Dominus regnavit.
The reign of the Lord in Sion: that is, of Christ in his church.
98:1. A psalm for David himself. The Lord hath reigned, let the people
be angry: he that sitteth on the cherubims: let the earth be moved.
Let the people be angry.... Though many enemies rage, and the whole
earth be stirred up to oppose the reign of Christ, he shall still
prevail.
98:2. The lord is great in Sion, and high above all people.
98:3. Let them give praise to thy great name: for it is terrible and
holy:
98:4. And the king’s honour loveth judgment. Thou hast prepared
directions: thou hast done judgment and justice in Jacob.
Loveth judgment.... Requireth discretion.—Ibid. Directions.... Most
right and just laws to direct men.
98:5. Exalt ye the Lord our God, and adore his footstool, for it is
holy.
Adore his footstool.... The ark of the covenant was called, in the Old
Testament, God’s footstool: over which he was understood to sit, on his
propitiatory, or mercy seat, as on a throne, between the wings of the
cherubims, in the sanctuary: to which the children of Israel paid a
great veneration. But as this psalm evidently relates to Christ, and
the New Testament, where the ark has no place, the holy fathers
understand this text, of the worship paid by the church to the body and
blood of Christ in the sacred mysteries: inasmuch as the humanity of
Christ is, as it were, the footstool of the divinity. So St. Ambrose,
L. 3. De Spiritu Sancto, c. 12. And St. Augustine upon this psalm.
98:6. Moses and Aaron among his priests: and Samuel among them that
call upon his name. They called upon the Lord, and he heard them:
Moses and Aaron among his priests.... By this it is evident, that Moses
also was a priest, and indeed the chief priest, inasmuch as he
consecrated Aaron, and offered sacrifice for him. Lev. 8. So that his
pre-eminence over Aaron makes nothing for lay church headship.
98:7. He spoke to them in the pillar of the cloud. They kept his
testimonies, and the commandment which he gave them.
98:8. Thou didst hear them, O Lord our God: thou wast a merciful God to
them, and taking vengeance on all their inventions.
All their inventions.... that is, all the enterprises of their enemies
against them, as in the case of Core, Dathan, and Abiron.
98:9. Exalt ye the Lord our God, and adore at his holy mountain: for
the Lord our God is holy.