Psalms 99:2-9

2 God looms majestic in Zion, He towers in splendor over all the big names.

3 Great and terrible your beauty: let everyone praise you! Holy. Yes, holy.

4 Strong King, lover of justice, You laid things out fair and square; You set down the foundations in Jacob, Foundation stones of just and right ways.

5 Honor God, our God; worship his rule! Holy. Yes, holy.

6 Moses and Aaron were his priests, Samuel among those who prayed to him. They prayed to God and he answered them;

7 He spoke from the pillar of cloud. And they did what he said; they kept the law he gave them.

8 And then God, our God, answered them (But you were never soft on their sins).

9 Lift high God, our God; worship at his holy mountain. Holy. Yes, holy is God our God.

Psalms 99:2-9 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.