Psalms 96:12

Old Testament Poetry/Hymns ASV (1901)

What does Psalms 96:12 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “Let the field exult, and all that is therein; Then shall all the trees of the wood sing for joy” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

Let the field exult, and all that is therein; Then shall all the trees of the wood sing for joy
Psalms 96:12 — American Standard Version

Context — Psalms 96

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
12Let the field exult, and all that is therein; Then shall all the trees of the wood sing for joy

What do historical commentaries say?

Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“Let the field be joyful ... - This is taken - with the change of a single letter, not affecting the sense - from 1 Chronicles 16:32-33. It is a call on the fields - the cultivated portions of the earth - to rejoice in the reign of God. As if conscious of the beauty with which he clothes them, and of the happiness which they confer on man in their beauty and in the abundance of their productions, they are called on to praise God. Then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice - The forests - the oaks, the cedars, the pines, that wave with so much majesty. If they were conscious of their own magnificence and beauty - if they could see how much wisdom and goodness God has lavished on them, in…”
Read attributed excerpt →
Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · Modern study notes
“96:12 All of nature will experience renewal in God’s presence (65:13; 72:6, 16; Isa 44:23; 55:12; Rom 8:21-22).”
Read attributed excerpt →
Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“Psa 65:12, Psa 65:13; Isa 42:10, Isa 42:11, Isa 55:12, Isa 55:13 Psalms 96:13”
Read attributed excerpt →
Keil & Delitzsch
C. F. Keil & F. Delitzsch · Commentary on the Old Testament · 19th-century historical commentary
“The chronicler changes שׂדי into the prosaic השּׂדה, and כל־עצי־יעל with the omission of the כל into עצי היּער. The psalmist on his part follows the model of Isaiah, who makes the trees of the wood exult and clap their hands, Psa 55:12; Psa 44:23. The אז, which points into this festive time of all creatures which begins with Jahve's coming, is as in Isa 35:5. Instead of לפני, "before," the chronicler has the מלּפני so familiar to him, by which the joy is denoted as being occasioned by Jahve's appearing. The lines Psa 96:13 sound very much like Psa 9:9. The chronicler has abridged Psa 96:13, by hurrying on to the mosaic-work portion taken from Ps 105. The poet at the close glances from the…”
Read attributed excerpt →

Related study paths

Sources and verification