Noise

“Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands”.

Psalm 100:1 KJV

While reading my Bible, I became intrigued by the word “noise” in the above verse. Why was it not written as a joyful sound, joyful song, or joyful melody? The term “noise” appeared to be a peculiar choice for the opening of this Psalm.

According to the Blue Letter Bible, “noise” translates as “rûaʿ” which means to shout, raise a sound, cry out,  or give a blast. Strong’s Definition explains it as to mar (especially by breaking); figuratively, to split the ears (with sound).

Strong’s Concordance explains that rûa was used in many different contexts, such as “expressions of joy, alarm, or battle cries.” They also note that in ancient Israelite culture, “shouting was a common form of expression in both religious and military settings. Shouts were used to signal the beginning of a battle, to celebrate victories, or to express communal worship and praise. The act of shouting was often seen as a way to invoke divine intervention or to demonstrate unity and strength among the people.”

The same term is used in Joshua 6:16 when Joshua commands the people “And at the seventh time, when the priests had blown the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, “Shout, for the Lord has given you the city.”

We see rûa in the life of Samson in Judges 15:14 “When he came to Lehi, the Philistines came shouting to meet him. Then the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon him, and the ropes that were on his arms became as flax that has caught fire, and his bonds melted off his hands.”

We also read of rûa in Isaiah 42:13 “The Lord shall go forth as a mighty man, he shall stir up jealousy like a man of war: he shall cry, yea, roar; he shall prevail against his enemies.”

The noise that Psalm 100:1 speaks of is not merely unintentional sounds. This noise changes the atmosphere, captures the attention of the enemy at hand, and unifies a collective group. It is a collaboration between man’s voice and God’s supernatural power.

We are called to sound the alarm with our voices. To join together, hand in hand, as we face the spiritual battles of our generation.