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Still we are celebrating the glories of the kingdom of God among men, and are called upon to praise him, as in the foregoing psalms; but those psalms looked forward to the times of the gospel, and prophesied of the graces and comforts of those times; this psalm seems to dwell more upon the Old-Testament dispensation and the manifestation of God's glory and grace in that. The Jews were not, in expectation of the Messiah's kingdom and the evangelical worship, to neglect the divine regimen they were then under, and the ordinances that were then given them, but in them to see God reigning, and to worship before him according to the law of Moses. Prophecies of good things to come must not lessen our esteem of good things present. To Israel indeed pertained the promises, which they were bound to believe; but to them pertained also the giving of the law, and the service of God, which they were also bound dutifully and conscientiously to attend to, Ro 9:4. And this they are called to do in this psalm, where yet there is much of Christ, for the government of the church was in the hands of the eternal Word before he was incarnate; and, besides, the ceremonial services were types and figures of evangelical worship. The people of Israel are here required to praise and exalt God, and to worship before him, in consideration of these two things:—I. The happy constitution of the government they were under, both in sacred and civil things, Ps 99:1-5. II. Some instances of the happy administration of it, Ps 99:6-9. In singing this psalm we must set ourselves to exalt the name of God, as it is made known to us in the gospel, which we have much more reason to do than those had who lived under the law.
1-5
The Dominion of God
简体中文
神的治理
¹ 耶和华作王，万民当战抖；他坐在二基路伯上，地当动摇。
² 耶和华在锡安为大；他超乎万民之上。
³ 他们当赞美你大而可畏的名；他本为圣。
⁴ 王有能力，喜爱公平；你坚立公正，在雅各中施行公平和公义。
⁵ 你们当尊崇耶和华我们的神，在他脚凳前下拜；他本为圣。
一切宗教的基础都立在这真理上：「耶和华作王。」神以护理治理世界，以恩典治理教会，又以他的儿子治理两者。我们不仅要信「耶和华活着」，更要信「耶和华作王」。这是基督教会的凯歌，也是昔日犹太教会的凯歌——耶和华是他们的王；由此推论：「万民当战抖」，即，1. 连这国的子民也当战抖；因为旧约的安排多有可怕之处。在西奈山，以色列人甚至摩西自己，都「恐惧战兢」；那时神「在他的圣所」可畏。即便他为他的百姓显现，他所行的也令人敬畏。但我们如今不是来到「那火焰的山」（来12:18）。如今「耶和华作王，地当快乐」。那时他更多借着圣洁惧怕之权能治理，如今他借着圣洁之爱治理。2. 这国的仇敌更当战抖；因为他必使他们或归顺他金的权杖，或被他铁的杖打破。「耶和华作王，虽然万民发作愤怒」；尽管他们耗尽一切心力，他们的暴怒终归徒然。他必不顾他们，将他的王设立在锡安圣山上（诗2:1-6）；或早或晚，他必使他们「战抖」（启6:15等）。「耶和华作王，地当动摇。」顺服他的必得坚立，不至「动摇」（诗96:10）；但敌挡他的必被动摇。天地都要震动，万国也都要震动；惟有基督的国不能震动；那「不能震动之物必长存」（来12:27）。「在其中有永远长存的」（赛64:5原文）。
神在以色列中所设立的国，在此成为诗人赞美的主题。
一、诗人肯定两件事：1. 神掌管宗教的事务：「他坐在二基路伯上」（诗99:1），如坐在宝座上，借从那里发出的圣言赐下律法——如坐在施恩座上，接受祈求。这是以色列的尊荣——他们中有舍金拿，即神特殊的同在，并有圣天使侍候；圣殿是王宫，至圣所是觐见室。「耶和华在锡安为大」（诗99:2）；在那里他被认识、被赞美（诗76:1-2）；在那里他如大君般受事奉，过于任何别处。「他超乎万民之上」；正如高处之物引人注目、被人仰望，在锡安神圣属性的完全比任何别处更显赫、更显明。所以「愿住锡安、在其中敬拜的人」「赞美你大而可畏的名」，将当得的荣耀归你，「因为他本为圣」（诗99:3）。神名之圣使他向朋友显为真正伟大，向仇敌显为可畏（诗99:3）。这正是上面所敬拜的——「圣哉、圣哉、圣哉」。2. 他在他们的民政中是「一切中的一切」（诗99:4）。正如耶路撒冷有以色列的见证，是众支派上去之处，「在那里设立审判的宝座」（诗122:4-5）。他们的政体是神政。神兴起大卫治理他们（有人认为本篇正是因他在位上平稳安泰而作），他是「那王，他的能力喜爱公平」。他大有能力；他一切能力都从神而来；他的「能力」并不像大君王的权势那样被滥用去扶持任何不义，而是「喜爱公平」。他以权能行公义，且乐于如此行；在此他预表基督——神要将「他祖大卫的位」赐给基督，「他必行公平公义」。他有能力击碎，但他的「能力喜爱公平」；他不用严苛治理，乃以适度、以智慧、以温柔治理。以色列人有了一位好王；但他们在此被教导要仰望神，因为他们的王是借神而治：「你坚立公正」（即神赐给他们那些治理他们的优良律法），「你在雅各中施行公平和公义」；他不仅借自己直接的护理常常执行并强化自己的律法，也借民事官长为他们安排施行公义——这些官长借他而治，也借他而定公义。他们的士师是为神判断，他们的判断就是他的判断（代下19:6）。
二、将这两件事合起来，我们就看见以色列人胜过万民的福分，正如摩西所描述的（申4:7-8）——他们有「如此相近」、坐在基路伯之间的神，又有「如此公义的律例典章」，借此公平得以坚立，而神自己也亲自在雅各中掌权。由此他向这有福的百姓发出这命令（诗99:5）：「你们当尊崇耶和华我们的神，在他脚凳前下拜」；当将你们所享之善政的荣耀归给他——这政体如今已在教会与国家中坚立。注意，1. 我们所同享的公共恩惠越大，我们就越有义务分担向神所献的公共敬意：尤其是基督国度的设立，更当成为我们赞美的内容。2. 我们就近神敬拜他时，心中必充满对他的崇高思想，他必在我们心中被尊崇。3. 我们越发谦卑自己，越发俯伏在神面前，便越发尊崇他。我们当「在他脚凳前下拜」——在他的约柜前，约柜正如二基路伯间施恩座的脚凳；或当俯伏在他院宇的铺石上；我们如此敬畏，实在大有理由，「因为他本为圣」，他的圣洁当使我们生出敬畏，正如它使天使自己生出敬畏一样（赛6:2-3）。
英文原文
The Dominion of God
¹ The LORD reigneth; let the people tremble: he sitteth between the cherubims; let the earth be moved.
² The LORD is great in Zion; and he is high above all the people.
³ Let them praise thy great and terrible name; for it is holy.
⁴ The king's strength also loveth judgment; thou dost establish equity, thou executest judgment and righteousness in Jacob.
⁵ Exalt ye the LORD our God, and worship at his footstool; for he is holy.
The foundation of all religion is laid in this truth, That the Lord reigns. God governs the world by his providence, governs the church by his grace, and both by his Son. We are to believe not only that the Lord lives, but that the Lord reigns. This is the triumph of the Christian church, and here it was the triumph of the Jewish church, that Jehovah was their King; and hence it is inferred, Let the people tremble, that is, 1. Let even the subjects of this kingdom tremble; for the Old-Testament dispensation had much of terror in it. At Mount Sinai Israel, and even Moses himself, did exceedingly fear and quake; and then God was terrible in his holy places. Even when he appeared in his people's behalf, he did terrible things. But we are not now come to that mount that burned with fire, Heb 12:18. Now that the Lord reigns let the earth rejoice. Then he ruled more by the power of holy fear; now he rules by the power of holy love. 2. Much more let the enemies of this kingdom tremble; for he will either bring them into obedience to his golden sceptre or crush them with his iron rod. The Lord reigns, though the people be stirred with indignation at it; though they fret away all their spirits, their rage is all in vain. He will set his King upon his holy hill of Zion in spite of them (Ps 2:1-6); first, or last, he will make them tremble, Re 6:15, etc. The Lord reigns, let the earth be moved. Those that submit to him shall be established, and not moved (Ps 96:10); but those that oppose him will be moved. Heaven and earth shall be shaken, and all nations; but the kingdom of Christ is what cannot be moved; the things which cannot be shaken shall remain, Heb 12:27. In these is continuance, Isa 64:5.
God's kingdom, set up in Israel, is here made the subject of the psalmist's praise.
I. Two things the psalmist affirms:—1. God presided in the affairs of religion: He sitteth between the cherubim (Ps 99:1), as on his throne, to give law by the oracles thence delivered—as on the mercy-seat, to receive petitions. This was the honour of Israel, that they had among them the Shechinah, or special presence of God, attended by the holy angels; the temple was the royal palace, and the Holy of holies was the presence-chamber. The Lord is great in Zion (Ps 99:2); there he is known and praised (Ps 76:1,2); there he is served as great, more than any where else. He is high there above all people; as that which is high is exposed to view, and looked up to, so in Zion the perfections of the divine nature appear more conspicuous and more illustrious than any where else. Therefore let those that dwell in Zion, and worship there, praise thy great and terrible name, and give thee the glory due unto it, for it is holy. The holiness of God's name makes it truly great to his friends and terrible to his enemies, Ps 99:3. This is that which those above adore—Holy, holy, holy. 2. He was all in all in their civil government, Ps 99:4. As in Jerusalem was the testimony of Israel, whither the tribes went up, so there were set thrones of judgment, Ps 122:4,5. Their government was a theocracy. God raised up David to rule over them (and some think this psalm was penned upon occasion of his quiet and happy settlement in the throne) and he is the king whose strength loves judgment. He is strong; all his strength he has from God; and his strength is not abused for the support of any wrong, as the power of great princes often is, but it loves judgment. He does justice with his power, and does it with delight; and herein he was a type of Christ, to whom God would give the throne of his father David, to do judgment and justice. He has power to crush, but his strength loves judgment; he does not rule with rigour, but with moderation, with wisdom, and with tenderness. The people of Israel had a good king; but they are here taught to look up to God as he by whom their king reigns: Thou dost establish equity (that is, God gave them those excellent laws by which they were governed), and thou executest judgment and righteousness in Jacob; he not only by his immediate providences often executed and enforced his own laws, but took care for the administration of justice among them by civil magistrates, who reigned by him and by him did decree justice. Their judges judged for God, and their judgment was his, 2Ch 19:6.
II. Putting these two things together, we see what was the happiness of Israel above any other people, as Moses had described it (De 4:7,8), that they had God so nigh unto them, sitting between the cherubim, and that they had statutes and judgments so righteous, by which equity was established, and God himself ruled in Jacob, from which he infers this command to that happy people (Ps 99:5): "Exalt you the Lord our God, and worship at his footstool; give him the glory of the good government you are under, as it is now established, both in church and state." Note, 1. The greater the public mercies are which we have a share in the more we are obliged to bear a part in the public homage paid to God: the setting up of the kingdom of Christ, especially, ought to be the matter of our praise. 2. When we draw night to God, to worship him, our hearts must be filled with high thoughts of him, and he must be exalted in our souls. 3. The more we abase ourselves, and the more prostrate we are before God, the more we exalt him. We must worship at his footstool, at his ark, which was as the footstool to the mercy-seat between the cherubim; or we must cast ourselves down upon the pavement of his courts; and good reason we have to be thus reverent, for he is holy, and his holiness should strike an awe upon us, as it does on the angels themselves, Isa 6:2,3.
6-9
Divine Justice and Mercy
简体中文
神的公义与怜悯
⁶ 在他的祭司中有摩西和亚伦；在求告他名的人中有撒母耳。他们求告耶和华，他就应允他们。 ⁷ 他在云柱中对他们说话；他们遵守他的法度和他所赐给他们的律例。 ⁸ 耶和华我们的神啊，你应允他们；你是赦免他们的神，却按他们所行的报应他们。 ⁹ 你们当尊崇耶和华我们的神，在他的圣山下拜，因为耶和华我们的神本为圣。
以色列在神治理之下的福乐，此处借着他施政的几个特例进一步得以证实，尤其是关系到那些在他们当时作百姓首要领袖、最活跃有用的治理者的人——摩西、亚伦和撒母耳；在前二人身上，神权政治即神的治理，开端（因为他们被用以将以色列立为一个百姓），而在末一人身上，这种治理形式在很大程度上便告结束；因为当百姓弃绝撒母耳、催他辞职之时，他们说成是弃绝神自己，不再让他像从前那样直接作他们的王（撒上8:7），因为他们如今要立一个王，像列国一样。摩西和亚伦一样，据说也在「他的祭司」之中，因为他在亚伦被设立之前曾执行祭司之职，又膏立了亚伦和他的儿子；所以犹太人称他为「祭司中的祭司」。现在关于这三位主要治理者，请观察：
一、他们与神所有的亲密相交，以及他所接纳他们的奇妙恩惠。地上万国无一能出三个这样的人，与上天有这样密切的来往，又是神「按名认识」的，出33:17。此处有：1. 他们对神的敬虔留意。没有一国的人像以色列这三个人那样尊荣神。他们尊荣他：（1）借着他们的祷告。撒母耳虽不在祭司之中，却在「求告他名的人」之中；他们三人都因「他们求告耶和华」而闻名；他们不倚靠自己的智慧或美德，而是在每一急难之时投靠神；他们的心愿向他，他们的倚靠也在他。（2）借着他们的顺服：「他们遵守他的法度，和他所赐给他们的律例」；他们对本分有良心，凡事以神的话语和律法为准则，因为他们知道若不如此，便不能期望祷告蒙允，箴28:9。摩西凡事都照所指示他的样式而行；这话多次重复：「凡耶和华所吩咐摩西的，摩西都照样行了。」亚伦和撒母耳也是如此行。那些最显赫地遵守神法度、顺服神话语之准则的人，便是最大的、最尊荣的人。2. 神对他们的敬虔悦纳：「他应允他们」，把他们所求的赐给他们。他们在祷告中都奇妙地胜了神；神迹是因他们特别的恳求和请求而行的；不，他不仅纡尊为他们作他们所愿的事——如同君王为恳求者所作的——更与他们交谈，如同朋友之间亲密交谈一般（诗99:7）：「他在云柱中对他们说话。」他常常对撒母耳说话；从幼年时耶和华的话就临到他，也许有时借着他上面明亮的云彩对他说话：无论如何，他常对摩西和亚伦从那著名的「云柱」中说话，出16:10，民12:5。如今以色列人被提醒这事，为要坚固他们的信心；因为他们虽不像从前那样每天都有云柱那样明显的神同在凭据，神却乐意向那些作他们初代创立者、并那作他们大改革者的人如此显现。
二、他们为以色列所行的善事。他们为百姓代求，也为他们得着了许多平安的答复。「摩西站在缺口上」，「亚伦站在活人死人中」；当以色列在患难之中，撒母耳为他们呼求耶和华，撒上7:9。此处指的就是这事（诗99:8）：「耶和华我们的神啊，你应允他们！」并且因他们的祷告，你「是赦免」他们所为之祷告的百姓的神；「虽然你」追讨「他们所行的报应」，你却没有按他们罪所该得的把他们从百姓中剪除。「你是为他们所得的施恩的神」（哈蒙德博士[Dr. Hammond]如此译），为他们的缘故，又应他们的请求而宽待百姓，即便当你正要「追讨他们所行的报应」之时——意即当你的怒气被他们大大惹动，正要向他们发作、把他们全然倾覆之时」。这些是神在以色列中施政的众多可记之例中的几个，比在任何别的国家更多；为此百姓再次被召来赞美神（诗99:9）：「你们当尊崇耶和华我们的神」，因他从前为我们所行的事，也因他近来为我们所行的事，「在他的圣山」锡安「下拜」——他如今在那里设立了圣殿，不久也要在那里「立」他的「王」（诗2:6），前者是后者的预表；在那里，作为合一的中心，愿神一切以色列人都带着他们的敬拜聚集，「因为耶和华我们的神本为圣」，他不仅在圣律法中显为圣，更在圣福音中显为圣。
英文原文
Divine Justice and Mercy
⁶ Moses and Aaron among his priests, and Samuel among them that call upon his name; they called upon the LORD, and he answered them.
⁷ He spake unto them in the cloudy pillar: they kept his testimonies, and the ordinance that he gave them.
⁸ Thou answeredst them, O LORD our God: thou wast a God that forgavest them, though thou tookest vengeance of their inventions.
⁹ Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at his holy hill; for the LORD our God is holy.
The happiness of Israel in God's government is here further made out by some particular instances of his administration, especially with reference to those that were, in their day, the prime leaders and most active useful governors of that people—Moses, Aaron, and Samuel, in the two former of whom the theocracy or divine government began (for they were employed to form Israel into a people) and in the last of whom that form of government, in a great measure, ended; for when the people rejected Samuel, and urged him to resign, they are said to reject God himself, that he should not be so immediately their king as he had been (1Sa 8:7), for now they would have a king, like all the nations. Moses, as well as Aaron, is said to be among his priests, for he executed the priest's office till Aaron was settled in it and he consecrated Aaron and his sons; therefore the Jews call him the priest of the priests. Now concerning these three chief rulers observe,
I. The intimate communion they had with God, and the wonderful favour to which he admitted them. None of all the nations of the earth could produce three such men as these, that had such an intercourse with Heaven, and whom God knew by name, Ex 33:17. Here is, 1. Their gracious observance of God. No kingdom had men that honoured God as these three men of the kingdom of Israel did. They honoured him, (1.) By their prayers. Samuel, though not among his priests, yet was among those that called on his name; and for this they were all famous, They called upon the Lord; they relied not on their own wisdom or virtue, but in every emergency had recourse to God, towards him was their desire, and on him their dependence. (2.) By their obedience: They kept his testimonies, and the ordinances that he gave them; they made conscience of their duty, and in every thing made God's word and law their rule, as knowing that unless they did so they could not expect their prayers should be answered, Pr 28:9. Moses did all according to the pattern shown him; it is often repeated, According to all that God commanded Moses, so did he. Aaron and Samuel did likewise. Those were the greatest men and most honourable that were most eminent for keeping God's testimonies and conforming to the rule of his word. 2. God's gracious acceptance of them: He answered them, and granted them the things which they called upon him for. They all wonderfully prevailed with God in prayer; miracles were wrought at their special instance and request; nay, he not only condescended to do that for them which they desired, as a prince for a petitioner, but he communed with them as one friend familiarly converses with another (Ps 99:7): He spoke unto them in the cloudy pillar. He often spoke to Samuel; from his childhood the word of the Lord came to him, and, probably, sometimes he spoke to him by a bright cloud overshadowing him: however, to Moses and Aaron he often spoke out of the famous cloudy pillar, Ex 16:10, Nu 12:5. Israel are now reminded of this, for the confirming of their faith, that though they had not every day such sensible tokens of God's presence as the cloudy pillar was, yet to those that were their first founders, and to him that was their great reformer, God was pleased thus to manifest himself.
II. The good offices they did to Israel. They interceded for the people, and for them also they obtained many an answer of peace. Moses stood in the gap, and Aaron between the living and the dead; and, when Israel was in distress, Samuel cried unto the Lord for them, 1Sa 7:9. This is here referred to (Ps 99:8): "Thou answeredst them, O Lord our God! and, at their prayer, thou wast a God that forgavest the people they prayed for; and, though thou tookest vengeance of their inventions, yet thou didst not cut them off from being a people, as their sin deserved." "Thou wast a God that wast propitious for them (so Dr. Hammond), for their sakes, and sparedst the people at their request, even when thou wast about to take vengeance of their inventions, that is, when thy wrath was so highly provoked against them that it was just ready to break in upon them, to their utter overthrow." These were some of the many remarkable instances of God's dominion in Israel, more than in any other nation, for which the people are again called upon to praise God (Ps 99:9): "Exalt the Lord our God, on account of what he has done for us formerly, as well as of late, and worship at his holy hill of Zion, on which he has now set his temple and will shortly set his King (Ps 2:6), the former a type of the latter; there, as the centre of unity, let all God's Israel meet, with their adorations, for the Lord our God is holy, and appears so, not only in his holy law, but in his holy gospel."
我们在此仍颂扬神在人中间其国度的荣耀,并如前几篇一样蒙呼召来赞美他;只是前几篇展望福音时代,预言那时代的恩典与安慰;本篇似乎更多着眼于旧约的体制,以及神在其中对其荣耀与恩典的显明。犹太人在期盼弥赛亚国度与福音敬拜之时,不当轻忽他们当时所处的属神治理,也不当轻忽当时所赐的律例,倒要在其中看见神掌权,并按摩西律法在他面前敬拜。对将来美事的预言,不当减损我们对现今美事的敬重。以色列人固然承受了诸应许,这是他们当信的;但他们也承受了律法的颁布与事奉神之礼,这也是他们当尽忠良心履行的(罗9:4)。这正是本诗呼召他们所行的;然而其中仍多有论及基督之处,因教会的治理在道成肉身之前便在永生之道手中;况且仪文的事奉原是福音敬拜的预表与影像。本诗要求以色列民因以下两事赞美、尊崇神,并在他面前敬拜:一、他们在神圣与民事之事上所受治理之福乐的体制(诗99:1-5);二、那治理之福乐施行的若干实例(诗99:6-9)。我们唱这首诗时,当立志尊崇神的名——这名在福音中已向我们显明,我们比活在律法之下的人更有理由如此行。