Psalm 99 is the 99th psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version: "The LORD reigneth; let the people tremble". The Book of Psalms starts the third section of the Hebrew Bible, and, as such, is a book of the Christian Old Testament. In the slightly different numbering system in the Greek Septuagint version of the Bible, and in the Latin Vulgate, this psalm is Psalm 98, beginning "Dominus regnavit". It is the last of the set of additional Royal Psalms, Psalms 93-99, praising God as the King of His people. There is no title in the Masoretic text version, but the Septuagint provides a title: "A psalm of David". The psalm forms a regular part of Jewish, Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican and other Protestant liturgies. It has been set to music, including by Heinrich Schütz, and has inspired hymns and contemporary songs.

Text

Hebrew

The following table shows the Hebrew text of the Psalm with vowels alongside an English translation based upon the JPS 1917 translation (now in the public domain).

King James Version

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). 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" and featuring the threefold 'Holy' (verses 3, 5, 9). Alexander Kirkpatrick links this and other royal psalms to the restoration of Israel following the return from Babylon.

Verse 5

"God's footstool" may allude to 'the ark', 'the temple, Jerusalem', or 'the whole earth'. Alexander Kirkpatrick notes that "as there was no Ark in the Second Temple, the Temple itself must be meant here, or possibly Zion".

Verse 6

English church commentator John Trapp noted that Moses, if not a priest as such, was "a continual intercessor for the people", and Aben-Ezra and Philo both include the term "priest" in their praise of Moses.

Uses

Judaism

Musical settings

Hymns

Maria Luise Thurmair paraphrased Psalm 99 in the 1971 hymn in German "König ist der Herr".

Motets

Heinrich Schütz set a German metred version of Psalm 98 in the Becker Psalter, published in 1628, Der Herr ist König und residiert, SWV 197. Raymond Wilding-White set the psalm for eight-part choir and organ.

Songs

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