The LORD reigns; let the earth rejoice! Clouds and darkness surround Him; righteousness and justice are His throne's foundation. Fire goes before Him and burns up His enemies. His lightnings enlighten the world. The mountains melt like wax. The heavens declare His righteousness; all peoples see His glory. You who love the LORD, hate evil! Light is sown for the righteous.
Read Psalms Chapter 97 Summary
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Position in Book
Book IChapters 1-41
Book IIChapters 42-72
Book IIIChapters 73-89
Book IVChapters 90-106
Anonymous and Mosaic psalms celebrating God's kingship and acts in history.
Book VChapters 107-150
Bible Bites
'The apple of my eye' comes from the Bible
The everyday phrase 'the apple of my eye', meaning someone deeply cherished, comes straight from Scripture: 'Keep me as the apple of your eye' (Psalm 17:8). Many common English sayings, from 'a drop in the bucket' to 'the writing on the wall,' were born in the Bible.
Psalm 17:8The Longest Book by Chapter Count
With 150 chapters (psalms), the book of Psalms contains more chapters than any other book in the Bible. These ancient songs range from the shortest chapter in Scripture (Psalm 117 with just 2 verses) to the longest (Psalm 119 with 176 verses).
PsalmsNobody knows what 'Selah' means
The little word 'Selah' appears about 74 times in the Psalms, and its exact meaning has been lost. It may signal a musical pause, a swelling of the instruments, or a moment to stop and reflect. After thousands of years, it remains one of the Bible's small unsolved mysteries.
Psalms