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Psalm 99

Psalm 99 declares that YHWH’s holy kingship joins supreme authority with justice, answered prayer, forgiveness, and judgment.

An unnamed psalmist calls the peoples to tremble before YHWH, who reigns above them all and is great in Zion. The praise centers on his holiness and his love of justice, then turns to Israel’s history. Moses, Aaron, and Samuel called on God and received answers. God spoke, gave commands, forgave, and punished wrongdoing. The psalm closes by calling for worship at his holy hill, returning to the holiness announced throughout the song.

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Read
1The LORD reigns! Let the peoples tremble. He sits enthroned among the cherubim. Let the earth be moved.
2The LORD is great in Zion. He is high above all the peoples.
3Let them praise your great and awesome name. He is Holy!
4The King’s strength also loves justice. You establish equity. You execute justice and righteousness in Jacob.
5Exalt the LORD our God. Worship at his footstool. He is Holy!
6Moses and Aaron were among his priests, Samuel was among those who call on his name. They called on the LORD, and he answered them.
7He spoke to them in the pillar of cloud. They kept his testimonies, the statute that he gave them.
8You answered them, LORD our God. You are a God who forgave them, although you took vengeance for their doings.
9Exalt the LORD, our God. Worship at his holy hill, for the LORD, our God, is holy!
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Key verses
Psalm 99:1The opening announces YHWH’s reign and calls the whole earth to tremble before his enthroned presence.
Psalm 99:4The King’s strength serves justice, grounding the call to worship in the righteousness of his rule.
Psalm 99:9The closing call gathers the psalm’s praise around its repeated declaration that YHWH is holy.
Where this chapter reaches

Exodus shares the cherubim, the pillar of cloud, and God’s dealings with Moses and Aaron; 1 Samuel recounts Samuel calling on God and receiving an answer. Isaiah and Revelation share the vision of God enthroned and the repeated proclamation of his holiness.

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Notice

After reading the whole chapter

What connection do you see between God’s strength and his love of justice in this psalm?

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How does the account of forgiveness and judgment shape your response to the closing call to worship?

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Questions people ask about Psalm 99

What does Psalm 99 mean by God being enthroned among the cherubim?

Cherubim are heavenly beings associated with God’s presence and throne. Exodus describes cherubim above the ark, where God would speak to Moses. Psalm 99 uses this throne imagery to proclaim YHWH’s kingship. His presence in Zion stands alongside his supremacy over all peoples.

Why does Psalm 99:8 say God forgave them but took vengeance?

Verse 8 holds forgiveness and judgment together: God answered his servants and forgave, yet also punished wrongdoing. The pronoun may include the people represented by Moses, Aaron, and Samuel; the psalm does not identify particular offenses. Its point is that God’s forgiveness remains consistent with his holy justice.

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Psalms · 150 chapters
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What the Bible says about worship →What the Bible says about guilt →

Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY). Scripture from the World English Bible (public domain). Arc diagram after Chris Harrison and Christoph Römhild (2007).