Psalm 99

This psalm is closely linked in its general character and design with those which have gone before Ps. 95–98, and with the one following Psa_100:1-5 - forming a connected group or series. The general subject is the kingship of the Lord, or the foundations of praise derived from the fact that He reigns, or is king. As the foundation of praise on this account, reference is made in this group of psalms to His attributes; to what He has done in the works of creation; to what He has done for His people; and to the certainty that He will come ultimately to rule over all the earth, and to exercise just judgment among people.

This psalm consists of the following parts:

I. A statement of the fact that the Lord reigns, and that this should make a deep impression on the world; that the people should tremble; that the earth should be moved, Psa_99:1.

II. Reasons for this, or reasons why He should be reverenced and adored by mankind, Psa_99:2-9. These reasons are two:

(1) The first is derived from the fact that He is a holy and a righteous God, and is therefore worthy of universal adoration, Psa_99:2-5.

(2) The second is derived from what He has done for His people: for His merciful interposition in times of trouble, when Moses, and Aaron, and Samuel called upon His name; and from the fact that He answered His people when they cried unto Him; and from the manner in which it was done, Psa_99:6-9. He had shown himself ready to hear their protection in the cloudy pillar, He had answered their supplications, and had forgiven them. He had not swept them wholly away, or cut them off, but had spared them, and had shown mercy to them.

One scholar says the 99th Psalm has three parts, in which the Lord is celebrated as He who is to come, as He who is, and as He who was, and each part is closed with the ascription of praise: He is holy.

Psa 99:1  The LORD reigneth; let the people tremble: he sitteth between the cherubims; let the earth be moved.

Let the people tremble - signifying to be moved, disturbed, disquieted, thrown into commotion; and then it may mean to be moved with anger, Pro_29:9; Isa_28:21; or with grief, 2Sa_18:33 : or with fear, Psa_4:4; or with joy, Jer_33:9. Hence, it means to be agitated or moved with fear or reverence; and it refers here to the reverence or awe which one has in the conscious presence of God.

Let the people tremble - He will establish his kingdom in spite of his enemies; let those who oppose him tremble for the consequences.

let the people tremble - with awe of His majesty, and reverence of His word and ordinances; rejoicing before Him with trembling, as His own people and subjects do, Psa_2:11 Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling, or it may be understood of the people that are enemies to Christ, who would not have Him to reign, though He shall whether they will or not; and who will sooner or later tremble for fear of Him, and His righteous judgment.

Let the earth be moved - The word means to move or quake. It occurs nowhere else.

let the earth be moved - not that itself out of its place, but the inhabitants of it; and these either with a sense of sin and duty, and become subject to Christ their King; or with wrath and indignation at Him, or through fear of Him. Consider the land of Judea, and of the commotion in it, especially in Jerusalem, when the tidings were brought of the birth of the King Messiah, Mat_2:1, or of the shaking and moving both of the civil and ecclesiastical state of the nation, and of the ruin of it; Heb_12:26.

He sitteth between the cherubims - This is in reference to the ark, at each end of which was a cherub of glory; and the shechinah, or symbol of the Divine Presence, appeared on the lid of the ark, called also the mercy-seat, between the cherubim. Sitting between the cherubim implies God’s graciousness and mercy. While then, in His reign, He was terrible to sinners, He is on the throne of grace to all who fear love, and obey Him. Though this symbol were not in the second temple, yet the Divine Being might very well be thus denominated, because it had become one of His titles, He having thus appeared under the tabernacle and first temple.

God governs the world by His providence, governs the church by His grace, and both by His Son. The inhabitants of the earth have cause to tremble, but the Redeemer still waits to be gracious. Let all who hear, take warning, and seek His mercy. The more we humble ourselves before God, the more we exalt Him; and let us be thus reverent, for He is holy.

Psa 99:2  The LORD is great in Zion; and he is high above all

the people.

The Lord is great in Zion - The meaning here is, not that God is “absolutely” great - which is indeed true - but that there is a sense in which He has shown Himself great “in Zion;” that is, in His manifestations toward His own people. He has evinced power in their behalf; He has interposed for them in times of danger; He has so discomfited their enemies as to show that He is a great God - a God worthy to be adored.

The Lord is great in Zion - It is among His own worshippers that He has manifested his power and glory in a special manner. There He is known, and there He is worthily magnified.

The Lord is great in Zion -  Where the temple stood, and into which Christ came as the proprietor of it, and gave it a greater glory by His presence than the first temple had; here He preached His doctrines, wrought many of His miracles; here He poured forth the Spirit on His apostles; and from hence went forth His Gospel into all the world: Psalms 98:1 A Psalm. O sing to the LORD a new song; for He has done marvelous things; His right hand and His holy arm have saved for Him.

And he is high above all the people - Above all the nations. He has them under His control. He rules over all. The God who rules in Zion also rules all the nations of the earth; and His people, therefore, have special occasion to praise him.

and he is high above all people - as God, He is the Creator of them all; in whom they live, move, and have their being, and so must be above them all; as Mediator, He is the Savior of His own people, and exalted to be so unto them; as King, He is higher than the kings of the earth, and therefore must be above all the rest of the inhabitants of it; He is higher than the heavens, and the angels there, and therefore He must be higher than the earth, and they that dwell in it; He is highly exalted above every name that is named in this world, or in that to come.

Psa 99:3  Let them praise thy great and terrible name; for it is holy.

Let them praise thy great and terrible name - The word rendered “terrible” means “to be feared or reverenced;” that is, His name - His being - He Himself - is suited to inspire awe and reverence. The word “them” here refers to the nations over whom God reigns. It is a call on them to praise their king and their God.

For it is holy - The fact that God “is” holy - that He is pure and righteous - that He cannot look upon sin but with abhorrence - is a just foundation for universal praise. Who could worship or honor a God who was not pure and holy?

For it is holy - As this not only ends this verse but the fifth also, and in effect the ninth, it seems to be a chorus which was sung in a very solemn manner at the conclusion of each of these parts. His holiness - the immaculate purity of His nature, is the reason why He should be exalted, praised, and worshipped.

for it is holy - His name is holy, as well as reverend and great; His nature is holy, both divine and human; holy in all His ways and works; and is holiness to His people, and therefore worthy of praise; holiness is the ground and foundation of His praise from the seraphim, Isa_6:2-3 Above it stood the seraphs; each one had six wings; with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one cried to another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth full of His glory.

Psa 99:4  The king's strength also loveth judgment; thou dost establish equity, thou executest judgment and righteousness in Jacob.

The King's strength also loveth judgment - Or he who is a strong and mighty King, as Christ is; which appears by saving His people, and preserving them to His kingdom and glory, and by destroying all enemies; but, though He is so potent and victorious a Prince, yet no tyrannical one, He loves and does what is just and righteous; He loved the righteous law of God, and obeyed it in the whole course of his life; He wrought out a perfect righteousness for His people, and encourages and loves righteousness in them; He will judge the world in righteousness hereafter; and is now on His throne, and in His kingdom, ordering it with judgment and justice; all the administrations of His kingly office are just and true, and herein He delights:

The king’s strength - The word king here undoubtedly refers to God as a king. The word rendered “strength,” means power, force; and the reference here is to what constitutes the main strength or power of His character and government. God’s essential character; all the acts of His power; all the demonstrations of His authority, will be in favor of justice, and may be relied on as sustaining the righteous cause. It is not the “mere” exertion of power - it is power that is always exercised in favor of right; and this lays the foundation of praise. We could not praise a being of “mere” power, or one who was merely “almighty,” without respect to His moral character. It is only when the character is such that power will be exerted in favor of that which is right and just that it becomes the proper subject of praise.

Loveth judgment - Is always on the side of justice and right. He so loves justice that His power will be put forth only in behalf of that which is right. God shows this by His law, and by all the acts of His administration.

thou dost establish equity - uprightnesses, righteousnesses; a perfect and a complete righteousness: This He has prepared, as the word signifies, by His obedience, sufferings, and death, and has established as an everlasting one; moreover, equity, righteousness, and justice, are the settled rules and laws of His government; see Isa_9:7 There is no end of the increase of His government and peace on the throne of David, and on His kingdom, to order it and to establish it with judgment and with justice from now on, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.

Thou executest judgment and righteousness in Jacob - That which is just; that which ought to be done.

thou executest judgment and righteousness in Jacob - among Israel and people of God, as David as a type depiction of Christ did, 2Sa_8:15 And David reigned over all Israel. And David did judgment and justice to all his people. Thereby keeping them in due order, in the observance of His righteous judgments and statutes, and defending them from their enemies.

Judgment - Though His dominion be absolute, and His power irresistible, yet He manages it with righteousness.

Psa 99:5  Exalt ye the LORD our God, and worship at his footstool; for he is holy.

Exalt ye the Lord our God -  Christ, who is Lord of all, and Immanuel, God with us, God in our nature, our Lord and our God; exalt Him in His person, as God over all, blessed for ever; in His offices of Prophet, Priest, and King, by hearkening to His word, by trusting in His blood, righteousness, and sacrifice, and by submitting to His ordinances, and obeying His commands; exalt Him in heart, thought, and affection, thinking highly of Him, and affectionately loving Him; exalt and extol Him in words, speak of His love and loveliness, and of the great things He has done; exalt Him in private and in public, in the family and in the house of God; make mention of Him everywhere, that His name be exalted:

               

Exalt ye the Lord our God - The meaning is, Let His name be lifted up on high, so as to be conspicuous or seen from afar. Let it be done with a lofty voice; let it be with ascriptions of praise.

And worship at his footstool - By humble prostration at His feet. The footstool is that on which the feet rest when one is sitting, and the reference here is to the footstool on which the feet of a king rested when he sat on his throne or chair of state. To worship at his footstool denotes the deepest humility and the profoundest prostration and reverence. It is as if we could not look on His face, or on His throne, or on His gorgeous and magnificent robes, but bowed our heads in lowly reverence, and deemed it sufficient honor to lie low before that on which His feet rested. To show the dignity and majesty of God, the earth itself is represented as being merely His footstool in comparison with heaven - the place of His. Isa_66:1 So says the LORD, Heaven is My throne, and earth My footstool. Where, then, is the house that you build for Me? And where is the place of My rest? Mat_5:34-35 But I say to you, Do not swear at all! Not by Heaven, because it is God's throne; not by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet; not by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great King;

Worship at his footstool - Sometimes the earth is called God’s footstool, Mat_5:35; Isa_66:1; sometimes Jerusalem; sometimes the temple, Lam_2:1; sometimes the tabernacle, Psa_32:7; and sometimes the ark, 1Ch_28:2. The Israelites, when they worshipped, turned their faces toward the ark, because that was the place where was the symbol of the Divine Presence.

For he is holy - The fact that God is “holy” is a reason for lowly and profound prostration before him.

worship at his footstool -  worship Him who is the object of the adoration of angels, and ought to be of men; worship Him privately and publicly, internally and externally, in spirit and in truth; at His footstool, on earth, He being on His throne in heaven;

Psa 99:6  Moses and Aaron among his priests, and Samuel among them that call upon his name; they called upon the LORD, and he answered them.

Moses and Aaron among his priests - Among the ministers of religion; or, as officiating in the service of God. Let them come as representatives of their order - as representing those who conduct the public worship of God, and join in His praise. The idea is, that all mankind should join in His praise, and those mentioned here as among the most eminent of those who were engaged in directing the public worship of God. Moses could be called a “priest” only in the most general sense of the term, as having been employed in directing and arranging for public worship, and as being of the original tribe of Levi, from whom the whole sacerdotal order sprang.

And Samuel among them that call upon his name - Among those who are true worshippers, in distinction from the priests who were specially appointed to the public service of God. The idea is, that praise should be offered by “all” classes: by priests and by people. As Moses and Aaron were among the most eminent of the former class, so Samuel was among the most distinguished of those who were not of the priestly order. These were “representative men;” and the meaning is, that all who were of their order or rank - priests and people - should unite in the worship of God.

They called upon the Lord - They did call upon the Lord; they worshipped Yahweh. They the example of public worship and praise; and the benefits which they received in answer to prayer showed the propriety and advantage of thus publicly acknowledging God. Calling on the name of the Lord includes the whole worship of God, and is often used particularly of prayer; the object of which is God, and Him only; and who is to be called upon at all times, and especially in a time of trouble, and always in faith, and with sincerity and truth;

And he answered them - They did not call upon Him in vain. He heard their prayers. He bestowed blessings on them in connection with their worship. It was not a useless thing to praise and worship Him. The worship of God is thus commended to us not merely from the propriety of the act itself, but from its advantages. It is unnecessary to refer to particular instances in the history of these people when their prayers were answered. Their lives were full of such instances - as the lives of all who truly call upon God are now. If a man who prays could “see” all that comes to him every day in answer to prayer - all the things bestowed which he had “desired” in prayer, and which would not have been conferred on him if he had not prayed, there would no longer be any doubt on the question whether God answers prayer.

Moses and Aaron - As Moses and Aaron among the priests, and as Samuel among the prophets, worshipped God in humility, gratitude, and the spirit of obedience, and received the strongest tokens of the Divine favor; so you should worship the Lord, that He may bless, support, and save you. Moses was properly the priest of the Hebrews before Aaron and his family were appointed to that office.

Psa 99:7  He spake unto them in the cloudy pillar: they kept his testimonies, and the ordinance that he gave them.

He spake unto them in the cloudy pillar - He spoke to the men of other times; to those who called upon His name. It cannot be meant literally that He spoke to “Samuel” from the “cloudy pillar” - the pillar which guided the Israelites in the wilderness, unless that term be understood in the general sense as denoting the “Shechinah” - the visible symbol of the divine presence - the cloud that rested on the ark. The idea is, that God spoke to His people in ancient times from the cloud - the symbol of His presence; that He communed with them; that He heard their prayers; that He gave them His commandments; that He interposed in their behalf, and that it was not a vain thing that they worshipped him. All this was as true of Samuel - it is as true now of those who call upon God - as it was of Moses and Aaron.

He spake unto them in the cloudy pillar - In the pillar of the clouds of glory; in which the Lord went before the children of Israel in the wilderness, to lead them, and protect them from heat in the day, Exo_13:21, that is, He spoke in this to Moses and Aaron; for it ceased when they came to the land of Canaan; instances of which see in Exo_19:9, some have thought that the Lord might speak to Samuel also out of a cloud, when He called upon him, and it thundered, since clouds and thunder go together, 1Sa_12:18, the cloudy pillar was a type of Christ; and it is by Him the Lord has spoken all His mind and will, when He was clothed with a cloud, or became obscure in the form of a servant; and it is through Him, the Mediator, that men have access to God, and answers of prayer from Him:

They kept his testimonies - the law, and the precepts of it, which were testifications of the mind and will of God; these Moses, Aaron, and Samuel, kept, though not perfectly, yet sincerely, from a principle of love, and with a view to the glory of God: They obeyed his laws

the ordinance that he gave them - the ordinance of the passover, with the several rituals of the ceremonial law, which was an ordinance of God until the Messiah came; and we, under the Gospel dispensation, ought to keep the ordinances of Christ in faith and love, as they have been delivered to us. Obedience was united with worship.

Psa 99:8  Thou answeredst them, O LORD our God: thou wast a God that forgavest them, though thou tookest vengeance of their inventions.

Thou answeredst them, O Lord our God - The reference here is to God as “our” God; that is, the language used by those who now worship Him is designed to give encouragement in approaching His throne. The God that “we” worship is the same that “they” worshipped; and as He answered them, we may feel assured that He will answer us.

Thou wast a God that forgavest them - They were not perfect; they were sinners; they often offended the Lord, and yet He did answer them, and show them mercy. When the people had sinned, and wrath was about to descend on them, Moses and Aaron interceded for them, and they were not destroyed.

thou wast a God that forgavest them - even Moses, Aaron, and Samuel; for, though they were great and good men, they did not live without sin, and stood in need of pardoning grace and mercy, which they had.

Of their inventions - The Hebrew word denotes work, deed, doing, conduct. It means here what they did - their sins. There is no allusion to any special art or “cunning” in what they did - as if they had “invented” or found out some new form of sin.

Tookest vengeance of their inventions - God spared them, but showed His displeasure at their misdoings. He chastised, but did not consume them. This is amply proved in the history of this people. Hebrews 12:5-6 And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons, "My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when you are rebuked by Him; for whom the Lord loves He chastens, and He scourges every son whom He receives."

Psa 99:9  Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at his holy hill; for the LORD our God is holy.

And worship at his holy hill - Worship him publicly in the temple. The “holy hill” refers to Zion, as the seat of the national worship.

For the Lord our God is holy - This appropriately closes the psalm, by a distinct and solemn statement that the fact that the Lord is a holy God is a reason for worshipping Him. This is at all times the highest reason for adoration and praise. The words of the chorus; as in the third and fifth verses.

for the Lord our God is holy - His nature is holy, and He is glorious in the perfection of His holiness, and therefore to be praised and exalted; and His name is holy, and so reverend, and therefore to be worshipped;

Exalt the Lord our God - Having given the above instances of Moses, Aaron, and Samuel, serving and worshipping the Lord, the psalmist repeats the exhortation in Psa_99:5, which he enforces by their example;