Psalms 99

KJV · Chapter 99/150

1The Lord reigneth; let the people tremble: he sitteth between the cherubims; let the earth be moved.

2The Lord is great in Zion; and he is high above all the people.

3Let them praise thy great and terrible name; for it is holy.

4The king’s strength also loveth judgment; thou dost establish equity, thou executest judgment and righteousness in Jacob.

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

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

7He spake unto them in the cloudy pillar: they kept his testimonies, and the ordinance that he gave them.

8Thou answeredst them, O Lord our God: thou wast a God that forgavest them, though thou tookest vengeance of their inventions.

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

📖 Chapter study

Summary

A hymn declaring God's holiness as righteous King, recalling that Moses, Aaron, and Samuel called on his name and were heard, even as God also had to discipline the people's failures.

Explanation

This enthronement psalm is structured around the word 'holy,' repeated three times as a refrain (v. 3, 5, 9), highlighting God's absolute separateness and purity even as he governs with justice and answers prayer. The joint mention of Moses, Aaron, and Samuel is significant: they represent, respectively, the lawgiver, the priest, and the prophet/judge — three central forms of mediation between God and the people in the Old Testament. The application today is that seeking God with reverence (holiness) and confidence (prayer) go together, rather than standing opposed to one another.

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