Psalm 99:8 - Printer Friendly

ESV: O Lord our God, you answered them; you were a forgiving God to them, but an avenger of their wrongdoings.

NIV: Lord our God, you answered them; you were to Israel a forgiving God, though you punished their misdeeds.

NASB: Lord our God, You answered them; You were a forgiving God to them, And yet an avenger of their evil deeds.

CSB: Lord our God, you answered them. You were a forgiving God to them, but an avenger of their sinful actions.

NLT: O Lord our God, you answered them. You were a forgiving God to them, but you punished them when they went wrong.

KJV: Thou answeredst them, O Lord our God: thou wast a God that forgavest them, though thou tookest vengeance of their inventions.

NKJV: You answered them, O Lord our God; You were to them God-Who-Forgives, Though You took vengeance on their deeds.

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.

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.

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.

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 11/23/2024 9:06:30 PM