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Psalms 98:1

A psalm for David himself. The Lord hath reigned, let the people be angry: he that sitteth on the cherubims: let the earth be moved.

Challoner: Let the people be angryThough many enemies rage, and the whole earth be stirred up to oppose the reign of Christ, he shall still prevail.
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The verse in its languages

Vulgate (Clementine)
Psalmus ipsi David. Dominus regnavit : irascantur populi ; qui sedet super cherubim : moveatur terra.
Septuagint (Swete)
Ψαλμὸς τῷ Δαυείδ. Κύριος ἐβασίλευσεν, ὀργιζέσθωσαν λαοί· ὁ καθήμενος ἐπὶ τῶν χερουβείμ, σαλευθήτω ἡ γῆ.
Hebrew (WLC) shown from Psalms 99:1
יְהוָ֣ה מָ֭לָךְ יִרְגְּז֣וּ עַמִּ֑ים יֹשֵׁ֥ב כְּ֝רוּבִ֗ים תָּנ֥וּט הָאָֽרֶץ

Haydock's commentary

Himself. There is no title in Hebrew. Hence many have attributed it to Moses, with the preceding psalms. But the name of Samuel destroys this pretension, and most people suppose that David wrote it at the removal of the ark. (Calmet)

Others refer it to the return from captivity, (Theodoret) or to the dedication of the second temple, (Calmet) and the reign of the Messias. (Berthier)

Angry. Though many enemies rage, and the whole earth be stirred up to oppose the reign of Christ, he shall still prevail. (Challoner) (Psalm ii.)

His will shall be done, (Worthington) for He sitteth on the Cherubim. (Haydock)

Ferrand infers from this expression, that the psalm cannot regard the times after the captivity, as the ark existed no more. But this is not clear; and, at any rate, this idea might still be retained, as God is represented on a chariot drawn by Cherubim, Ezechiel x. 1., and Daniel iii. 55. (Calmet)

From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.

The Fathers on this verse

St Justin Martyr Dialogue with Trypho, Chapter LXIV. Justin adduces other

To this I replied, “If I were to be quarrelsome and light-minded like you, Trypho, I would no longer continue to converse with you, since you are prepared not to understand what has been said, but only to return some captious answer; but now, since I fear the judgment of God, I do not state an untimely opinion concerning any one of your nation, as to whether or not some of them may be saved by the grace of the Lord of Sabaoth. Therefore, although you act wrongfully, I shall continue to reply to any proposition you shall bring forward, and to any contradiction which you make; and, in fact, I do the very same to all men of every nation, who wish to examine along with me, or make inquiry at me, regarding this subject. …

St Irenaeus Against Heresies: Book IV, Chapter XXXIII. Whosoever confesses

13. Those of them, again, who spoke of His having slumbered and taken sleep, and of His having risen again because the Lord sustained Him, and who enjoined the principalities of heaven to set open the everlasting doors, that the King of glory might go in, proclaimed beforehand His resurrection from the dead through the Father’s power, and His reception into heaven. And when they expressed themselves thus, “His going forth is from the height of heaven, and His returning even to the highest heaven; and there is no one who can hide himself from His heat,” they announced that very truth of His being taken up again to the place from which He came down, and that there is no one who can escape His righteous judgment. …

St Augustine Expositions on the Book of Psalms, Psalm XCIX

2. “The Lord is King, be the people angry” ( ver. 1 ). For our Lord Jesus Christ began to reign, began to be preached, after He arose from the dead and ascended into heaven, after He had filled His disciples with the confidence of the Holy Spirit, that they should not fear death, which He had already killed in Himself. Our Lord Christ began then to be preached, that they who wished for salvation might believe in Him; and the peoples who worshipped idols were angry. They who worshipped what they had made were angry, because He by whom they were made was declared. He announced, in fact, through His disciples, Himself, who wished them to be converted unto Him by whom they were made, and to be turned away from those things which they had made themselves. …

St Ambrose Epistle LXIII: To the Church at Vercellæ

50. Let there be in him faith and ripeness of character, not one without the other, but let both meet together in one with good works and deeds. For which reason the Apostle Paul wishes that we should be imitators of them, who, as he says, “by faith and patience” possess the promises made to Abraham, who by patience was found worthy to receive and to possess the grace of the blessing promised to him. David the prophet warns us that we should be imitators of holy Aaron, and has set him amongst the Saints of God to be imitated by us, saying: “Moses and Aaron among his priests, and Samuel among those that call upon His Name.”

St Ephrem the Syrian Ephraim Syrus: Nineteen Hymns on the Nativity of Christ in the Flesh, Hymn XIII

5. In the first year, that is chieftain over the treasures and Dispenser of abundant blessings, let the Cherubim who bare up the Son in glory, praise Him with us! He left His glory, and toiled and found the sheep that was lost. To Him be thanksgiving!