Bellarmine on Psalm 96 : Verse 1

Verse 1

The Lord hath reigned, let the earth rejoice: let many islands be glad.

Dominus regnavit; exsultet terra; laetentur insulae multae.

This Psalm has two possible literal interpretations: firstly, as referring to the kingdom of God absolutely; secondly, as referring to the kingdom of Christ after the resurrection, as is explained by Augustine, Theodoret and Euthymius. According to the first understanding, the sense here will be: “The Lord hath reigned,” that is, the Lord God is the true and supreme king, and all other kings are His servants: accordingly, “let the earth rejoice: let many islands be glad,” that is, let all the inhabitants of the earth exult and rejoice, whether they dwell on the mainland or on the islands, which are so numerous : for if perchance they are oppressed by earthly kings, the Lord, who is the supreme king, will not abandon them and is able to restrain the kings without difficulty and keep them in order. According to the second interpretation, the meaning will be, Christ the Lord, who humbly stood before kings to be judged, hath already reigned, because “All power is given to him (me) in heaven and in earth,”[1] so that He is subject to no power, either legal or political; but He commands all, as “Prince of the kings of the earth, and King of kings, and Lord of lords;” and so, “let the earth rejoice: let many islands be glad,” because the Lord, who has obtained the kingship of the world, has deigned to be our brother even though He is our God by virtue of creation and Lord by virtue of redemption.

[1] And Jesus coming, spoke to them, saying: All power is given to me in heaven and in earth. Et accedens Jesus locutus est eis, dicens : Data est mihi omnis potestas in caelo et in terra : [Matt. xxviii. 18]

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.