What does Psalm 99:7 mean?
ESV: In the pillar of the cloud he spoke to them; they kept his testimonies and the statute that he gave them.
NIV: He spoke to them from the pillar of cloud; they kept his statutes and the decrees he gave them.
NASB: He spoke to them in the pillar of cloud; They kept His testimonies And the statute that He gave them.
CSB: He spoke to them in a pillar of cloud; they kept his decrees and the statutes he gave them.
NLT: He spoke to Israel from the pillar of cloud, and they followed the laws and decrees he gave them.
KJV: He spake unto them in the cloudy pillar: they kept his testimonies, and the ordinance that he gave them.
NKJV: He spoke to them in the cloudy pillar; They kept His testimonies and the ordinance He gave them.
Verse Commentary:
Verse Context:
Psalm 99:6–9 focuses on Moses, Aaron, and Samuel. These are among the more famous names of those who communicated between the people and God. They brought the Lord's commands—but the people did not always obey. Still, God forgave. Therefore, the people should honor the Lord and praise Him.
Chapter Summary:
God is sovereign, even if not all people acknowledge His rule. The psalmist calls for all people to recognize the Lord and offer Him appropriate praise. God's merciful actions through prior prophets, such as Moses and Samuel, also establish the Lord's perfect justice and love. Believers ought to respond with praise.
Chapter Context:
This song glorifies the idea of the Lord being ruler over all the earth. This is the theme of the "enthronement" psalms (Psalms 24; 27; 93; 95—99), of which Psalm 99 is the last. References to "the peoples" point to the non-Jewish nations: the Gentiles. Like other related psalms, this passage looks forward to when the Lord will rule over the entire world. The whole earth, and all its people, will one day recognize His rule.
Book Summary:
The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.
Accessed 11/21/2024 12:08:26 PM
© Copyright 2002-2024 Got Questions Ministries. All rights reserved.
Text from ESV, NIV, NASB, CSB, NLT, KJV, NKJV © Copyright respective owners, used by permission.
