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The waters[a] have lifted up, O Lord;
    the waters have lifted up their voice;
    the waters have lifted up their roar.
More powerful than the roar of mighty waters,
    more powerful than the crashing waves of the sea,
    mighty on high is the Lord.[b]
Your decrees[c] are firmly established;
    holiness adorns your house,
    Lord, throughout the ages.

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 93:3 Waters: the waters of the primeval chaos that the Lord mastered through his creative word (see Pss 33:7; 104:7-9; Gen 1:6-10; Job 38:8-11; see also note on Ps 65:8). They can also stand for the enemies of God and his people (see Job 7:12; Isa 8:7; 17:12; Jer 46:8; Dan 7:2; Rev 17:15) as well as the ocean currents, whose powers were feared by the pagan nations as indicated in the mythical account of Baal’s victory over the sea god Yamm.
  2. Psalm 93:4 The Lord is the Master of the thundering storms and surging waves by his simple word (see Christ’s calming of the storm by a single word in Mk 4:39).
  3. Psalm 93:5 Decrees: these divine judgments constitute revelation in the wide sense insofar as they are the norm of human life (see Ps 119). As stable (see Ps 19:8) as the physical universe and as inviolable (see Ps 95:8-11) as the sanctuary of Jerusalem, this revelation will be the foundation of the Lord’s definitive kingdom, inaugurated from the creation and already effective in Israel (see Isa 51:9f, 13; 52:7). Holiness adorns your house . . . throughout the ages: the temple, home of the King of Israel, is consecrated forever (1 Ki 8:13; 9:3; Jud 9:1-8; Ezek 42:13f; Rev 21:27). Those who approach the most holy God (see Ps 99) are also consecrated (see Ex 19:6; Lev 10:3; 19:2).

The seas(A) have lifted up, Lord,
    the seas have lifted up their voice;(B)
    the seas have lifted up their pounding waves.(C)
Mightier than the thunder(D) of the great waters,
    mightier than the breakers(E) of the sea—
    the Lord on high is mighty.(F)

Your statutes, Lord, stand firm;
    holiness(G) adorns your house(H)
    for endless days.

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