תהלים 99:8

Hebrew Modern Translation

יהוה אלהינו אתה עניתם אל נשא היית להם ונקם על עלילותם׃

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Aleppo Codex
אלהינו אתה עניתם אל נשא היית להם ונקם על-עלילותם

Biblia Hebrica Stuttgartensia (1967/77)
יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵינוּ֮ אַתָּ֪ה עֲנִ֫יתָ֥ם אֵ֣ל נֹ֭שֵׂא הָיִ֣יתָ לָהֶ֑ם וְ֝נֹקֵ֗ם עַל־עֲלִילוֹתָֽם ׃

Westminster Leningrad Codex
יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ אַתָּה עֲנִיתָם אֵל נֹשֵׂא הָיִיתָ לָהֶם וְנֹקֵם עַל־עֲלִילוֹתָֽם ׃

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

thou wast: Psalms 89:33, Numbers 14:20, Deuteronomy 9:19, Jeremiah 46:28, Zephaniah 3:7

though: Exodus 32:2, Exodus 32:34, Exodus 32:35, Numbers 11:33, Numbers 11:34, Numbers 14:20-34, Numbers 20:12, Numbers 20:24, Deuteronomy 3:26, Deuteronomy 9:20

their inventions: Ecclesiastes 7:29, Romans 1:21

Reciprocal: Psalms 106:29 - with their Ezekiel 36:9 - General Ezekiel 39:26 - they have borne Romans 1:30 - inventors

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Thou answeredst them, O Lord our God,.... This is repeated to show the certainty of it, and to encourage the people of God, in all ages, to pray unto him:

thou wast a God that forgavest them; even Moses, Aaron, and Samuel; for, though they were great and good men, they did not live without sin, and stood in need of pardoning grace and mercy, which they had; or rather the people for whom they prayed: so the Targum,

"O God, thou wast forgiving thy people for them;''

that is, through their prayers; see Numbers 14:19,

though thou tookest vengeance of their inventions; their sins, which are the inventions of men, Ecclesiastes 7:29. Kimchi and others interpret this of the inventions, designs, and practices of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, against Moses and Aaron, Numbers 16:32 but though God took vengeance on them, it does not appear that he forgave their iniquities; wherefore it is best to understand this either of the sins of Moses and Aaron themselves, which, though pardoned, God took vengeance of, and showed his displeasure at, by not suffering them to go into the land of Canaan, Numbers 20:10, or else of the sins of the Israelites, who murmured upon the report of the spies; and though they were pardoned at the intercession of Moses, yet so far vengeance was taken upon them, that none of them were suffered to enter the land of Canaan; but their carcasses fell in the wilderness, Numbers 14:19, and thus, though God forgives the iniquities of his people, for the sake of his Son, yet he takes vengeance of them on him, their surety; on whom they have been laid and borne, and who has not been spared in the least; but has bore the whole wrath and vengeance of God due to sin; and besides, though he pardons his people, yet he chastises them for their sins, and shows his fatherly displeasure at them.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Thou answeredst them, O Lord our God - The reference here is to God as “our” God; that is, the language used by those who now worship him is designed to give encouragement in approaching his throne. The God that “we” worship is the same that “they” worshipped; and as he answered them, we may feel assured that he will answer us.

Thou wast a God that forgavest them - They were not perfect; they were sinners; they often offended thee, and yet thou didst answer them, and show them mercy.

Though thou tookest vengeance - Though thou didst manifest thy displeasure at their misconduct; though thou in thy judgments didst show that thou wast displeased with them; nevertheless thou didst answer them. Sinners as they were, and often as thou didst show thy displeasure at their conduct, yet thou didst hear their prayers and bless them.

Of their inventions - The Hebrew word denotes work, deed, doing, conduct. It means here what they did - their sins. There is no allusion to any special art or “cunning” in what they did - as if they had “invented” or found out some new form of sin.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Psalms 99:8. Thou - forgavest them — When the people had sinned, and wrath was about to descend on them, Moses and Aaron interceded for them, and they were not destroyed.

Tookest vengeance of their inventions. — God spared them, but showed his displeasure at their misdoings. He chastised, but did not consume them. This is amply proved in the history of this people.