth to make a joyful noise and for instruments to play, the psalmist expands this invitation to the natural world itself. The verse culminates in the anticipation of God's coming judgment and reign, where all creation will testify to His justice.
"Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world and those who dwell in it! Let the rivers clap their hands; let the hills sing for joy together before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge…" — This isn't just a call for nature to be noisy; it's a profound statement about God's reign encompassing everything. The verse invites the "fulness" of the sea and the "dwellers" of the world to join…
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Last reviewed October 2026
