What Does Psalm 98:9 Mean in the King James?
Before the LORD; for he cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The whole world is judged by a measure of alignment and straightness, so judgment exposes where the world stands crooked.
THE MEANING
The LORD comes as judge over the whole earth, and every people stands within that reach. His judgment carries alignment and uprightness as its measure, so no place or people lies beyond it.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
The world’s present imbalance is not the final word, and justice is not beyond the reach of every people.
THE ROOT
צֶדֶק
tsedeq
GROWS FROM
צ־ד־ק
ts-d-q
To be right or just; rightness and justice in alignment.
The same root describes both rightness and justice, so righteousness here carries the sense of alignment. The judgment is a measure of how the world stands in right relation, not only a verdict pronounced over it.
ALSO GROWS
tsaddiq: A righteous or just person.
צַדִּיק
The same seed describes a person standing in right relation, not only an abstract rule.
tsedaqah: Righteousness or justice.
צְדָקָה
This branch shows rightness taking shape in how life and relationships are ordered.
מֵישָׁרִים
mesharim
GROWS FROM
י־ש־ר
y-sh-r
Straight, level, or upright.
The Hebrew behind “equity” grows from the language of straightness and uprightness. Beside righteousness as alignment, it gives the judgment an image of an unbent measure across the peoples.
ALSO GROWS
yashar: Straight or upright.
יָשָׁר
This root word makes the image in “equity” concrete: the judgment follows a straight measure.
yosher: Uprightness or rectitude.
יֹשֶׁר
This branch echoes the verse’s claim that the peoples are judged by uprightness.
לִשְׁפֹּט
lishpot
GROWS FROM
ש־פ־ט
sh-f-t
To judge, adjudicate, or govern.
“judge” in this verse is lishpot. The verb can name judgment as well as the ordering of a community. Because the verse names the earth, the world, and the peoples, this judgment reaches the whole inhabited order.
ALSO GROWS
shofet: A judge.
שֹׁפֵט
The judge is the one who carries out the action named in the verse.
mishpat: Judgment or justice.
מִשְׁפָּט
This branch connects judging with the justice that orders a people.
THE PATTERN
The LORD’s judgment reaches the whole world, with alignment and uprightness as its measure.
Before the LORD: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.THE THREAD
Before the LORD: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.Psalm 96:13 repeats the same movement and uses צֶדֶק (tsedeq, righteousness or justice) for the judgment’s measure. The shared root opens righteousness as alignment, while Psalm 96 adds “his truth” as a parallel description of that ordering.
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