Singing The New Song: An Examination Of Psalms 33, 96, 98, And 149

By Richard D. Patterson

[Richard D. Patterson is Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Semitics and Old Testament, Liberty University, Lynchburg, Virginia.]

“Sing a new song to the Lord,” the psalmist called out (Ps. 98:1).[1] The singing of a “new song” is mentioned six times in the Psalter (Pss. 33:3; 40:3 [Heb., v. 4]; 96:1; 98:1; 144:9; 149:1), each in connection with praise to Yahweh. In four of the psalms the call to praise Him with a new song occurs near or at the beginning of the psalm (33:3; 96:1; 98:1; 149:1). This study considers their relationship to the genre known as praise psalms.

What constitutes a genre has been the subject of some discussion.[2] Perhaps it is simplest to follow Davies, who defines genre as “a kind of literature or literary species.. .. Each genre makes use of a particular style in its treatment of specific subjects and motifs within a structure whose unity gives meaning to its parts.”[3]

Though scholars differ on how to classify the generic type of a particular psalm, one may safely say with Ryken, “Lyric is the umbrella genre in the Psalms. All of the psalms are lyric poems.” Yet scholars have generally agreed that certain psalms should be termed praise psalms.[4] Some psalms have been assigned this category on the basis of a prominent phrase or word such as “hallelujah” (“praise the Lord,” e.g., Pss. 146–150) or “hallel” (“praise,” e.g., Ps. 145).[5] Most of these psalms, however, are of a general nature, the praise of God constituting the prominent theme throughout the psalm. For example, “In Psalm 103 David expresses enthusiastic, even lavish, praise to Yahweh for who he is and what he has done. There is not a verse in the psalm that does not look toward God and honor him. From beginning to end, Psalm 103 exalts God as the one who is worthy of the writer’s praise and adoration.”[6]

Praise psalms are characteristically directed toward God and commonly include three basic sections: an opening call or invitation to praise the Lord, a list or catalog of reasons or motives for praising Him, and a renewed or concluding invitation/call for praise. By these God is elevated as the one whose ultimate worth is commended, while the speaker takes a subordinate role. Westermann points out that praise psalms may be expressions of the individual or the community.[7] Scholars have suggested several subtypes of praise psalms such as worship psalms (e.g., Pss. 63, 95), thanksgiving psalms (e.g., Pss. 30, 124), and psalms of the created world (e.g., Pss. 8, 104).

This article examines the nature of psalms that call for singing a “new song,” noting their possible origin and what elements they have in common such as structure, themes, and phraseology in order to determine whether they may be grouped as a subtype of praise psalms.[8] Mention of a “new song” in other psalms will be noted in an effort to clarify further the basic point of view or orientation of such songs, together with additional suggestions as to their application to practical Christian living.

Scoring The New Songs

Psalm 98 has been classified variously as an enthronement psalm (Westermann), kingship psalm (Estes), divine warrior victory psalm (Longman), or praise psalm (Leupold).[9]

Psalm 98

Structure

It is readily apparent that Psalm 98 proceeds in two movements[10] and includes the usual elements of a praise psalm. The opening call for praise by means of a “new song” (v. 1a) is followed immediately by reasons for doing so (vv. 1b–3). Yahweh had delivered His people Israel, and that victory was witnessed by the nations and “all the ends of the earth” (v. 3). In the second movement of the psalm the call to praise the Lord is extended to all people, for God is yet coming to judge the earth. Even nature is invited to join in the song of praise (vv. 4–9).

This twofold division is attested by distinct structural means. The opening line of each stanza is indicated by an imperative: “Sing” (v. 1), “Shout” (v. 4). The first stanza closes with a shift in subject from the Lord to “all the ends of the earth” and by the repetition of salvation/deliverance (“victory”), thus forming an inclusio. The second stanza has two strophes (vv. 4–6, 7–9), each marked by a different opening verbal use. In verses 4–6 the dominant verb is the imperative “shout,” while jussives characterize verses 7–9a. Closure for the full stanza is accomplished by the closing motive clause (rendered forcefully by means of terrace-pattern parallelism), which completes the invitation in both strophes (v. 9b). Unity and closure for the full psalm are effected by repeating the theme of the Lord’s righteous action (vv. 2, 9).

Themes

The predominant theme of Psalm 98 is God’s sovereign activity, which is revealed especially in His redemptive work. This is presented forcefully in the form of several figures: God is a victorious Warrior and Redeemer (vv. 1–3), the universal King whom all people, nations, and creation are to serve and revere (vv. 4–8), and the coming Judge of all (v. 9).[11] He has performed wondrously by delivering His people in the sight of the nations, and He will come to judge the whole earth. He exercises His sovereignty both particularly, as in the case of Israel, and universally before all people.

In the first stanza the psalmist called attention to what God had previously done in redeeming His people. That was accomplished by the Lord’s inherent power and divine attributes as expressed in the anthropomorphic ascription to His “right hand and holy arm.” Thus not only does God have the power to save/deliver His people, but also He has done so in righteousness—a clear expression of His essential holiness. It is not out of character, then, that His future judgment will also be carried out righteously. Just as that particular act of righteousness for His people was seen by “all,” so the whole earth will witness His righteous judgment.

God’s love and faithfulness are also prominent themes. God’s love (חֶסֶד) is repeatedly praised by the writers of Scripture. It is “faithful love” (36:7)—one that is better than life itself (63:3). It is an everlasting love (Jer. 31:3) so that God’s people may always call on Him with confidence in all circumstances (Ps. 86:1–7).

The Lord is also faithful to His person and standards, and also to His promises to His people. As Moses wrote, “The Rock—His work is perfect; all His ways are entirely just. A faithful God, without prejudice, He is righteous and true” (Deut. 32:4). Because of His faithfulness, God’s people may rejoice in His presence and praise Him with joyful hearts (Ps. 92:1–4).

In Psalm 98 the psalmist declared that the Lord’s love and faithfulness had been demonstrated forcefully in His delivering His people Israel. Scholars differ on which deliverance (“victory”) the psalmist was celebrating. But it most likely was the Exodus (136:10–24).[12] In Psalm 98 the deliberate choice of language relative to those days suggests that descriptions of the Exodus had become traditional language for occasions of Yahweh’s saving activity on Israel’s behalf.[13] For example the psalmist began his catalog of motives for praising God by referring to the Lord’s performance of wondrous deeds (נִפְלָאוֹת, v. 1). The same word is employed for God’s actions during the Exodus (Exod. 3:19–20; 15:11). The psalmist also sang of God’s redemption of His people by His right hand and holy arm, and His remembrance of His covenant love to Israel (Ps. 98:1–3; cf. Exod. 15:2, 6, 12; Deut. 4:34; 7:8). Still later the Lord promised that further saving acts would be accomplished in accord with His covenant and would be accompanied by still more wondrous deeds (Exod. 34:10–11). Other victories might also come to the worshipers’ minds such as those of Joshua and David.[14] With each victory the song of salvation/deliverance first sung during the Exodus would be a vivid reminder that God’s redemption was ever the occasion for a “new song.”[15]

Musical themes dominate the second stanza. All true worshipers are called to join in praise of Yahweh the King with joyous shouts sung to the accompaniment of musical instruments. The terrace-pattern parallelism in Psalm 98:4–5 calls for earnest, even passionate, praise to the Lord. The fourfold imperative adds force to the new song. Although the verbs “shout” and “shout for joy” often appear in cries of victory after warfare, they also can be used in connection with joyous praise to God (e.g., 81:1) for His saving work on behalf of Israel (e.g., Isa. 44:23). This is also the case for the verb translated “be jubilant” (Ps. 98:4, lit., “burst,” “break forth”).[16] The verb זָמַר (v. 5, “sing,” “make music”) often has “the developed sense of singing to a musical accompaniment.”[17]

It is appropriate, therefore, that a number of musicians with their instruments are invited to join in the praise of the Lord using the lyre, trumpet, and ram’s horn.[18] The tradition of joyous singing accompanied by musical instruments, so common in Hebrew liturgy (e.g., 1 Chron. 16:42; 25:1–7; 2 Chron. 5:12–13; 29:20–30; Ps. 150:1–6), may well have had its initial impetus with the great songs of victory after the Lord’s deliverance of His people out of Egypt and through the Red Sea (Exod. 15:1–21). Moses’ song, like Psalm 98, was one of tribute to God’s saving work (vv. 2–13) as well as the one sung by Miriam and the women whose song was expressed with musical instruments and dancing (v. 21).

In the second strophe (Ps. 98:7–9) of the second stanza the invitation to join the psalmist and the worshipers is extended to all nature. Members of personified nature—the sea, the world, the rivers, the mountains—are invited to join the universal chorus in praising Yahweh. Why the psalmist chose these figures is not stated. Some may view them as mere poetic decorations for dramatic effect. Yet beneath the figurative language lies the theological truth that nature has been marred by the presence of sin (Gen. 3:17–19). No wonder, then, that Paul portrayed the created world as looking forward to the eschatological judgment for its liberation (Rom. 8:18–27; cf. Isa. 11:6–9; Hos. 2:18).[19] Perhaps the psalmist was hinting at this fact that nature will be freed from the effects of sin and be transformed. Thus God’s created world may rightly “shout together for joy” in anticipation of the Lord’s future glorious work (cf. Isa. 44:23; 49:8–13; 52:7–10; 65:17–18).[20]

Summary

Psalm 98 displays the basic ingredients of a praise psalm. This “new song” centers on the saving work of the sovereign God whose righteousness, love, and faithfulness are to be praised in song.[21] This is to be done not only by a redeemed Israel but also by the faithful in all nations. Even the created world is invited to rejoice in the words and music of this new song, for it too cherishes the fond hope of its liberation when God comes in the future in righteous judgment.

Psalm 96

Like Psalm 98, Psalm 96 opens with the call to “sing a new song to the Lord” (96:1).[22] It too is structured in two stanzas (vv. 1–6 and 7–13). The first stanza opens with a call for Israel to praise the Lord (vv. 1–3) with motives for doing so (vv. 4–6). And the second stanza opens with a call that is presented forcefully in opening staircase parallelism (vv. 7–8a) followed by words that encourage the faithful everywhere to join that praise and reasons for doing so (vv. 8b–13).[23] As in Psalm 98, the second stanza of Psalm 96 features two strophes, the first stressing the role of God’s people everywhere (vv. 8b–10) and the second emphasizing the participation of nature in expectation of the Lord’s judgment (vv. 11–13).

Psalm 96 has many unique features. Because the “name” of God refers to His established character and reputation, it is to be praised (vv. 2, 8).[24] This psalm also features praise of God’s glory (vv. 3, 7), His strength and greatness above all the so-called gods (vv. 4–6),[25] His creative and providential activities (vv. 5, 10), and His future coming, which is accomplished not only in righteous judgment and equity (vv. 10, 13), as in Psalm 98, but also with faithfulness (v. 13).[26]

Psalm 96 also has interesting figurative language. For example God, who created the heavens, is said to have special attendants.

In verse 6, the writer paints a concrete picture of God’s grandeur by personifying his attributes as if they were attendants before his throne. “Splendor” and “majesty,” two qualities associated closely with a king, stand “before him” in his court. The splendor and majesty the psalmist ascribes to God have a double effect in this verse and form an image of God as a Great King, for we naturally associate majesty with royalty. Likewise the psalmist paints a picture of “strength and glory” as if they were attendants in the sanctuary, showing God’s mighty acts as royal servants ready to do the bidding of the monarch. The two pairs of attendants fit together because the glorious acts testify to the majesty of the King.[27]

Also among the many word pairs used by the author the “nations” and “peoples” often appear together (vv. 3, 10) or individually (vv. 5, 7, 13).[28]

Psalm 96 enjoys many features in common with Psalm 98 both structurally, as noted above, and also thematically and in its phraseology.[29] Psalm 96 shares with Psalm 98 an emphasis on God’s saving work—in this case a salvation that is to be remembered and for which the Lord is to be praised daily. And like Psalm 98, Psalm 96 features a strong universal tone. God’s worship and reverence are to be rehearsed not only by Israel but also by the “families of the peoples” (v. 7).[30] Indeed, “all the earth” is to sing Yahweh’s praises (v. 1), “to worship” and “tremble before him” (v. 9), and to experience his coming judgment (v. 13).[31] All nature can join in joyous praise of the Lord, for He will come to judge the earth in righteousness (vv. 11–13). Gerstenberger observes that Psalm 96 is “oriented toward the world of ‘nature’ (i.e., divine) and political powers, summoning them to praise Yahweh alone (cf. Psalms 29; 98). This is the concern of a true hymn.”[32] As in Psalm 98, God’s holiness (96:9) and faithfulness (v. 13) are noted.

Like Psalm 98, Psalm 96 features a “new song,” with much shared vocabulary, such as words for “sing” (שִׁירוּ, vv. 1–2), “shout for joy” (רָנַן, v. 12), inhabited earth (ל, v. 13), and words for salvation/deliverance, wonders, righteousness, equity, faithfulness, nations, peoples, earth and sea, and God’s judging. Thus the basic thrust of the new song is much the same in both psalms.[33]

Psalm 149

Psalm 149 is plainly marked as a praise psalm by its opening and closing “hallelujah.” This is one of several hallelujah psalms near the end of the Psalter. In the second line of the psalm the psalmist called for the singing of a new song to the Lord. “Sing to the Lord a new song, His praise in the assembly of the godly” (v. 1).

Like Psalms 96 and 98, Psalm 149 has two principal stanzas: an opening call for the Israelites to sing a new song of praise to the Lord and reasons for doing so (vv. 1–4), then a second call for godly people to celebrate God’s judgment, followed by a closing motive (vv. 5–9). “All the acts of God in judgment are to assure his own of his love (cf. 91:16) and must evoke a response of divine praise.”[34]

The psalm’s twofold structure is distinctively marked. The first stanza closes with a motive clause (v. 4), and the second stanza is enclosed with bookending words that state that the acclaim that the godly of Israel have received (i.e., glory/honor, vv. 5, 9) is because of the Lord’s victories on their behalf. The above-mentioned opening and closing “hallelujah” and the contrast between Israel’s King in the first stanza (v. 2) and the kings of the ungodly nations (v. 8) point to the unity of the psalm.

New features in the psalm include (a) a statement about the Lord’s good pleasure in delivering/saving His people (v. 4; cf. 147:10–11), (b) a reminder that celebrating God’s glory is an occasion for joy that extends to the closing of the day (149:5), and (c) a warning that the saints must be on their guard and prepared to do their part in carrying out God’s commission (vv. 6–9). All three emphases must be kept in balance. Because it is God’s delight to deliver His godly people (v. 9, “pious ones”), they should gratefully carry out what He gives them to do, including even involvement in warfare.[35] They must be mindful, however, that their success is not due to their own might but to God who grants them the victory (cf. 68:19–21; 2 Cor. 2:14). Therefore all of God’s saints may praise the Lord and rejoice in His salvation, whether in the assembly or at day’s end on their beds (Ps. 149:5). Indeed, the praise of God in recognition of His grace should be in the believer’s heart and on his lips at all times (cf. 92:1–3).

An additional feature is the inclusion of praise expressed through dancing with its accompaniment on the tambourine and lyre (149:3). The Hebrew word employed for dancing is used not only for festal occasions to the accompaniment of musical instruments (e.g., 150:3–5)[36] but also for any joyous occasion (e.g., David’s bringing the ark of the Lord to Jerusalem; 2 Sam. 6:12–23). Thus Dockery observes, “More than any other dance derived expression, מָחוֹל was a dance to express the emotion of joy, particularly as the way to describe the activity of women who danced when their men returned safely from war.”[37] God Himself is said to turn mourning into gladness (Ps. 30:11–12; cf. Jer. 31:13). Victory over an enemy provided such an occasion. “When Jephthah went to his home in Mizpah [after his victory over the Ammonites] there was his daughter, coming out to meet him with tambourines and dancing” (Judg. 11:34).[38] In earlier days after Moses and the Israelites passed through the Red Sea, in which the Egyptians perished, they were led in celebration by Miriam and the women. “Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women followed her with tambourines and dancing” (Exod. 15:20).

When God enacts the New Covenant with Israel in the millennium, “the virgin will rejoice with dancing, while young and old men [rejoice] together. I will turn their mourning into joy, give them consolation, and [bring] happiness out of grief” (Jer. 31:13).[39]

Another emphasis in Psalm 149 is its presentation of Israel’s people as an assembly of the godly (vv. 1, 5, 9) in whom God takes delight (v. 4). So they experience the glory (v. 5) and honor (v. 9) that is granted them by their victorious king.

Psalm 149 holds in common many features seen in Psalms 98 and 96. Thematically it too is a new song of praise to the Lord for His salvation, sung to musical accompaniment. God’s future judgment is also proclaimed in Psalm 149, although its emphasis is on the Lord’s judgment against ungodly nations/peoples and their kings.[40] As in Psalm 98, God is Israel’s king (149:2) and as in Psalm 96, the Lord’s name is to be celebrated (149:3). Psalm 149 includes a number of words found in Psalm 96 or 98 or both, such as lyre and make music (149:3), salvation (v. 4), rejoice, glory, and shout for joy (v. 5), nations and peoples (v. 7), and judgment (v. 9). Although Psalm 149 has its own emphases and distinctive characteristics, it follows the pattern of other praise psalms that have an introductory call for the singing of a “new song.”

Psalm 33

The theme of praising the Lord by rejoicing in Him encloses the entire Psalm 33 (vv. 1–3, 20–22). Particular focus on Yahweh is made by the mention of His name throughout the psalm. Like Psalms 96, 98, and 149, it too begins with a call to sing a “new song,” together with musical accompaniment and the motives for doing so (vv. 1–5).[41] Psalm 33, however, differs from them in some significant ways.

Structure

Scholars differ on whether verses 6–7 should be viewed as part of the previous catalog of motives for singing the new song (vv. 1–5) or whether they introduce a new section.[42] If the former, they provide additional reasons for praising Yahweh; if the latter, they serve as the basis for revering Him that follows (vv. 8–9).

Two questions face the interpreter in verses 10–12. First, do these verses provide further causes for fearing the Lord (vv. 8–9), or do they initiate a new unit? Second, does verse 12 belong with verses 10–11 or does it begin a new unit contrasting the blessings of God’s people (vv. 1, 18–19) with the false hopes of those who trust in earthly means? Most English Bible translations (including the NASB, NKJV, and NLT) separate verses 10–12 from the following verses. The New International Version, however, places verse 12 with verses 13–19, as does the French La Sainte Bible.[43]

Well-established compositional devices in the psalm seem to provide the proper guide to its structure. For example the sentences in verses 8 and 18 feature the word יָא (“fear”), suggesting that they may serve as a bookending device for enclosing verses 8–19. Also the blessedness of God’s people is mentioned in verses 12 and 18–19, indicating a distinct strophe.[44] Building on these data, the following structural pattern is proposed for the psalm.

Introduction: A call to praise the Lord with song and instrumental accompaniment together with motives for doing so (vv. 1–5).

Main body: The Lord’s sovereignty over affairs on earth (vv. 6–19).

A. Hinging device: God’s creation and control over the earth (vv. 6–7).[45]

B. A call for revering the sovereign Creator and Controller (vv. 8–11).

C. The blessedness of God’s people and the impotence of human resources (vv. 12–19).

Conclusion. The psalmist’s confidence in the Lord and his petition for God’s future blessings (vv. 20–22).

Clearly Psalm 33 differs significantly in format and structure from Psalms 96, 98, and 149, though all four speak of a “new song.”

Features

Distinct thematic and literary features are evident in Psalm 33. For example it has a strong emphasis on God’s creating and providentially controlling the earth. A unique feature of the psalm is its striking imagery, particularly in verses 6–19. In a bold anthropomorphism the Lord is portrayed as possessing breath and a mouth by which He spoke the world into existence (vv. 6, 9). The Lord is depicted as gathering the waters into a heap in order to place them in a storehouse for use at the appropriate time (v. 7).[46] God’s heart (or mind) conceived the standards for His providence and divine government by which He rules the world (v. 10). He is like an owner who has a personal inheritance in the people of His choosing (v. 12), and He views all the affairs on earth from His heavenly “house” (vv. 13–14). He is also the cosmic artisan/craftsman who sketches all the features of man’s heart, “understanding all they do” (v. 15, NJB). With His all-seeing eye Yahweh looks favorably on those who fear Him and showers His love on them (v. 18; cf. v. 20). He serves as their deliverer/redeemer from death and their preserver of life (v. 19) as well as their defense shield at all times (v. 20).[47]

Of particular significance are the echoes of Moses’ victory psalm of redemption and the singing of Miriam and the women after Israel passed through the Red Sea (Exod. 15:1–21).[48] For example the psalmist’s singing of God’s gathering “the waters of the sea” (Ps. 33:7) recalls Moses’ singing of Yahweh’s providing a way through the Red Sea for Israel (Exod. 15:8). Earth’s inhabitants are challenged to fear and “stand in awe” of the Lord (Ps. 33:8; cf. Exod. 15:14–16). The mention of God’s powerful breath (Ps. 33:6) recalls Exodus 15:8–10, which states that a mere puff of Yahweh’s breath sank the Egyptians with the waters that returned to cover the sea. The plans of earth’s powerful people (Ps. 33:15–17), which are thwarted by the Lord (vv. 10–11), evoke memories of the faulty actions of the ancient Egyptian army (Exod. 15:9). The emphasis on human armies and horses (Ps. 33:16–17) brings to mind the impotence of that earlier Egyptian force (Exod. 15:13).

In praising God for His saving act Moses drew attention to Yahweh’s name, portraying Him as the great warrior (Exod. 15:2–3).[49] The psalmist also praised God’s name when he affirmed that Yahweh as Israel’s “help and shield” brings rejoicing and “trust in His holy name” (Ps. 33:21). Much as the Lord’s judgment fell on the Egyptians during the plagues and at the Red Sea, so the psalmist declared that God intervenes in judgment (vv. 13–17).[50]

Craigie makes a case for assigning the date of Psalm 33 to the monarchic period.[51] Several data reinforce his suggestion. The thematic and vocabulary allusions to Moses’ song and the musical setting with Miriam’s singing tend to focus on an earlier dating, for similar emphases are felt in other early victory psalms that allude to the Exodus. The song of Deborah (Judg. 5) reflects the poet’s resolve to sing to Yahweh in themes reminiscent of the Red Sea experience, such as His power over the natural world (Judg. 5:3–5; cf. Ps. 33:6–9).[52] Other early poems have similar emphases (e.g., Deut. 33:1–2, 26–29; 2 Sam. 22:8–15; Ps. 77:16–20).

The allusions in Psalm 33 to Moses’ great song call to mind the earlier suggestion of similar echoes of that song in Psalm 98. For example Moses’ praise of God’s “faithful love” (חֶסֶד) is also echoed in Psalms 33:5, 18, 22 and 98:3. And all three sources speak of God’s judgment, though with differing emphases.

Comparative Analysis

While not overlooking the distinctive contributions of each of the four psalms, their common themes and features can help determine whether these psalms have enough in common to view them as a subtype of praise psalms.[53]

Psalms 33, 96, 98, and 149 demonstrate a number of basic characteristics that they largely, though not necessarily totally, share in common. First, they are all praise psalms celebrating God’s saving/delivering power and acts in the sight of the nations/peoples (33:12, 20–22; 96:2–3; 98:1–3; 149:4–5). Second, they underscore the role of singing a new song in praise to Israel’s redeeming God set to instrumental musical accompaniment (33:1–3; 96:2–3; 98:5–6; 149:1–3). Third, they rehearse certain attributes of God such as His righteousness, covenant love, faithfulness, and holiness, and His established character and reputation (i.e., His name; 33:4–5, 8, 21–22; 96:2, 9, 13; 98:2–3; 149:3). Fourth, they praise God not only as the King before whom people are to exercise reverential fear (33:8, 18; 96:4, 9) but also as the one who will judge the world in righteousness and with equity (33:13–17; 96:10–13; 98:6, 9; 149:2, 6–9).[54] Fifth, the earth is featured as the result of God’s creation (33:8–9; 96:5) or the natural world awaiting its coming liberation (96:11–13; 98:7–9).

In addition, three of the psalms (Pss. 96, 98, 149) display a similar twofold structure, and all four contain many of the same themes and words.[55] Moreover, as noted previously, both Psalms 33 and 98 reflect an indebtedness to Moses’ victory song of redemption at the time of the Exodus and safe passage through the Red Sea.

As Craigie has shown, this is especially true of Psalm 33.[56] Certainly many of the themes of Moses’ song seem to have influenced the psalmist’s thematic approach and poetic artistry. Recalling particularly the safe Red Sea passage, the psalmist called for the singing afresh of a song of God’s saving work much as did Miriam and the women of old (Exod. 15:19–21). The psalmist, however, praised God not just as his Redeemer but as earth’s Creator and providential Controller. For the psalmist God’s saving work is ever new, so that with each deliverance His people can sing a “new song”—one that is in harmony with God’s deliverance of His people long ago but at the same time one that is qualitatively new and fresh.[57]

Conclusions

Perhaps Psalm 33, the earliest of the “new song” psalms, served as a precedent for other such psalms. Just as the writer of Psalm 33 drew on Moses’ song with an emphasis on the fact that God’s victorious deliverances are ever new, so each of the other “new song” writers could in his own way find God’s saving acts in new situations worthy of praise to be expressed in a musical setting. Thus the author of Psalm 98 emphasized God’s revealed character as Redeemer and coming Judge; the author of Psalm 96 stressed the greatness of the coming Judge, which calls for universal worship of Him; and the author of Psalm 149 underscored the need for believers to do their part, ever mindful that Yahweh alone, the righteous Judge, is the one who accomplishes the deed.[58] Likewise each writer felt free to express his “new song” psalm in his own literary style.

Admittedly the above reconstruction is speculative and must function simply as a tentative hypothesis. Nevertheless this in no way detracts from the suggestion that the “new song” psalms are a subgenre of the praise psalms. Based on the relationship of Psalm 33 to Moses’ song and the demonstrated points of commonality among the four psalms, there may be sufficient evidence for viewing them as a group. Furthermore the fact that in all four psalms the call to sing a “new song” is made in connection with praise to God as Redeemer and Judge lends support to the proposal that they be construed as a special subtype of psalm.[59]

The common elements, themes, vocabulary, and indebtedness to Moses’ song and the singing of Miriam and the women argue for these psalms being considered a specific type of praise psalm, psalms that commemorate God’s victories and saving acts on behalf of His people. Such acts were to be celebrated with singing and instrumental accompaniment. As at the Red Sea, praise for God was to ring out in a joyous musical setting.

It may be added that the “new song” in turn became a motif in its own right but always in recognition of Yahweh’s salvation/deliverance, whether past, present, anticipated, or prophesied for the distant future. Thus David in Psalm 40:1–5 rehearsed in song God’s deliverance and many wondrous works (נִפְלָאוֹת). Anticipation is discernible in Psalm 144:9–11, another Davidic psalm. Despite his calamity the royal psalmist confidently sang praise to the Lord. David triumphantly expected God to be faithful in giving “victory” to him. Looking into the future, Isaiah prophesied of God’s undertaking for His people and all who will put their trust in His Servant for salvation (Isa. 42:10–17). As Oswalt observes, the “new song” in Isaiah 42 “is surely prompted by what immediately precedes it, the announcement of the Servant who will bring God’s justice to the earth (42:1–3), who will manifest God’s grace (42:6–7) and glory (42:8) in a way previously unheard of (42:9). It is because God’s Servant will make salvation available to the whole earth that the prophet is caught up in a whirlwind of joy and praise and calls on earth’s inhabitants to join him.”[60]

In an apocalyptic vision John beheld a time in the distant future when the twenty-four elders will fall down in adoration before Christ the Lamb and sing a “new song.” “They sang a new song: ‘You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals; because You were slaughtered, and You redeemed [people] for God by Your blood from every tribe and language and people and nation. You made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they will reign on the earth’ ” (Rev. 5:9–10). Calling on themes taken from the Exodus (cf. Exod. 19:5–6; 1 Pet. 2:4–5) and the praise song of Isaiah 42:10–17, “a new song is sung because the new redeemed order of God’s Kingdom is about to be inaugurated.”[61]

In the Tribulation the 144,000 redeemed will sing a “new song” accompanied by musical instruments (Rev. 14:3). Once again this is praise to the Lamb for His redemption. As Walvoord points out, “In the reference to the 144,000 as redeemed from the earth the thought seems to be that both those in heaven and on earth have been redeemed, that is, purchased by the blood of Christ and delivered from their enemies, one group through martyrdom, the other group by divine preservation through the tribulation.”[62] Interestingly the redeemed on earth are portrayed in 15:3 as singing “the song of God’s servant Moses and the song of the Lamb.” “Great and awe-inspiring are Your works, Lord God, the Almighty; righteous and true are Your ways, King of the Nations. Lord, who will not fear and glorify Your name? Because You alone are holy, because all the nations will come and worship before You, because Your righteous acts have been revealed” (vv. 3–4).

Even here many themes in the “new song” psalms are seen, including the mighty and righteous acts of the sovereign King, the need to revere (fear) the One who alone is holy and just, and before whom all nations will bow. Although this song in Revelation 15 is not labeled a “new song,” it obviously reflects the characteristics of one and is sung by the same group as in 14:1–5. As Beasley-Murray observes, 15:3–4 “is a repetition of the vision of 14:1–5, given to emphasize the aspect of God’s judgment and deliverance as a counterpart to the first exodus.”[63] As God’s people were delivered in the Exodus and praised Him in a song of redemption, so redeemed saints will sing of their deliverance from the clutches of the beast.

Practical Application

From its roots in the Exodus to its final expression the “new song” is one of praise for God’s saving acts on behalf of His people. What He did for Israel in the past will be brought to final realization in His promised Servant, the Lord Jesus Christ. As God’s people saw Him moving mightily in delivering them through the Red Sea, so a future generation will witness the coming of the Rider on a white horse who will lead the armies of heaven in victory over the endtime evil forces (Rev. 19:11–21). As Yahweh was praised in the Old Testament “new songs” for His faithfulness and for righteousness by which He will come to judge the nations, so His promised Servant is called “Faithful and True” and it is said of Him, “In righteousness he judges and makes war” (v. 11).

Meanwhile believers partake of the qualitative newness of the “new songs” of both Testaments by having been “redeemed. .. with the precious blood of Christ like that of a lamb without defect or blemish” (1 Pet. 1:18–19). Each believer may sing that old song of redemption that is ever new, for each believer “is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come” (2 Cor. 5:17). As the Old Testament saints could sing a “new song” with each experience of God’s gracious deliverance, so New Testament believers may sing boldly “to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music to the Lord” (Eph. 5:19; cf. Col. 3:16). And in that grand future day it may well be as the hymn writer declares, “And when in scenes of glory I sing the new, new song, ‘Twill be the old, old story, that I have loved so long.”[64]

Notes

1. Unless noted otherwise, all Scripture quotations are from the Holman Christian Standard Bible.
2. See, for example, Grant Osborne, “Genre,” in Dictionary for Theological Interpretation of the Bible, ed. Kevin J. Vanhoozer (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2005), 252–53.
3. Margaret Davies, “Genre,” in A Dictionary of Biblical Interpretation, ed. R. J. Coggins and J. L. Houlden (London: SCM, 1990), 256. Roy B. Zuck observes, “ ‘Literary genre’ refers to the category or the kind of writing characterized by a particular form(s) and/or content” (Basic Bible Interpretation [Wheaton, IL: Victor, 1991; reprint, Colorado Springs: Cook, 1996], 126).
4. Leland Ryken, Words of Delight (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1987), 230.
5. To the contrary see Willem A. VanGemeren, “Psalms,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, vol. 5 (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1991), 635.
6. Michael E. Travers, Encountering God in the Psalms (Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2003), 139.
7. Claus Westermann, The Psalms, trans. Ralph D. Gehrke (Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1980), 24. See also Zuck, Basic Bible Interpretation, 130–31.
8. Tremper Longman III observes that “genre refers to a group of texts similar in their mood, content, structure or phraseology” (How to Read the Psalms [Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1988], 20). If “new-song” psalms constitute a subtype of praise psalms, one would expect to find similar elements reflective of that genre.
9. Claus Westermann, The Psalms, 109–10; Daniel J. Estes, Handbook on the Wisdom Books and Psalms (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2005), 185–90; Tremper Longman III, “Psalm 98: A Divine Warrior Victory Psalm,” Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 27 (1984): 267–74; and H. C. Leupold, Exposition of the Psalms (reprint, Grand Rapids: Baker, 1969), 691–94. Properly understood, none of these suggestions is necessarily to be discounted. The focus, however, remains on the uniqueness and commonality of those psalms in which a “new song” is called for.
10. See Konrad Schaefer, Psalms (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical, 2001), 242–43; and Frank-Lothar Hossfeld and Erich Zenger, Psalms, ed. Klaus Baltzer, trans. Linda M. Maloney (Minneapolis: Fortress, 2005), 2:479–81. These and other scholars divide Psalm 98 into two stanzas, but more commentators divide it into three.
11. The figures are more than poetic imagery, however. They reflect the underlying truths that God has been Israel’s Redeemer, is sovereign over the universe, and will intervene in climactic fashion in judgment in the eschaton.
12. Interestingly the title in the Syriac Peshitta begins with the words, “To David, concerning the redemption of the people from Egypt.”
13. For the Exodus as a prominent biblical motif see Richard D. Patterson and Michael E. Travers, “Contours of the Exodus Motif in Jesus’ Earthly Ministry,” Westminster Theological Journal 66 (2004): 25–48.
14. Admittedly the occasion of the psalm’s composition is uncertain. Leupold confidently assigns the psalm to Israel’s deliverance from the Babylonian Captivity, even though he admits that in the psalm this event is not “referred to in plain terms” (Exposition of the Psalms, 691). See also A. Cohen, The Psalms (London: Soncino, 1985), 315, 320.
15. Longman denies that any specific historical reference is involved. He says, “It could be cited after any of the numerous deliverances that Israel experienced during her history” (“Psalm 98, ” 272).
16. See VanGemeren, “Psalms,” 5:629.
17. Leslie C. Allen, “זמר,” in New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology and Exegesis, ed. Willem A. VanGemeren (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1997), 1:1116.
18. For details on these and other instruments see Joachin Braun, Music in Ancient Israel/Palestine (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2002), 12–35; and VanGemeren, “Psalms,” 5:879–80.
19. Terrace-pattern parallelism is employed to emphasize the certainty of God’s future judgment.
20. The psalmist’s words are reminiscent of the words “All nature sings, and round me rings the music of the spheres” in Maltbie D. Babcocks’ well-known hymn “This Is My Father’s World.” For details as to the story behind this famous hymn see Kenneth W. Osbeck, 101 Hymn Stories (Grand Rapids: Kregel, 1982), 269–71.
21. Samuel Terrien wrongly suggests that “the context of the psalm is inspired by mythological and ardent expectations” and that the psalm is “inspired by the cultic motif of sanctity around and within the sanctuary” (The Psalms [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 203], 683–84).
22. Psalm 96 has been discussed extensively in commentaries and in special studies. For a detailed bibliography see Brian Doyle, “Heaven, Earth, Sea, Field and Forest: Unnatural Nature in Ps 96, ” Journal of Northwest Semitic Languages 27 (2001): 23–44. Hossfeld and Zenger suggest that “a new song is the reaction of an individual in a thanksgiving psalm after an act of salvation” (Psalms, 2:464).
23. Terrien divides the psalm into four stanzas (vv. 1–3, 4–6, 7–9, 10–12) with verse 13 as a closing dispatch (Psalms, 673–77).
24. See “Name,” in Dictionary of Biblical Imagery, ed. Leland Ryken, James C. Wilhoit, and Tremper Longman III (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1998), 582–86.
25. “The reasons given for the call to praise in v. 4 are nourished by Zion theology (Hossfeld and Zenger, Psalms, 2:465). For a comprehensive discussion of Zion theology see VanGemeren, “Psalms,” 5:354–57.
26. The Lord’s coming in judgment is presented in terrace-pattern parallelism (v. 13). The repetition of the Lord’s coming here in Psalm 96 may suggest that this should be understood also in Psalm 98:9, which may then be rendered, in pivot-pattern parallelism, “before the Lord, for he is coming, [he is coming] to judge the earth.” For terrace-pattern and pivot-pattern parallelisms see Wilfred G. E. Watson, Classical Hebrew Poetry (Sheffield: University of Sheffield, 1986), 208–21.
27. Travers, Encountering God in the Psalms, 171.
28. Citing the research of others, Doyle gives a detailed list of word pairs used stylistically by the author of Psalm 96 (“Heaven, Earth, Sea, Field and Forest: Unnatural Nature in Ps 96, ” 29).
29. J. J. Stewart Perowne boldly asserts that Psalm 98 is “little more than an echo of Psalm xcvi” (The Book of Psalms [Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1976], 203).
30. Hossfeld and Zenger suggest that verses 7–8a stem from Psalm 29:1–2a, and that “the mythical sons of God are replaced by the historical entities of the ‘tribes of the nations’ ” (Psalms, 2:465).
31. The word “all” appears repeatedly throughout the psalm (vv. 1, 3, 4, 9, 11).
32. Erhard S. Gerstenberger, Psalms, Part 2 and Lamentations, Forms of Old Testament Literature (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2001), 190.
33. For a list of comparisons between Psalms 96 and 98 see Henk Leene, “The Coming of YHWH as King,” in Unless Someone Guide Me, ed. J. W. Dyk et al. (Amsterdam: Shaker, 2001), 211–14. Psalms 96 and 98, together with Psalms 93, 95, 97, and 99, are commonly called “kingship psalms” because of their emphasis on the Lord as King. Rather than being a distinct genre, however, these psalms may be grouped together in the Psalter by the theme of Yahweh as King (U. Cassuto, Biblical and Oriental Studies [Jerusalem: Magnes, 1973], 1:1–6). This theme occurs about three dozen other times in the Psalter.
34. VanGemeren, “Psalms,” 5:877.
35. Regarding the subject of revenge in this psalm Gerstenberger writes, “To take revenge for something the ‘nations’ have done to Israel (not spelled out here) seems to be the main concern.. .. It is with remarkable confidence and unabashedness that this community sings for revenge” (Psalms, Part 2 and Lamentations, 455–56). However, it is preferable to say that the emphasis on God’s kingship and Israel’s carrying out “the sentence written against” the godless nations is because of these nations’ treatment of Israel as God’s people. God’s justice, not personal revenge, was at stake. Israel was merely His agent. See also VanGemeren, “Psalms,” 5:877.
36. Arnold Albert Anderson suggests a cultic interpretation for Psalm 149. “The shouting of the warriors (verse 6) and the praise of the people may well belong to the ritual of the cultic drama which portrayed, from the point of view of faith, the salvation-history of the nation. The conventionalized re-presentation of the past events also had a present and future significance: as Yahweh has acted in the past, so he is also involved in the present situation, and he will bring to a glorious completion all his purposes” (The Book of Psalms, New Century Bible Commentary [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1981], 2:952, italics his).
37. David S. Dockery, “חול,” in New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology and Exegesis, 2:46.
38. Mitchell Dahood proposes that Psalm 149 “is a hymn song and performed in the religious assembly on the eve of a battle against the heathen nations; cf. Ps. xx” (Psalm III, Anchor Bible [Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1970], 356). Leupold writes, “In a time of grave peril the children of Israel had been granted a great victory; they rejoice over it; more battles are yet to be fought; their very existence trembles in the balance; they hope that, as they go out to fight, God may again grant them victory” (Exposition of the Psalms, 1001).
39. Leslie C. Allen suggests that Psalm 149 was probably written as “an eschatological hymn which looks forward to a future victory wrought by Yahweh on the people’s behalf” (Psalms 101–150, Word Biblical Commentary [Waco, TX: Word, 1983], 319). Allen produces a list of items that Psalm 149 has in common with Isaiah 60 and 61, texts that look forward to Israel’s glorious future and the submission of the nations. Schaefer gives an interesting variation of a future setting for Psalm 149. “In the second movement the poet describes a ritual dance, in which enthusiasm is displayed in the shouting and brandishing of swords.. .. The faithful, with praise in their mouths and two-edged swords in hand, avenge nations, punish peoples, arrest rulers and nobles, and execute judgments. The imagery illustrates that praise is stronger than worldly power” (Psalms, 344). Because no specific occasion is given for the composition of Psalm 149, it is difficult to be dogmatic in assigning one. Commentaries suggest a variety of occasions for its composition and use.
40. A similar emphasis is found in Psalm 144:9–15, where the psalmist’s resolve to sing a “new song” accompanied by musical instruments is directed toward “the One who gives victory” (v. 10). Therefore he petitioned the Lord for deliverance from the control of deceptive and deceitful foreigners.
41. Gerstenberger observes that this song “is ‘new’ in that it responds to concrete wondrous deeds of Yahweh” (Psalms, Part 2 and Lamentations, 145).
42. For example John Goldingay includes verses 6–7 with the preceding five verses (Psalms [Grand Rapids: Baker, 2006], 466).
43. Similarly the Italian La Sacra Bibbia includes verses 10–12 with what follows, but it makes a break between verses 12–15 and 16–19.
44. A similar feature occurs in Psalm 40:3–5. Here the expression of thanksgiving and testimony to God’s deliverance, which is capped by the psalmist’s singing a “new song,” is followed by a new section expressing the blessedness (happiness) of those who, having witnessed what God had done for the psalmist, will fear and trust in the Lord (vv. 3–5). See also Travers, Encountering God in the Psalms, 134–36.
45. Viewed as a structural hinge, verses 6–7 furnish additional reasons for praising Yahweh and are also a basis for discussing God’s providence.
46. “Jars” in the New International Version reflects the Septuagintal reading “bottles” or “wineskins.”
47. These features naturally account for the distinctive differences in vocabulary in Psalm 33 in contrast to Psalms 96, 98, and 149.
48. See Peter C. Craigie, Psalms 1–50, Word Biblical Commentary (Waco, TX: Word, 1983), 273–74. For Exodus 15:1–18 as a victory psalm see Richard D. Patterson, ‘The Song of Redemption,” Westminster Theological Journal 57 (1995): 453–61.
49. For the theme of the divine warrior see Tremper Longman III and Daniel G. Reid, God Is a Warrior (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1995).
50. Craigie also calls attention to the psalmist’s portrayal of God’s dominion in heaven as possibly “a further allusion. .. to the ‘Song of the Sea,’ in which a parallel expression is used (Exod 15:17)” (Psalms 1–50, 274).
51. Ibid., 271. See also Terrien, The Psalms, 300.
52. N. H. Ridderbos pointed to the similarities of Psalm 33 to Judges 5 in “the episodic structure of the substance and the use of repetition” (Die Psalmen, Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft [Berlin: de Gruyter, 1972], 238–39). For the dating of Judges 5 see Frank Moore Cross Jr., Studies in Ancient Yahwistic Poetry (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1950), 3–82; and Richard D. Patterson, “The Song of Deborah,” in Tradition and Testament: Essays in Honor of Charles Lee Feinberg, ed. John S. Feinberg and Paul D. Feinberg (Chicago: Moody, 1981), 124–26.
53. Some scholars view Psalms 96 and 98 as kingship (or enthronement) psalms, Psalm 149 as a song of victorious praise, and Psalm 33 as a psalm of praise to Yahweh as sovereign Creator and Ruler.
54. Gerald H. Wilson finds a similar emphasis in the final shaping of the Psalter. “The emphasis of the final form is that Yahweh is King! Human sin and weakness cannot undermine the sovereignty of God, who counters human weakness with his power and continued provision, who confronts human sin and evil with his judgment and justice” (“The Structure of the Psalter,” in Interpreting the Psalms, ed. David Firth and Philip S. Johnston [Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2005], 246).
55. See, for example, “nations/peoples” (Pss. 33:10–11, 12–13; 96:3, 5, 7, 10, 13; 98:9; 149:7).
56. Craigie, Psalms 1–50, 273–74.
57. For the ubiquitous nature of the Exodus motif see Richard D. Patterson and Michael E. Travers, “Contours of the Exodus Motif in Jesus’ Earthly Ministry,” Westminster Theological Journal 66 (2004): 25–48.
58. Although Psalms 96 and 98 reflect allusions in theme and vocabulary in varying degrees to the Exodus, Psalm 149 is less specific. The author preferred to concentrate more generally on the salvation for which the Lord is to be praised in song, instrumental music, and dancing.
59. Although the term “judge” does not occur in each psalm, God’s acts of judgment are described in each. Also, even though Yahweh is called King only in Psalms 96 and 98, nevertheless in all four psalms His royal status and prerogatives are assumed in His dealings with the nations.
60. John N. Oswalt, The Book of Isaiah Chapters 40–66, New International Commentary on the Old Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1998), 127.
61. George Eldon Ladd, A Commentary on the Revelation of John (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1972), 90. Although Ladd correctly points out that John’s Apocalypse is characterized by new things (2:17; 3:12; 21:1–2, 5), the fact that the central theme of the elders’ song is that of God’s completed redemption is a reminder that their “new song” is thematically the same as the traditional song of God’s victorious redemption. The newness is primarily qualitative (καινός) rather than temporal, that is, new in time (νέος). G. Abbott-Smith points out that καινός speaks of what is “new in respect to form or quality, fresh, unused, novel” (A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament, 3rd ed. [Edinburgh: Clark, 1950], 225). Johannes Behm remarks that this adjective “is the epitome of the wholly different and miraculous thing which is brought by the time of salvation” (“καινός,” in Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, ed. Gerhard Kittel and Gerhard Friedrich, trans. and ed. Geoffrey W. Bromiley, vol. 3 [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1965], 449).
62. John F. Walvoord, The Revelation of Jesus Christ (Chicago: Moody, 1966), 215–16.
63. George R. Beasley-Murray, Revelation, New Century Bible Commentary (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1981), 235. He appropriately entitles his discussion of Revelation 15:1–8, “The Last Exodus.” While arguing that the song of Moses is “chiefly in view here,” he suggests that the third and fourth lines of the song “are reminiscent of the later song of Moses (Deut 32:4)” (ibid.).
64. A. Katherine Hankey, “I Love to Tell the Story.” For the background of this well-known hymn see Osbeck, 101 Hymn Stories, 108–10.