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Book of Psalms


Psalm 95

King James Version

1 O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
2 Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.
3 For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods.
4 In his hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also.
5 The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land.
6 O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.

7 For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice,
8 Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness:
9 When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work.
10 Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways:
11 Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest.1

Bible Commentary
1. The terms used to express the highest kind of joy.2
Sing. Heb. ranan, "tell with joy."3
Rock. A firm basis, giving certainty of salvation (Ps 62:7).2

2. Come . . . presence. Literally, "approach," or, meet Him (Ps 17:13).2
With thanksgiving. Our first duty and privilege in public and in private worship is to express our gratitude.3

3. The Lord. Heb. Yahweh. Verses 3-7 state three reasons for our worshiping with glad and thankful hearts: God is the Supreme King, God is Creator, God is Shepherd of His people.3
Gods. Above all that are called God's angels, earthly potentates, and especially the false gods of the Heathen.4

4. Hand. Under his government.4
Deep places. From the deepest depths of the earth to the highest heights, all things belong to God and are under His control.3
Strength. The strongest or highest mountains.4

5. The sea. See Gen. 1:9, 10; Ps. 104:24, 25. Contemplation of the creation should lead to worship of the Creator.3

6. Come.  Or, "enter," with solemn forms, as well as hearts.2
Kneel. The outward and visible change of position in worship often reflects the inner and spiritual nature of the exercise. As we show respect to men by rising up before them, so we should show respect to God by assuming appropriate postures in worship. Kneeling in reverence and bowing are fitting ways to indicate such respect (see 2 Chron. 6:13; 7:3; Isa. 45:23; Luke 22:41; Acts 7:60; Phil. 2:10).3
Our maker. The God who created us, redeemed us, established His covenant with us (see Deut. 32:6, 15; Ps. 100:3; 149:2).3

7. Our God. Not only "a great God" (see v. 3), but "our God," brought into close covenant relationship with His people.3
 Pasture. Whom he feeds and keeps in his own pasture, or in the land which he hath appropriated to himself.4
The sheep. Which are under his special care.4
To day. The phrase suggests that it is high time for a momentous decision. God's commands and invitations should be obeyed and accepted at once. As often as the Christian repeats this psalm, he should realize anew the force of the emphatic "to day." As often as he proves faithless to God, he should hear anew the gracious "to day," promising him forgiveness and restoration.3
If ye will hear. In addition to thanksgiving the psalm provides exhortation and instruction for the people.3 8. Warning against neglect; and this is sustained by citing the melancholy fate of their rebellious ancestors, whose provoking insolence is described by quoting the language of God's complaint (Nu 14:11) of their conduct at Meribah and Massah, names given (Ex 17:7) to commemorate their strife and contention with Him (Ps 78:18, 41).3
Harden not. By obstinate unbelief.4
Provocation.  Heb. meribah, "contention" (see Ex. 17:1-7). In that bold and wicked contest with God in the wilderness.3,4
Temptation. Heb. massah (see Ex. 17:1-7; Deut. 6:16).  In the day in which you tempted me.3,4

9. My work. Here, God's providential acts (see Ps. 90:16; 92:5). In spite of God's miraculous display of power in Egypt and at the Red Sea, Israel failed to learn to trust their Deliverer.3

10. Forty years. See Num. 14:33; Deut. 2:7; 8:2; 29:5.3
Was I grieved. Heb. qut, "feel a loathing against."3
This generation.  Literally, "a generation" (the word "this" is supplied); the generation that came out of Egypt.3
Do err. Their hearts are insincere and bent to backsliding.4
Not known. After all my teaching and discoveries of myself to them; they did not know, nor consider, those great things which I had wrought for them.4

11. My rest. Into the promised land, which is called the rest, Deut. 12, 9.4

References and notes
1. King James Authorized Version
2. Jamieson, Faussett, and Brown - http:// eword. gospelcom .net/ comments/ psalm/ jfb/ psalm95.htm
3. SDA Bible Commentary - Vol.3 pg 849, 850
4. John Wesley's Notes on the Bible - http:// eword. gospelcom .net/ comments/ psalm/ wesley/ psalm95.htm
5. John Gill's Exposition of the Bible - http:// eword. gospelcom .net/ comments/ psalm/ gill/ psalm95.htm
6. Spurgeon' Treasury of David - http:// eword. gospelcom .net/ comments/ psalm/ spurgeon/ psalm95.htm
7. Matthew Henry Complete Commentary on the Whole Bible - http:// www. studylight .org/ com/mhc- com/view. cgi?book =ps& chapter =095

TITLE

This Psalm has no title, and all we know of its authorship is that Paul quotes it as "in David." (Heb 4:7) It is true that this may merely signify that it is to be found in the collection known as David's Psalms; but if such were the Apostle's meaning it would have been more natural for him to have written, "saying in the Psalms; "we therefore incline to the belief that David was the actual author of this poem. The authorship of this psalm is also ascribed to David in the Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions.5,6

 

REFERENCE TO MESSIAH

This psalm has a special reference to the days of the Messiah; as it is understood by the apostle, Heb. 3:7,8 and Heb. 4:3-9. Herein we are called upon, to praise God, as a great and gracious God, ver. 1-7. To hear God's voice, and not harden our hearts, lest we fall as the Israelites did, ver. 8-11.4



THE INVITATORY PSALM

Psalms 95 to 100 constitute a group of psalms, in the nature of a "festal anthem," intended for thanksgiving in public worship. As such, the group exhibits a sort of pendulum structure, the content swinging between praise to Jehovah and reasons for that praise. The first psalm of the group, Psalm 95, sometimes called The Invitatory Psalm, because of its traditional use in the Christian church as a fervent invitation to praise, has two distinct parts; and invitation to worship (vs. 1-7a) and a warning against unbelief and disobedience (vs. 7b-11).3



HOW TO SING PSALMS

In singing psalms it is intended,
I. That we should "make melody unto the Lord;" this we are here excited to do, and assisted in doing, being called upon to praise God (Psalms 95:1,2) as a great God (Psalms 95:3-5) and as our gracious benefactor, Psalms 95:6,7.
II. That we should teach and admonish ourselves and one another; and we are here taught and warned to hear God's voice (Psalms 95:7), and not to harden our hearts, as the Israelites in the wilderness did (Psalms 95:8,9), lest we fall under God's wrath and fall short of his rest, as they did, Psalms 95:10,11. This psalm must be sung with a holy reverence of God's majesty and a dread of his justice, with a desire to please him and a fear to offend him.7

INDEX TO PSALMS

The Psalms page is a great starting point for searching the psalms. This page provides an overview of the psalms and includes links to information about the psalms, psalms terminology and trivia. The page also has links to psalms song previews, cds, videos and dvds.

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