Psalms 99:4-9

4 and the honour of the king loveth doom. Thou hast made ready (ad)dressings; thou hast made doom and rightfulness in Jacob. (and mighty; and, O King, thou loveth justice. Thou hast prepared directions, that is, laws, and commands, for us; thou hast made justice and righteousness in Jacob.)

5 Enhance ye our Lord God; and worship ye (at) the stool of his feet, for it is holy. (Exalt ye the Lord our God; and worship ye, or bow ye down, at the stool of his feet, for he is holy.)

6 Moses and Aaron were among his priests; and Samuel was among them that inwardly call his name. They inwardly called the Lord, and he heard them; (Moses and Aaron were among his priests; and Samuel was among those who called on his name. They called on the Lord, and he answered them;)

7 in a pillar of cloud he spake to them. They kept his witnessings; and the commandment which he gave to them. (he spoke to them from the pillar of cloud. They obeyed his laws, and his commandments, which he gave to them.)

8 Our Lord God, thou heardest them; God, thou were merciful to them, and thou tookest vengeance on all their findings. (Lord our God, thou answeredest them; God, thou were merciful to them, even though thou punished them for all their sins.)

9 Enhance ye our Lord God, and worship ye in his holy hill; for our Lord God is holy. (Exalt ye the Lord our God, and worship ye at his holy hill/and bow ye down towards 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.