Psalm 99

1 The Lord reigns; —let the people rage; it is he that sits upon the cherubs, let the earth be moved.

2 The Lord is great in Sion, and is high over all the people.

3 Let them give thanks to thy great name; for it is terrible and holy.

4 And the king’s honour loves judgment; thou hast prepared equity, thou hast wrought judgment and justice in Jacob.

5 Exalt ye the Lord our God, and worship at his footstool; for he is holy.

6 Moses and Aaron among his priests, and Samuel among them that call upon his name; they called upon the Lord, and he heard them.

7 He spoke to them in a pillar of cloud; they kept his testimonies, and the ordinances which he gave them.

8 O Lord our God, thou heardest them; O God, thou becamest propitious to them, though thou didst take vengeance on all their devices.

9 Exalt ye the Lord our God, and worship at his holy mountain; for the Lord our God is holy.

Psalm 99 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.