Psalm 99

Psalm 99 belongs to Book IV of the Psalms (Psalms 90–106). Together with Psalm 93 and Psalm 97, which open with "The LORD reigneth," it is one of the psalms that celebrate the kingship of God. Whereas the preceding Psalm 98 calls for a new song to welcome the King who comes to judge the earth, Psalm 99 focuses on that King's holiness. The Hebrew text has no superscription.

Structure

• Verses 1–3: The peoples tremble and the earth is moved before the LORD, who reigns enthroned between the cherubim. The psalmist calls for praise of the name of the One who is great in Zion, closing with the refrain "it is holy."
• Verses 4–5: The King loves justice and establishes equity, judgment, and righteousness in Jacob. A call to worship at his footstool follows, along with the second refrain.
• Verses 6–9: When Moses, Aaron, and Samuel called upon the LORD, he answered them. He spoke to them in the pillar of cloud, and they kept the testimonies and the ordinance he gave them. God is confessed as the One who forgave them even as he repaid them for their deeds. The psalm ends with a call to worship at his holy hill and the third refrain.

Key Verses

• Psalm 99:1: "The LORD reigneth; let the people tremble." This verse declares the kingship of God, the theme of the entire psalm.
• Psalm 99:5: "Worship at his footstool; for he is holy." The refrain, repeated three times, gives the psalm its structure.
• Psalm 99:8: "Thou wast a God that forgavest them." This confession speaks of judgment and forgiveness together.

People and Places

• The LORD: The God of Israel, portrayed in this psalm as King.
• Cherubim: Winged heavenly beings. The reference is commonly understood to be to the cherubim figures on the cover of the Ark of the Covenant, and verse 1 describes God as enthroned between them.
• Zion: The temple mount in Jerusalem. The "holy hill" of verse 9 refers to the same place.
• Jacob: Here a designation for the whole people of Israel.
• Moses and Aaron: Leaders during the Exodus. Verse 6 also counts Moses among the priests.
• Samuel: The last judge of Israel and a prophet, who interceded on behalf of the people.
• Pillar of cloud: The sign of God's presence in the wilderness.

Points for Reflection

• Translations and interpretations differ on whether the "king" of verse 4 is God himself or the Israelite king whom God established.
• The word spoken from the pillar of cloud in verse 7 connects with the wilderness accounts involving Moses and Aaron (such as Exodus 33). Samuel's intercession appears in 1 Samuel 7 and 1 Samuel 12. In Jeremiah 15, Moses and Samuel are likewise mentioned together as intercessors.
• Some interpreters connect the phrase in verse 8, "though thou tookest vengeance of their inventions," with Moses and Aaron not being permitted to enter Canaan. The text itself, however, does not state this directly.
• The threefold declaration of holiness is often read alongside the threefold cry of "Holy" in Isaiah 6 and Revelation 4.