Which Victory Is Alluded to in Ps. 98:1

Back to Psalm 98

Introduction

The Hebrew text of Ps. 98:1 reads as follows:

מִזְמ֡וֹר שִׁ֤ירוּ לַֽיהוָ֨ה ׀ שִׁ֣יר חָ֭דָשׁ כִּֽי־נִפְלָא֣וֹת עָשָׂ֑ה הוֹשִֽׁיעָה־לּ֥וֹ יְ֝מִינ֗וֹ וּזְר֥וֹעַ קָדְשֽׁוֹ׃

The last clause of the verse describes an activity of God on behalf of his people. Although most interpreters agree that the verb (הוֹשִׁיעָה) refers to a past action, many of them disagree on the exact event or historical victory the author of Psalm 98 has in view here.

For example Marvin Tate thinks that "Ps 98 has no specific historical reference... and should not be forced into the mold of exodus or the restoration from exile, or any other specific historical event."

On the other hand, as Bratcher and Reyburn note,

"Some think the victory spoken in the verse 1 is a reference to creation, when Yahweh defeated the powers of chaos and destruction; or else the word may be generic, referring to all the victories won by Yahweh over Israel's enemies."

Understanding the exact victory in view in our passage has significant implications for the interpretation of the whole Psalm, especially how to understand the historical background around which the whole Psalm revolves. For example Grogan affirms that

"If the exodus is in view, the revelation [described in v. 2] was first to the Egyptians" and thus we have the context of interpretation and identity of the nations mentioned in the Psalm.

So, what is the event behind the victory alluded to in Psalm 98.1? There are three main views held by interpreters.

• Option 1: A whole range of YHWH’s past victories
• Option 2: The Exodus
• Option 3: The restoration from exile

Argument Maps

A whole range of YHWH’s past victories

Some interpreters believe that the victory alluded in Psalm 98:1 does not refer to one specific event but to a whole range of YHWH's past victories.

 
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[Whole range of YHWH’s past victories]: The victory, salvation or help mentioned in Ps 98:1 refers not to one historical event but to a whole range of YHWH's past victories. #dispreferred
 + <No explicit historical event>: The Psalm does not explicitly provide a specific historical event (cf. Bratcher 1991:844 :C:; cf. Longman 1984 :A:). The fact that we have no explicit historical reference should keep us from forcing one here (cf. Tate 1988:524 :C:). #dispreferred
 + <Universal scope>: In the context of Psalm 98 the victory includes a universal scope and is not limited to one enemy of Israel (Tate 1988:525 :C:). #dispreferred
  + [vv. 2-4]: Psalm 98:2-4 mention people groups (plural). #dispreferred
  + [vv. 7–8]: Psalm 98:7-8 mention sea, rivers, mountains, and even 'the world and those who dwell in it', implying that the events in the psalm have universal significance. #dispreferred
  + [v. 9]: Psalm 98:9 mentions God's coming to judge the whole world. #dispreferred
 + <Nature of Psalmody>: "Psalm 98 is a prime example of a tendency that runs through much of the Psalter: subduing of reference to specific historical events in order to preserve the immediate relevance of the poem in the cult... When lengthy arguments are presented by modern scholars to pinpoint the exact historical event, they work against the purpose of the psalm: to be always relevant to the needs of the contemporary cult" (Longman 1984:272 :A:). #dispreferred

Exodus

Some other interpreters think that the victory in view in Psalm 98.1 is that of the Exodus.

 
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[Exodus]: The victory of Psalm 98:1 refers to that of the Exodus. #dispreferred
 + <Exodus imagery>: The words and images in v. 1 (e.g., YHWH's 'arm' and 'wonderful deeds') are especially associated with the Exodus story. "One of the signal images that points to the exodus is the hand and arm of the Lord" (DBI 1998:254 :D:) #dispreferred 
   + [Exodus imagery]: E.g., Ex. 3:20; 6:6, 15:16; Deut. 4:34, 7:19, 26:28; Mic. 7:15 #dispreferred
   <_ <Exodus imagery recycled>: "The exodus motif was used by prophets and poetic writers to transfer the significance of the original exodus to new situation requiring deliverance... The exodus story is repeated several times—in the crossing of the Jordan, in the repeated deliverances from oppression during the period of the judges, in the restoration from exile..." (DBI 1998:254 :D:).

Restoration from Exile

The last view affirms that the victory alluded in Psalm 98:1 is the victory experienced by Israel at the time of the restoration from Exile.

 
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[Restoration from Exile]: The victory mentioned in Psalm 98:1 refers to restoration from exile. 
 + <Parallels with Isaiah>: Psalm 98 is very similar to the second half of Isaiah, which describes the people's return from exile (Prinsloo 1994:163 :A:).
  + <'New'>: "The language of 'new' (in Ps. 98:1) well fits Isaiah’s conception of the redemption from Babylon as the second exodus, when the Lord showed his mighty power" (VanGemeren 2008:731 :C:).
   + ['New']: Cf. Isa 51:9–11; 59:16; 63:5.
  + <'Holy arm' and 'right hand'>: The phrases 'holy arm of YHWH' and 'YHWH's right hand' occur in Isaiah. 
   + ['Holy arm' and 'right hand']: "The 'holy arm of YHWH' is only in Isa 52:10, 'YHWH's right hand' in Isa 41:10; cf. Ps. 44:4; Isa. 59:16; 63:5" (Hossfeld 2005:480 :C:). 
  + <Isa. 52:10>: Ps. 98:3b is nearly identical to Isa. 52:10b.  
   + [Isa. 52:10]: חָשַׂ֤ף יְהוָה֙ אֶת־זְרֹ֣ועַ קָדְשֹׁ֔ו לְעֵינֵ֖י כָּל־הַגֹּויִ֑ם וְרָאוּ֙ כָּל־אַפְסֵי־אָ֔רֶץ אֵ֖ת יְשׁוּעַ֥ת אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ׃ 
  + <'Salvation' and 'righteousness'>: The revelation of YHWH's 'salvation' and 'righteousness' (Ps. 98:2) is a prominent theme in the second half of Isaiah (cf. Hossfeld 2005 :C:). 
   + ['Salvation' and 'righteousness']: E.g., Isa. 46:13; 51:5-6, 8.
  + <Imperatives (v. 4b)>: "The trio of imperatives in v. 4b has its closest parallels in Isa 44:23 and 52:9—again an indication of inspiration coming from Deutero-Isaiah" (Hossfeld 2005:480 :C:).
   + [Isa. 44:23]: רָנּ֨וּ שָׁמַ֜יִם כִּֽי־עָשָׂ֣ה יְהוָ֗ה הָרִ֙יעוּ֙ תַּחְתִּיּ֣וֹת אָ֔רֶץ פִּצְח֤וּ הָרִים֙ רִנָּ֔ה יַ֖עַר וְכָל־עֵ֣ץ בּ֑וֹ כִּֽי־גָאַ֤ל יְהוָה֙ יַֽעֲקֹ֔ב וּבְיִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל יִתְפָּאָֽר׃ 
  + <Mountains shouting (v. 8b)>: "The mountains' shouting, unusual in this form, comes from Deutero-Isaiah" (Hossfeld 2005:481 :C:). 
   + [Mountains shouting]: Isa. 44:23; 49:13; 55:12
  <_ <Direction of relationship>: Isaiah is drawing from Psalm 98, not the other way around (cf. Ginsberg 1958 :A:). #dispreferred
   - <Ps. 98 drawing from Isaiah>: The psalmist presents Isaiah's prophecies and predictions as completed events, which suggests that the psalmist is drawing on Isaiah to show the fulfillment of prophecy.
    + [Weqatal in Isaiah / Qatal in Ps. 98]: וְרָאוּ֙ כָּל־אַפְסֵי־אָ֔רֶץ אֵ֖ת יְשׁוּעַ֥ת אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ׃ (Isa. 52:10) / רָא֥וּ כָל־אַפְסֵי־אָ֑רֶץ אֵ֝֗ת יְשׁוּעַ֥ת אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ׃ (Ps. 98:3).
    + [Lamed + infinitive in Isaiah / Qatal in Ps. 98]: כִּֽי־קְרוֹבָ֤ה יְשֽׁוּעָתִי֙ לָב֔וֹא וְצִדְקָתִ֖י לְהִגָּלֽוֹת׃ (Isa. 56:1) / הוֹדִ֣יעַ יְ֭הוָה יְשׁוּעָת֑וֹ לְעֵינֵ֥י הַ֝גּוֹיִ֗ם גִּלָּ֥ה צִדְקָתֽוֹ׃ (Ps. 98:2) (cf. Gosse 1997:30 :A:).  
   + <Ps. 98 explains Isaiah's language>: "The Isaiah passage is typically skeuomorphic: What in the world have the remote encampments of Kedar and the isles, let alone the sea and its creatures, to rejoice about if YHWH is on the warpath and is going to dry vast bodies of water and annihilate vast tracts of vegetation (Isa. 42:15)? It is Pss 96 and 98 that explain Isa 42:10ff., not the other way around" (Ginsberg 1958:154 :A:). #dispreferred
   + <Isa. 55-66 and Psalms>: "Applying the three basic rules of literary interdependence (consonance; rarity; explainability), in the overwhelming number of cases Isa 55–66 is the receiving entity and the Psalter the giving entity" (Berges 2022:298 :A:). #dispreferred
 + <Ancient tradition>: Some ancient traditions associate Ps. 98 with the return from exile. 
  + [East Syriac manuscripts]: Some east Syriac manuscripts add a superscription to this psalm which says, “He declares concerning the stupendous return of the people from Babylon and invites everyone to offer praise to God” (Taylor 2021:401). 
  + [LXX Ps. 95(96)]: The LXX has a superscription for the parallel psalm, Psalm 95 (Hebrew: Ps. 96), which says, “When the house was being rebuilt after the captivity” (NETS). 

Conclusion (C)

There is a close relationship between Isaiah and Psalm 98. Although it is difficult to determine the direction of dependence, the fact that the psalmist describes as completed what Isaiah predicts as future suggests that the psalmist is drawing from Isaiah to show that Isaiah's prophecy about return from exile has been fulfilled.

This interpretation has a significant consequence on the way one understands the historical background of Psalm 98. For example, one should not see the victory simply as a battle won by Israel but as the deliverance of God's people from captivity.

Research

Secondary Literature

Berges, Ulrich. 2022. “Isaiah 55–66 and the Psalms: Shared Viewpoints, Literary Similarities, and Neighboring Authors.” JBL 141 (2): 277–99.

Bratcher, Robert G. and William David Reyburn. 1991. A translator’s handbook on the book of Psalms (UBS Handbook Series). New York: United Bible Societies.

Gosse, Bernard. 1997. "Le Psaume 98 Et La Rédaction D'ensemble Du Livre D'Isaïe." Biblische Notizen (86): 29-30.

Grogan, Geoffrey. 2008. Psalms. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

Hossfeld, Frank-Lothar, and Erich Zenger. 2005. Psalms 2: A Commentary on Psalms 51-100. Translated by Linda M. Maloney. Hermeneia. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress.

Longman, Tremper. 1984. “Psalm 98: A Divine Warrior Victory Song.” JETS 27 (3): 267–74.

Ryken, Leland, Jim Wilhoit, Tremper Longman, Colin Duriez, Douglas Penney, and Daniel G. Reid, eds. 1998. Dictionary of Biblical Imagery. Downers Grove, Ill: InterVarsity Press.

Prinsloo, W. S. 1994. "Psalm 98: Sing ’n nuwe lied tot lof van die Koning, Jahwe." HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies 50(1/2): 155-168.

VanGemeren, Willem A. 2008. Psalms (The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Psalms Revised Edition), Edited Tremper Longman III et David E. Garland, vol. 5. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

References

98:1