John Gill Commentary Psalms 99

The Lord reigneth
The King Messiah, he is made and declared Lord and Christ; he has reigned, does reign, and ever will; see (Psalms 93:1) (96:10) (97:1) ,

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, (Psalms 2:11) , and so it agrees with (Psalms 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, (Psalms 2:1Psalms 2:2) , and so the nations will when he takes to himself his great power, and reigns, (Revelation 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 Psalms 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 before; Kimchi says, at the fall of Gog and Magog; it may be particularly understood of the land of Judea, and of the commotion in it, especially in Jerusalem, when the tidings were brought of the birth of the King Messiah, (Matthew 2:1Matthew 2:2) , or of the shaking and moving both of the civil and ecclesiastical state of the nation, and of the ruin of it; see (Hebrews 12:26Hebrews 12:27) (1 Thessalonians 2:16) .

The Lord is great in Zion
Where the temple stood, and into which Christ came as the proprietor of it, and gave it a greater glory by his presence than the first temple had; here he preached his doctrines, wrought many of his miracles; here he poured forth the Spirit on his apostles; and from hence went forth his Gospel into all the world: or in Zion, that is, in his church, and among his people; here he grants his gracious presence, and bestows the blessings of his goodness; and shows himself to be great and glorious in his person, offices, and operations; see (Psalms 98:1) ,

and he is high above all people ;
as God, he is the Creator of them all; in whom they live, move, and have their being, and so must be above them all; as Mediator, he is the Saviour of his own people, and exalted to be so unto them; as King, he is higher than the kings of the earth, and therefore must be above all the rest of the inhabitants of it; he is higher than the heavens, and the angels there, and therefore he must be higher than the earth, and they that dwell in it; he is highly exalted above every name that is named in this world, or in that to come.

Let them praise your great and terrible name
All people, especially the Lord's people; those that dwell in Zion, where his name is great, in high esteem, venerable, and valued; as his name Jesus, or Saviour, is amiable and lovely to his saints; and his name, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, is terrible to his enemies:

for it is holy ;
his name is holy, as well as reverend and great; his nature is holy, both divine and human; holy in all his ways and works; and is holiness to his people, and therefore worthy of praise; holiness is the ground and foundation of his praise from the seraphim, (Isaiah 6:3) .

The King's strength also loves judgment

Or he who is a strong and mighty King, as Christ is; which appears by saving his people, and preserving them to his kingdom and glory, and by destroying all his and their enemies;

but, though he is so potent and victorious a Prince, yet no tyrannical one, he loves and does what is just and righteous;

he loved the righteous law of God, and obeyed it in the whole course of his life;

he wrought out a perfect righteousness for his people, and encourages and loves righteousness in them; he will judge the world in righteousness hereafter; and is now on his throne, and in his kingdom, ordering it with judgment and justice; all the administrations of his kingly office are just and true, and herein he delights:

you establish equity ,

or "equities" ^F1 ; uprightnesses, righteousnesses; a perfect and a complete righteousness:

this he has prepared

^F2 , as the word signifies, by his obedience, sufferings, and death, and has established as an everlasting one; moreover, equity, righteousness, and justice, are the settled rules and laws of his government; see (Isaiah 9:7) (Isaiah 11:4Isaiah 11:5) ,

you execute judgment and righteousness in Jacob ;

among the true Israel and people of God, as David his type did, (2 Samuel 8:15) , thereby keeping them in due order, in the observance of his righteous judgments and statutes, and defending them from their enemies.

FOOTNOTES:

• F1: (Myrvym) "rectitudines", Montanus, Gejerus, Michaelis; "aequitates", Vatablus; "recta", Musculus.
• F2: (tnnwk) "parasti", Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus, Gejerus; "praeparasti", Tigure version.

Exalt you the Lord our God
Christ, who is Lord of all, and Immanuel, God with us, God in our nature, our Lord and our God; exalt him in his person, as God over all, blessed for ever; in his offices of Prophet, Priest, and King, by hearkening to his word, by trusting in his blood, righteousness, and sacrifice, and by submitting to his ordinances, and obeying his commands;

Exalt him in heart, thought, and affection, thinking highly of him, and affectionately loving him; exalt and extol him in words, speak of his love and loveliness, and of the great things he has done; exalt him in private and in public, in the family and in the house of God; make mention of him everywhere, that his name be exalted:

and worship at his footstool ;
Worship him who is the object of the adoration of angels, and ought to be of men; worship him privately and publicly, internally and externally, in spirit and in truth;

At his footstool, on earth, he being on his throne in heaven; see (Isaiah 65:1) or else the ark is meant, which is so called, (1 Chronicles 28:2) , and this being a type of the human nature of Christ, that may be meant here; and which, though not the object of worship, nor is it said, worship his footstool, but at it; yet, in worshipping Christ, respect is to be had unto him, as in our nature, in which he has done such great things for us: the Targum is, "worship in or at the house of his sanctuary;" so Kimchi interprets it of the sanctuary, which agrees with (Psalms 99:9) ,

for he is holy :
Essentially holy, glorious in holiness as a divine Person, and therefore to be worshipped: or "it is holy"; the footstool, the ark, the human nature of Christ, in which the Godhead dwells bodily.