“Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.”
My Notes
What Does Psalms 98:4 Mean?
Psalm 98 calls for universal, explosive worship: joyful noise, loud celebration, rejoicing, and singing. The command goes to "all the earth" — every nation, every people, everyone. And the verbs pile up: make noise, make loud noise, rejoice, sing praise. This isn't a polite invitation. It's a four-fold command to be loud.
The word "joyful noise" (rua) means a war cry, a shout of victory, a blast of the trumpet. The sound being requested isn't melodic worship. It's the sound of a crowd that just won. The noise of triumph.
The reason for the noise is given in the verses before: God has done marvelous things. His right hand has gotten Him the victory. His salvation has been publicly displayed. The nations have seen it. And the proper response to a visible, public, divine victory is not quiet reflection. It's noise.
Reflection Questions
- 1.When was the last time your worship was genuinely loud — noise proportional to the victory?
- 2.What holds you back from the kind of unrestrained celebration this Psalm calls for?
- 3.What has God done recently that deserves more noise than you've given it?
- 4.How does the command to 'all the earth' challenge worship that stays within one culture or tradition?
Devotional
Make a noise. A loud noise. Rejoice. Sing praise. Four commands in one verse, and every single one of them is about volume.
The psalmist isn't asking for a moment of silent meditation. He's calling for the sound of a stadium after a championship. The roar of a crowd that just watched something impossible happen. The noise of people who can't contain what they've seen.
And he's calling all the earth. Not just the choir. Not just the worship team. Not just the people who feel musical. All the earth. Your participation isn't optional, and your skill level isn't the point. The point is: God won. And when God wins, silence is the wrong response.
We've domesticated worship. We've made it beautiful, controlled, and often quiet. And there's a place for that. But Psalm 98 says there's also a place for this: unrestrained, loud, triumphant celebration. The kind where you forget what people think and just let the volume match the victory.
What has God done that you're still being polite about? What victory has He won that deserves more noise than you've given it? The psalm says: make a joyful noise. Not a joyful thought. Not a joyful journal entry. Noise. Loud noise.
Let the earth hear it.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth,.... That is, all the inhabitants of the earth, as the Targum, to whom…
Make a joyful noise unto the Lord - By singing; by instruments of music. See the notes at Psa 95:1. All the earth - All…
The setting up of the kingdom of Christ is here represented as a matter of joy and praise.
I. Let all the children of…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture