Psalms 99:9

Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at his holy hill; for the LORD our God [is] holy.

Exalt {H7311} the LORD {H3068} our God {H430}, and worship {H7812} at his holy {H6944} hill {H2022}; for the LORD {H3068} our God {H430} is holy {H6918}.

Exalt ADONAI our God, bow down toward his holy mountain, for ADONAI our God is holy!

Exalt the LORD our God and worship at His holy mountain, for the LORD our God is holy.

Exalt ye Jehovah our God, And worship at his holy hill; For Jehovah our God is holy.

Psalms 99:9 is a powerful and concise exhortation to worship, grounding the call to exaltation in the very nature of God Himself. It serves as a climactic summary of the psalm's themes of divine sovereignty and holiness.

Context

Psalm 99 is one of several "enthronement psalms" (Psalms 93, 95-99) that celebrate the Lord's reign. This psalm specifically highlights God's majesty, justice, and holiness as He rules over His people. It recalls His mighty acts and His righteous dealings with figures like Moses, Aaron, and Samuel, emphasizing His responsiveness to prayer. Verse 9, appearing at the psalm's conclusion, acts as a final, urgent call for the worshiper to respond to God's inherent character with profound reverence and worship.

Key Themes

  • Exaltation and Reverence: The opening command, "Exalt the LORD our God," is a call to lift Him high in praise, acknowledging His supreme majesty and authority. It's an invitation to hold Him in the highest esteem, echoing the sentiment found in Psalms 34:3. This is not about making God greater, but about recognizing and proclaiming His inherent greatness.
  • The Significance of Worship Location: "Worship at his holy hill" refers to Mount Zion in Jerusalem, the site of the Temple and the ark of the covenant, which symbolized God's dwelling place among His people. For ancient Israel, this was the central place of worship, a physical manifestation of God's sacred presence. While New Testament worship is no longer bound to a specific geographical location (John 4:24), the principle of approaching God with due honor and respect remains paramount. Mount Zion itself is often used symbolically to represent God's dwelling and spiritual blessings, as seen in Psalms 2:6.
  • God's Holiness as the Foundation: The foundational reason for all worship and exaltation is given: "for the LORD our God is holy." God's holiness is His absolute purity, moral perfection, and His complete distinctness from all creation. It is His inherent nature that demands and deserves all adoration. This attribute is central to understanding God's character and His commands, such as "Be ye holy; for I am holy" (Leviticus 19:2).

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew word for "holy" is qadosh (קָדוֹשׁ), which means "set apart," "sacred," or "consecrated." When applied to God, it speaks of His absolute separation from sin and impurity, His transcendent majesty, and His unique, incomparable nature. It's the very essence of His being that inspires awe and demands reverence, as famously proclaimed by the seraphim in Isaiah 6:3: "Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts."

Practical Application

For believers today, Psalms 99:9 calls us to a life of worship that transcends physical locations. We are to approach God with deep reverence and awe, acknowledging His absolute holiness in every aspect of our lives. Our worship should be an exaltation of His character, reflecting His purity and righteousness. Understanding God's holiness deepens our appreciation for His grace and mercy, as it highlights the immense gap between our sinfulness and His perfection, a gap bridged only through Christ's sacrifice. This verse reminds us that genuine worship flows from a profound understanding and adoration of God's set-apart nature.

Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • Luke 1:49

    For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy [is] his name.

  • Isaiah 57:15

    For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name [is] Holy; I dwell in the high and holy [place], with him also [that is] of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

  • Isaiah 5:16

    But the LORD of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and God that is holy shall be sanctified in righteousness.

  • Psalms 2:6

    Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.

  • 1 Peter 1:15

    But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;

  • 1 Peter 1:16

    Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

  • Revelation 4:8

    ¶ And the four beasts had each of them six wings about [him]; and [they were] full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.

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