Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof.
Parallel translations
- WEB Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice. Let the sea roar, and its fullness!
- BSB Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice; let the sea resound, and all that fills it.
- NKJV Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; Let the sea roar, and all its fullness;
- NASB ¶May the heavens be joyful, and may the earth rejoice; May the sea roar, and all it contains;
- NLT Let the heavens be glad, and the earth rejoice! Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise!
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Let the heavens be glad, the earth rejoice, and the sea roar with praise. All creation is summoned to rejoice in God's reign.
Overview
The psalmist calls the whole created order, heavens, earth, and sea, to join in jubilant praise. Creation itself responds to the good news of God's righteous kingship. This anticipates the renewal of creation that groans for redemption and will rejoice at Christ's coming (Romans 8:19-21; Isaiah 55:12).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Isa 49:13Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the LORD hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted.
- Ps 69:34Let the heaven and earth praise him, the seas, and every thing that moveth therein.
- Ps 97:1The LORD reigneth; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad thereof.
- Ps 98:7–9Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.
- Ps 148:1–4Praise ye the LORD. Praise ye the LORD from the heavens: praise him in the heights.
- Isa 44:23Sing, O ye heavens; for the LORD hath done it: shout, ye lower parts of the earth: break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree therein: for the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel.
- Luke 15:10Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.
- Luke 2:13–14And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
- Rev 19:1–7And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God:
- Luke 2:10And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
- Rev 12:12Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
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Christ at the center
The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.
How Psalms 96:11 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.