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英文原文
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
繁體中文
神的治理
¹ 耶和華作王！萬民當戰抖！他坐在二基路伯上，地當動搖。 ² 耶和華在錫安為大；他超乎萬民之上。 ³ 他們當稱讚你大而可畏的名——他本為聖！ ⁴ 王有能力，喜愛公平；你堅立公正，在雅各中施行公平和公義。 ⁵ 你們當尊崇耶和華我們的神，在他腳凳前下拜——他本為聖！
一切宗教的根基都建立在這真理上：「耶和華作王。」神以他的護理治理世界，以他的恩典治理教會，又藉著他的兒子治理兩者。我們不僅當相信「耶和華活著」，更當相信*「耶和華作王」。這是基督教會的勝利，在此也是猶太教會的勝利——耶和華是他們的王；從此推論：「萬民當戰抖」——就是說：1. 連這國度的子民也當戰抖；因為舊約的安排多有可畏之處。在西奈山，以色列人、甚至摩西自己都「極其恐懼戰兢」；那時神「在聖所中可畏」。即便他為他百姓顯現之時，也行了可畏的事。但我們如今不是來到「那火焰的山」（來 12:18）。如今「耶和華作王，願地快樂」。那時他較多以聖潔敬畏的權能治理；如今他以聖潔之愛的權能治理。2. 這國度的仇敵更當戰抖；因為他要麼以金杖使他們順服，要麼以鐵杖將他們粉碎。「耶和華作王，雖然萬民憤怒」；雖然他們耗盡一切精力，他們的狂怒終歸徒然。他要不顧他們，將他的王設立在錫安他的聖山上（詩 2:1-6）；遲早他要使他們戰抖*（啟 6:15 等）。「耶和華作王，願地動搖。」那些順服他的必被建立，不被動搖（詩 96:10）；但那些反對他的必被動搖。天地都要震動，萬國也要震動；但基督的國是不能震動的國；「不能震動的必長存」（來 12:27）。「在其中必有永遠的存活」（賽 64:5——原文別譯）。
在以色列中所設立的神的國，在此成為詩人讚美的主題。
一、詩人肯定兩件事：1. 神在宗教事務上親自主持：「他坐在二基路伯上」（詩 99:1）——如同坐在寶座上，藉著從那裏所發出的神諭頒賜律法——又如同坐在施恩座上，接受祈求。這是以色列的榮耀：他們當中有舍吉拿——神特殊的同在——並有聖天使侍候；聖殿是王宮，至聖所是覲見室。「耶和華在錫安為大」（詩 99:2）；在那裏他被認識、被讚美（詩 76:1、2）；在那裏他被當作大的來事奉，過於在任何別處。他在那裏*「超乎萬民之上」；高的東西既顯露在眼前、被人仰望，照樣在錫安，神本性的完全比在任何別處更顯為突出、更為輝煌。所以「願那些住在錫安、在那裏敬拜的人，稱讚你大而可畏的名」，將當得的榮耀歸給你，「因為他本為聖」。神之名的聖潔，使之對他的朋友真正為大，對他的仇敵真正可畏（詩 99:3）。這正是上頭的人所敬拜的——「聖哉、聖哉、聖哉」。2. 他在他們的民事政府中是一切的一切（詩 99:4）。正如在耶路撒冷有以色列的見證，是各支派上那裏去的地方，照樣在那裏「設立審判的寶座」（詩 122:4、5）。他們的政府是神治政體。神興起大衛治理他們（有人認為這篇詩是在他平靜順利地登上寶座之時所寫），他是那位「有能力、喜愛公平的王」。他有能力；他一切的能力都從神而來；而他的能力沒有被濫用來支持任何不義之事——大君王的權能常常如此——他的能力「喜愛公平」。他以他的權能行公義，並以此為樂；在此他是基督的預表——神要把「他祖大衛的寶座」賜給他，使他「施行公平和公義」。他有能力粉碎，但他的能力喜愛公平*；他不用嚴苛統治，乃以溫和、以智慧、以體恤統治。以色列人有一位好王；但他們在此受教，要仰望神，視他為他們的王藉以統治的那一位：「你堅立公正」——就是說，神賜給他們那些藉以治理的優良律法；你又*「在雅各中施行公平和公義」*；他不僅藉著他直接的護理常常執行並強製執行自己的律法，更關注藉著民事官長在他們中間施行公義——這些官長藉他掌權、藉他定公平。他們的士師為神施行審判，他們的審判就是他的審判（代下 19:6）。
二、將這兩件事合在一起，我們便看見以色列的福樂如何超過任何別的百姓，正如摩西所描述的（申 4:7、8）：他們有*「與他們相近的神」——坐在二基路伯之間，又有「如此公義的律例典章」——藉此公平得以設立，而神自己親自在雅各中掌權；從此他推論出這命令，賜給那有福的百姓（詩 99:5）：「你們當尊崇耶和華我們的神，在他腳凳前下拜」——將你們現今所處的善政的榮耀歸給他，這善政如今在教會和國家中都已設立。請注意：1. 我們有分於其中的公眾憐憫越大，我們便越有義務在向神所獻的公眾敬拜中盡一分力量；特別是基督國度的設立，當成為我們讚美的材料。2. 當我們親近神敬拜他之時，我們的心必須被他崇高的思想所充滿，他必須在我們的靈魂中被尊崇。3. 我們越自卑、越俯伏在神麵前，便越尊崇他。我們必須「在他腳凳前下拜」——在他的約櫃前，這約櫃如同二基路伯之間施恩座的腳凳；或作：我們必須俯伏在他院宇的鋪石地上；我們有充分的理由如此敬畏，「因為他本為聖」*，而他的聖潔當使我們生出敬畏，正如它使天使自己生出敬畏一般（賽 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
繁體中文
神的公義與憐憫
以色列在神治理之下的福樂，此處更藉着祂施政的一些具體事例加以證實，特別是論到那些在他們各自的時代作那百姓首要領袖、最活躍有用的治理者——摩西、亞倫和撒母耳。神治或神的治理，在前兩者身上開始（因為他們被用以將以色列塑造成一個民族），在末後一人身上則在很大程度上結束；因為當百姓棄絕撒母耳、強迫他讓位之時，他們被說成是棄絕了神自己——不容祂像從前那樣直接作他們的王（撒上 8:7）；因為如今他們要像列國一樣立一個王。摩西和亞倫一樣被稱為在祂的祭司中，因為在亞倫設立於祭司之職以前，摩西一直履行祭司的職任，又膏立亞倫和他的兒子；所以猶太人稱他為眾祭司的祭司。 請留意這三位首要治理者：
一、他們與神所有親密的相交，以及神所接納他們進入的奇妙恩寵。世上萬國中沒有一國能舉出這樣三個人，他們與天堂有這樣的來往，又是神按名認識的（出 33:17）。此處有：1。 他們對神敬虔的敬重。沒有一個國家有像以色列國中這三人那樣尊榮神的人。他們藉着兩樣來尊榮神：（1）藉着他們的禱告。撒母耳雖不在祂的祭司之中，卻是在那些呼求祂名的人之中；而且他們三人正因此而出名：他們呼求耶和華；他們不倚靠自己的智慧或美德，而是在每一緊急關頭都轉向神，他們的渴慕向着他們，他們的依賴也在於祂。（2）藉着他們的順服：他們遵守祂的法度和祂所賜給他們的律例；他們將盡本分視為良心所繫，並在凡事上以神的話和律法為準則，因為知道若不如此，便不能指望禱告蒙應允（箴 28:9）。摩西一切所行的都照着所指示他的樣式；照着神所吩咐摩西的一切，他都照樣行了，這話屢屢重複。亞倫和撒母耳也是如此。那些最傑出遵守神法度、最順從祂話語準則的人，便是最大、最尊榮的人。2。 神對他們恩典的悅納：祂應允他們，將他們所求的事賜給他們。他們三人在禱告中都奇妙地得了神的應允；神蹟是因着他們特別的請求和懇求而行的；不但如此，祂不僅屈尊為他們成就了他們所願的——如君王之於求情者——更與他們相交，如一人與密友閒談一般（詩 99:7）：祂在雲柱中對他們說話。 祂屢次對撒母耳說話；從他童年起，耶和華的話就臨到他，或許有時也藉着遮蔽他的明雲對他說話；無論如何，對摩西和亞倫，祂屢次從那著名的雲柱中對他們說話（出 16:10，民 12:5）。如今以色列人被提醒這事，為要堅固他們的信心；他們雖然不像從前那樣天天有雲柱這樣可覺察的神同在的記號，但對那些他們最初的創立者，以及那偉大的改革者，神樂意如此顯現自己。
二、他們為以色列所作的善工。他們為百姓代求，也為百姓得着了許多平安的答覆。摩西站在破口，亞倫站在活人死人中間；當以色列遭難之時，撒母耳為他們呼求耶和華（撒上 7:9）。此處正是指着這事（詩 99:8）：「耶和華我們的神啊，你應允了他們」；又因着他們的禱告，「你是赦免他們的神」——赦免了他們所代求的百姓；「雖然你向他們所行的施行報應」，卻沒有按他們的罪過將他們從萬民中剪除。「你是為他們所施恩的神」（哈蒙德博士如此譯），為他們的緣故，又因着他們的請求而饒恕了百姓——甚至當你正要向他們所行的施行報應之時，就是當你的怒氣被他們大大惹動，以致幾乎要爆發出來傾覆他們之時。這些都是神在以色列中施行治理的許多顯著事例——比在任何其他國家更多；為此，百姓再次被呼召讚美神（詩 99:9）：「你們當尊崇耶和華我們的神」——因祂從前為我們所行的，也因祂近來所行的——「又在祂的聖山下拜」——祂現今在那裏設立了聖殿，不久也要在那裏設立祂的王（詩 2:6）；前者是後者的預表；在那裏，作為合一的中心，願神一切以色列民帶着他們的敬拜聚集，因為耶和華我們的神本為聖——這聖潔不僅顯明在祂聖潔的律法中，也顯明在祂聖潔的福音中。
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."
我們仍在頌揚神在人中之國度的榮耀，並被呼召讚美祂——正如前幾篇一樣；但那些詩篇展望福音的時代，預言那時代的恩典與安慰，本篇則似乎更著重於舊約的時代安排，以及神在其中對自己榮耀與恩典的彰顯。猶太人在盼望彌賽亞國度與福音敬拜之時，不可輕忽他們當時所受的神聖治理和當時所頒的律例，倒要在其中看見神作王，並照摩西的律法在祂面前敬拜。對未來美事的預言不可減低我們對現今美事的尊重。以色列的確得了應許——這是他們當信的；但他們也得了律法的頒賜與對神的事奉——這也是他們當盡心、盡責去行的（羅 9:4）。本篇正是呼召他們如此行；然而本篇中仍有許多關乎基督的內容，因為在道成肉身之前，教會的治理已在永恆之道的手中；況且那些禮儀的事奉原是福音敬拜的預表與影像。在此，以色列民被要求因兩件事讚美、尊崇神，並在祂面前敬拜：一、他們在屬靈與屬世之事上所受治理之福樂的體制（詩 99:1-5）；二、這體制施政福樂的若干實例（詩 99:6-9）。我們唱這詩時，當立志尊崇神的名——這名是在福音裡向我們顯明的；我們這樣行，比那些活在律法之下的人更有理由這樣行。