Psalm 96 (95 in the Septuagint and Vulgate numbering) is a hymn of praise that belongs to the group of “enthronement psalms” (Psalms 93–100), celebrating the Lord as king over all the earth. It is anonymous. A closely related version appears in 1 Chronicles 16:23–33, associated with David’s bringing of the Ark to Jerusalem, which has led some to link the psalm with that event. Many scholars, however, date its present form to the late monarchic or post-exilic period, noting its affinities with Isaiah 40–55: the uniqueness of Israel’s God, the emptiness of other gods, and the call to the nations. The Greek tradition even associates it with the rebuilding of the Temple after the exile. The psalm invites the whole world, not Israel alone, to sing a new song and to acknowledge the Lord’s kingship.

The selected verses (1, 3, 4-5, 7-8, 9-10a, c) with the response “Ascribe to the Lord glory and power” form a universal summons to worship. All the earth is called to sing a new song and to tell the Lord’s glory and wonders among the nations. The Lord is great and to be feared above all gods, for the gods of the nations are nothing; it is the Lord who made the heavens. The families of the peoples are to ascribe glory and power to His name, bring an offering, and enter His courts. They are to worship in holy splendour, tremble before Him, and proclaim to the nations that the Lord is king, who will judge the peoples in fairness. The psalm thus moves from praise of creation to missionary proclamation and just judgement.

In the Lectionary, these verses are appointed as the Responsorial Psalm for the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A. The First Reading (Isaiah 45:1, 4-6) presents Cyrus as the Lord’s anointed, used even though he does not know God, so that all may know there is no other God. The Second Reading (1 Thessalonians 1:1-5b) gives thanks for a community whose faith has become a living witness. The Gospel (Matthew 22:15-21) records Jesus’ reply to the question about the tax: “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to God what belongs to God.”

Psalm 96 gathers these themes. Its insistence that the gods of the nations are nothing and that the Lord alone made the heavens echoes Isaiah’s claim that there is no God besides the Lord. The call to ascribe glory to God among all peoples prepares the assembly for Jesus’ distinction between earthly and divine allegiance. For the Church, the psalm turns Ordinary Time into a proclamation of God’s universal kingship. It reminds worshippers that civic duty has its place, but glory, power, and final judgement belong to the Lord alone. The response becomes an act of worship and mission: to give God what is His, and to tell the nations that the Lord is king.