Skip to content
Protestant Apologetics

Psalms 97:7

OT Poetry
Psalms 97:7
7All worshipers of images are put to shame— those who boast in idols. Worship Him, all you gods!
Read in NWT ↗
JW Usage

JWs sometimes treat as the source text for 's "let all God's angels worship him" — and use that identification to neutralise the Hebrews argument. If comes from a Psalm 97 (rather than ) text, the Watchtower can argue the worship is general "obeisance" appropriate for an exalted creature, not the exclusive worship reserved for Jehovah.

Protestant Usage

The relocation does not help. Psalm 97 is entirely about Jehovah's reign: "Jehovah is King!" (v1); "you, O Jehovah, are the Most High over all the earth" (v9). When v7 commands "bow down to him, all you gods," the "him" is the Jehovah of the surrounding verses. So whether quotes LXX (the closer match, confirmed by 4QDeut) or , both source texts are Jehovah-worship passages applied to the Son. A monotheistic Jewish author does not transfer Jehovah-worship language to a creature unless he identifies the Son with Jehovah. The escape route closes both ways.