Psalms 99

As closing this series (see on Psa 93:1), this Psalm is a general call on all the earth to render exalted praise to God, the creator, preserver, and benefactor of men. (Psa 100:1-5) With thankful praise, unite service as the subjects of a king (Psa 2:11-12).

The Lord reigneth,.... The King Messiah, he is made and declared Lord and Christ; he has reigned, does reign, and ever will; see Psa 93:1, let the people tremble: with awe of his majesty, and reverence of his word and ordinances; rejoicing before him with trembling, as his own people and subjects do, Psa 2:11, and so it agrees with Psa 97:1, or it may be understood of the people that are enemies to Christ, who would not have him to reign, though he shall whether they will or not; and who will sooner or later tremble for fear of him, and his righteous judgment. Jarchi refers this to the war of Gog and Magog. The Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, and Arabic versions, render it, "let the people be angry"; or it may be rendered, "they are angry"; or "therefore they are angry"; because he reigns; so the people, both Jews and Gentiles, were angry and raged, when his kingdom was first visibly set up among them, Psa 2:1, and so the nations will when he takes to himself his great power, and reigns, Rev 11:18, he sitteth between the cherubim; "upon" or "above", as the Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, and all the Oriental versions; alluding to the seat of the Shechinah, or divine Majesty, in the holy of holies; and respects either the exalted glory of Christ among the angels, and above them at the right hand of God, where they are subject to him, stand about him, ready to do his will; or rather his presence with his ministers of the word, who are the instruments of spreading his Gospel, and enlarging his kingdom and interest in the world; See Gill on Psa 80:1. let the earth be moved: not that itself out of its place, but the inhabitants of it; and these either with a sense of sin and duty, and become subject to Christ their King; or with wrath and indignation at him, or through fear of him, as…

The three futures express facts of the time to come, which are the inevitable result of Jahve's kingly dominion bearing sway from heaven, and here below from Zion, over the world; they therefore declare what must and will happen. The participle insidens cherubis (Psa 80:2, cf. Psa 18:11) is a definition of the manner (Olshausen): He reigns, sitting enthroned above the cherubim. נוּט, like Arab. nwd, is a further formation of the root na, nu, to bend, nod. What is meant is not a trembling that is the absolute opposite of joy, but a trembling that leads on to salvation. The Breviarium in Psalterium, which bears the name of Jerome, observes: Terra quamdiu immota fuerit, sanari non potest; quando vero mota fuerit et intremuerit, tunc recipiet sanitatem. In Psa 99:3 declaration passes over into invocation. One can feel how the hope that the "great and fearful Name" (Deu 10:17) will be universally acknowledged, and therefore that the religion of Israel will become the religion of the world, moves and elates the poet. The fact that the expression notwithstanding is not קדושׁ אתּה, but קדושׁ הוּא, is explained from the close connection with the seraphic trisagion in Isa 6:3. הוּא refers to Jahve; He and His Name are notions that easily glide over into one another.

The foundation of all religion is laid in this truth, That the Lord reigns. God governs the world by his providence, governs the church by his grace, and both by his Son. We are to believe not only that the Lord lives, but that the Lord reigns. This is the triumph of the Christian church, and here it was the triumph of the Jewish church, that Jehovah was their King; and hence it is inferred, Let the people tremble, that is, 1. Let even the subjects of this kingdom tremble; for the Old Testament dispensation had much of terror in it. At Mount Sinai Israel, and even Moses himself, did exceedingly fear and quake; and then God was terrible in his holy places. Even when he appeared in his people's behalf, he did terrible things. But we are not now come to that mount that burned with fire, Heb 12:18. Now that the Lord reigns let the earth rejoice. Then he ruled more by the power of holy fear; now he rules by the power of holy love. 2. Much more let the enemies of this kingdom tremble; for he will either bring them into obedience to his golden sceptre or crush them with his iron rod. The Lord reigns, though the people be stirred with indignation at it; though they fret away all their spirits, their rage is all in vain. He will set his King upon his holy hill of Zion in spite of them (Psa 2:1-6); first, or last, he will make them tremble, Rev 6:15, etc. The Lord reigns, let the earth be moved. Those that submit to him shall be established, and not moved (Psa 96:10); but those that oppose him will be moved. Heaven and earth shall be shaken, and all nations; but the kingdom of Christ is what cannot be moved; the things which cannot be shaken shall remain, Heb 12:27. In these is continuance, Isa 64:5. God's kingdom, set up in Israel, is here made the subject of the psalmist's prai…

Ps 99 The psalmist calls the nations to worship the Lord, the king of the earth who rules from Zion. 99:1-5 The Lord is the holy and righteous King (Isa 6:1-5). Mount Zion, the location of the Lord’s Temple, metaphorically stands as the highest point on earth (Ps 113:4; Isa 2:2; 6:1). From this summit, the Great King (Ps 47:2) can see, rule over, and receive praise from all nations and peoples. 99:1 It is fitting to tremble and quake in response to the Lord’s holiness (see 96:9). • The throne between the cherubim refers to the cover of the Ark of the Covenant (Exod 25:17-22).