The LORD reigneth; let the people tremble: he sitteth between the cherubims; let the earth be moved.
Psalms 99:1-9.-Yahweh, whose coming in Psalms 98:1-9 was anticipated, appears here as reigning. The people tremble before Him, enthroned in a way antitypical to His enthronement between the cherubim (Psalms 99:1). Yahweh's manifested greatness in Zion calls forth her praises. so that she exhorts the nations to praise His name as holy (Psalms 99:2-5). Admonition to Israel, from past history, to appreciate her privileged nearness to Yahweh, and to flee the sins which incurred vengeance, and keep His word, as Moses, Aaron, and Samuel did, and so were heard in prayer: thus she will be ready for the holy Lord's coming (Psalms 99:6-9). The substance is 'The kingdom of God is at hand; be ready for it' (cf. Matthew 3:2; Isaiah 40:3-5). Psalms 99:1; Psalms 99:5 imply the temple was still standing, therefore it was before the Babylonian captivity.
The Lord reigneth - (Psalms 93:1 ; Psalms 96:10 ; Psalms 97:1 .) let the people tremble - rather, 'the peoples tremble.' The Hebrew pictures are prophetic. If the sense were optative the abbreviated Hebrew future would have been used. Compare Psalms 96:9, end. The Church now trembles before the haughty and threatening world-powers; but she may take comfort. Her King is coming to reign: then it will be the world's turn to tremble.
He sitteth between the cherubim (Psalms 80:1.) He who, seated over the ark of the covenant, between the cherubim (2 Samuel 6:2) signifies thereby His special presence in Israel and in the Church the spiritual Israel, is now assuming His kingdom visibly over "the whole earth" (Psalms 97:5, end). This prospect consoles His people now in their times of fear (2 Kings 19:15). It is not God's constant dominion as the Omnipotent One, but His beginning to reign in manifested power which causes the 'peoples' (so the Hebrew) to "tremble." The Hebrew for "tremble" signifies also 'to be angry' х raagaz (H7264)] (note, Psalms 4:4: cf. Ephesians 4:26; Revelation 11:17-18, "Thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned. And the nations were angry and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged"). How puny and despicable is man's anger, standing side by side with the wrath of the Almighty! and how soon it is changed into trembling!
Let the earth be moved - rather, 'the earth is moved.'