These last few psalms — this one is next to last, by the way — are, in literary terms, a hot mess.
This psalmist says, “Sing to the Lord a new song,” and talks about singing and dancing with joy.
But then he changes horses midstream before going on about “vengeance” and “punishments.”
Why go there? “To bind [other nations’] kings with chains, / And their nobles with fetters of iron.”
Well, why? “To execute on them the written judgment — / This honor have all [YHWH’s] saints.”
I guess saints only care about abiding by the rule of law if it involves a king other than their own.