Shadows of Trauma, New Songs of Resilience

A Reading of Psalm 96

Abstract

Psalm 96 is a joyful hymn celebrating God’s role as creator and judge. On the surface, trauma and the need for resilience may seem alien to its poetry, but the traumatic shadows of injustice, oppression, exile, and divine absence hover just below the calls to worship. Careful attention this psalm and its reception within the Hebrew Bible (cf. 1 Chr 16:23–33) and the ancient versions (cf. LXX Ps 95:1) serves as an excellent case study for how the book of Psalms equips its audiences to process trauma, move toward healing, and build resilience.