Psalm 99

Psalm 99 is 99th psalm in the biblical Book of Psalms, the last of the set of additional Royal Psalms, Psalms 93-99, praising God as the King of His people. In the slightly different numbering system of the Greek Septuagint version of the bible and the Latin Vulgate, this psalm is Psalm 98. There is no title in the Masoretic text version, but the Septuagint provides a title: "A psalm of David".[1]

This article is about Psalm 99 in Hebrew (Masoretic) numbering. For Psalm 99 in Greek Septuagint or Latin Vulgate numbering, see Psalm 100.
Psalm 99
"The Lord Reigns!"
Psalm 99 from 1902 Psalter
Other name
Psalm 98 (Vulgate)

Dominus regnavit

LanguageHebrew (original)

Text

Hebrew Bible version

Following is the Hebrew text of Psalm 99:[2]

Verse Hebrew
1 יְהֹוָ֣ה מָ֖לָךְ יִרְגְּז֣וּ עַמִּ֑ים יֹשֵׁ֥ב כְּ֜רוּבִ֗ים תָּנ֥וּט הָאָֽרֶץ
2 יְהֹוָה בְּצִיּ֣וֹן גָּד֑וֹל וְרָ֥ם ה֜֗וּא עַל־כָּל־הָֽעַמִּֽים
3 יוֹד֣וּ שִׁ֖מְךָ גָּד֥וֹל וְנוֹרָ֗א קָד֥וֹשׁ הֽוּא
4 וְעֹ֥ז מֶלֶךְ֘ מִשְׁפָּ֪ט אָ֫הֵ֥ב אַ֖תָּה כּוֹנַ֣נְתָּ מֵּֽישָׁרִ֑ים מִשְׁפָּ֥ט וּ֜צְדָקָ֗ה בְּיַֽעֲקֹ֚ב | אַתָּ֬ה עָשִֽׂיתָ
5 רֽוֹמְמ֡וּ יְהֹ֘וָ֚ה אֱלֹהֵ֗ינוּ וְ֖הִֽשְׁתַּֽחֲווּ לַֽהֲדֹ֥ם רַגְלָ֗יו קָד֥וֹשׁ הֽוּא
6 מ֘שֶׁ֚ה וְאַֽהֲרֹ֨ן | בְּכֹֽהֲנָ֗יו וּ֖שְׁמוּאֵל בְּקֹֽרְאֵ֣י שְׁמ֑וֹ קֹרִ֥אים אֶל־יְ֜הֹוָ֗ה וְה֣וּא יַֽעֲנֵֽם
7 בְּעַמּ֣וּד עָ֖נָן יְדַבֵּ֣ר אֲלֵיהֶ֑ם שָֽׁמְר֥וּ עֵֽ֜דֹתָ֗יו וְחֹ֣ק נָֽתַן־לָֽמוֹ
8 יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵינוּ֘ אַתָּ֪ה עֲנִ֫יתָ֥ם אֵ֣ל נֹ֖שֵׂא הָיִ֣יתָ לָהֶ֑ם וְ֜נֹקֵ֗ם עַל־עֲלִֽילוֹתָֽם
9 רֽוֹמְמ֡וּ יְ֘הֹוָ֚ה אֱלֹהֵ֗ינוּ וְ֖הִֽשְׁתַּֽחֲווּ לְהַ֣ר קָדְשׁ֑וֹ כִּ֥י קָ֜ד֗וֹשׁ יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ

King James Version
Psalm 99:4 on a building in Tel Aviv (2018), text in German and Arabic.

The following is the full English text of the Psalm from the King James Bible.

  1. The LORD reigneth; let the people tremble: he sitteth between the cherubims; let the earth be moved.
  2. The LORD is great in Zion; and he is high above all the people.
  3. Let them praise thy great and terrible name; for it is holy.
  4. The king's strength also loveth judgment; thou dost establish equity, thou executest judgment and righteousness in Jacob.
  5. Exalt ye the LORD our God, and worship at his footstool; for he is holy.
  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.
  7. He spake unto them in the cloudy pillar: they kept his testimonies, and the ordinance that he gave them.
  8. Thou answeredst them, O LORD our God: thou wast a God that forgavest them, though thou tookest vengeance of their inventions.
  9. Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at his holy hill; for the LORD our God is holy.

Commentary

This psalm is the last of the "enthronement psalms" (Psalm 47; 93; 96–99). It begins with the familiar statement, 'YHWH is king', followed by references to justice and righteousness (verse 4), the covenant with its moral demands (verses 4,7), centering upon Zion (verse 2; cf. 'his holy mountain', verse 9).[1]

Some similarities with Deutero-Isaiah include the call for nations to tremble before God (verse 1). It is unique in naming Moses, Aaron, and Samuel, the "three great intercessors" (cf. Exodus 32:11–14, 31–4; Numbers 12:13; 14:13–19; 16:44–8; 1 Samuel 7:7–11) and featuring the threefold 'Holy' (verses 3, 5, 9).[1]

Alexander Kirkpatrick links this and other royal psalms to the restoration of Israel following the return from Babylon.[3]

Verse 5
Exalt the Lord our God,
And worship at His footstool —
He is holy.[4]

"God's footstool" may allude to 'the ark' (1 Chronicles 28:2, where David says, I had it in my heart to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and for the footstool of our God), 'the temple, Jerusalem' (Lamentations 2:1), or 'the whole earth' (Isaiah 66:1).[1] Alexander Kirkpatrick notes that "as there was no Ark in the Second Temple, the Temple itself must be meant here, or possibly Zion".[3]

Uses

Judaism
  • The psalm is recited in its entirety as the fifth paragraph of Kabbalat Shabbat in Ashkenazic, Hasidic and some Sephardic communities.[5]
  • Verses 5 and 9 are recited in succession during the early part of Pesukei Dezimra.[6] These verses are also recited by the congregation when the Torah scroll is taken out of the ark.[7]
  • Verse 6 is found in the Foundation of Repentance recited by some on the eve of Rosh Hashanah.[8]
  • According to Siddur Avodas Yisrael, Psalm 99 should be read as an additional "Psalm of the Day" on Sabbath Parshat Shemot.

Songs

The following songs are based on Psalm 99 or contain part of the Psalm:

  • He sits enthroned – Sons of Korah
  • Holy Is He – Jason Silver

References
  1. Rodd, C. S. (2007). "18. Psalms". In Barton, John; Muddiman, John (eds.). The Oxford Bible Commentary (first (paperback) ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 393. ISBN 978-0199277186. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  2. "Tehillim – Psalms – Chapter 99". Chabad.org. 2019. Retrieved January 26, 2019.
  3. Kirkpatrick, A. (1906), Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges on Psalm 99, accessed 23 April 2022
  4. Psalm 99:5: New King James Version
  5. The Complete Artscroll Siddur, page 312
  6. The Complete Artscroll Siddur, page 62
  7. The Complete Artscroll Siddur, page 141
  8. The Complete Artscroll Machzor for Rosh Hashanah, page 13
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