Psalms 99:4-9

4 The king's power is used for righteousness; you give true decisions, judging rightly in the land of Jacob.

5 Give high honour to the Lord our God, worshipping at his feet; holy is he.

6 Moses and Aaron among his priests, and Samuel among those who gave honour to his name; they made prayers to the Lord, and he gave answers to them.

7 His voice came to them from the pillar of cloud; they kept his witness, and the law which he gave them.

8 You gave them an answer, O Lord our God; you took away their sin, though you gave them punishment for their wrongdoing.

9 Give high honour to the Lord our God, worshipping with your faces turned to his holy hill; for the Lord our God is holy.

Psalms 99:4-9 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 99

This psalm, with the foregoing from Ps 90:1 is ascribed to Moses by Jarchi and others; but cannot be his, since mention is made of Samuel in it, who lived many years after him. The Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions, more rightly attribute it to David; the inscription of the Syriac version, after saying it is David's, subjoins,

``concerning the destruction of the Midianites, whom Moses and the people of Israel led captive;''

of which there is not the least mention in it; but it more truly adds,

``and a prophecy concerning the glory of the kingdom of the Messiah;''

as it undoubtedly is.