Bible Commentaries
Psalms 99

Verse 1

The LORD reigneth; let the people tremble: he sitteth [between] the cherubims; let the earth be moved.

The Lord reigneth — Even the Lord Christ, as Psalms 97:1 .

Let the people tremble — Let them serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. By the people some understand the Jews, and by the earth all other nations; let there be a general subjection yielded to the sceptre of his kingdom.

Verse 2

The LORD [is] great in Zion; and he [is] high above all the people.

The Lord is great in Zion — In his Church he giveth many great testimonies of his power and presence, and is therefore magnified by his people.

And he is high above all the people — In the things wherein they deal proudly he is above them, Exodus 18:11 .

Verse 3

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

Ver 3. Let them praise thy great and terrible name — Nomen illud maiestativum. Some hereby understand the name Jehovah, of which Joshua 7:9 , "What wilt thou do to thy great name?" And Jeremiah 44:26 , "I have sworn by my great name." But God’s name is usually put for God’s self.

For it is holy — And therefore to be sanctified in righteousness, Isaiah 5:16 .

Verse 4

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

The king’s strength also loveth judgment — i.e. Abest a Tyrannide. God abuseth not his kingly power to tyranny, but joineth it with his justice and uprightness. Regiment without righteousness is but robbery with authority. The Arabic hath it, Magnificentia regis est, ut diligat aequitatem.

Verse 5

Exalt ye the LORD our God, and worship at his footstool; [for] he [is] holy.

Exalt ye the Lord our God — Have high apprehensions of him and answerable expressions; set him up, and set him forth to the utmost.

And worship at his footstool — i.e. At his temple, saith the Chaldee; at the ark of the covenant, say the Rabbis. Austin interpreteth it of Christ’s humanity; which, although of itself it is not to be adored, because it is a creature, yet as it is received into unity of person with the Divinity, and hath a partner agency with the Godhead according to its measure in the works of redemption and mediation, 1 Timothy 2:4 , it is to be worshipped. But how hard driven was that second synod of Nice, when they abused this text, among many others, to prove the worshipping of images and pictures!

Verse 6

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

Moses and Aaron among his priests — Or chief officers, as 1 Chronicles 18:17 . Moses was, if not a priest, yet a continual intercessor for the people, and a type of Christ, the great mediator of his Church. Aben Ezra calleth him Cohen haccohanim, the priest of priests; and Philo, writing his Life, concludeth, this was the life and death of Moses the king, the lawgiver, the prophet, and the chief priest.

And Samuel — A man that could do much with God likewise, Jeremiah 15:1 , and is therefore (as some conceive) called Pethuel, that is, a persuader of God, Joel 1:1 (Alsted).

Verse 7

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

They kept his testimonies — And so showed that they called upon God with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, Hebrews 10:22 .

Verse 8

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

Thou wast a God, … — A sin pardoning God, Nehemiah 9:17 . So thou wast to them under the law, so thou wilt be to those under the gospel.

Though thou tookest, … — Though Moses might not enter for his unbelief, and Samuel smarted for indulging his sons.

Verse 9

Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at his holy hill; for the LORD our God [is] holy.

Exalt the Lord — Versus amoibaeus. See Psalms 99:5 .