Psalm 99 5

Psalm 99:5 kjv

Exalt ye the LORD our God, and worship at his footstool; for he is holy.

Psalm 99:5 nkjv

Exalt the LORD our God, And worship at His footstool? He is holy.

Psalm 99:5 niv

Exalt the LORD our God and worship at his footstool; he is holy.

Psalm 99:5 esv

Exalt the LORD our God; worship at his footstool! Holy is he!

Psalm 99:5 nlt

Exalt the LORD our God!
Bow low before his feet, for he is holy!

Psalm 99 verses

Psalm 99 5 Meaning

Psalm 99:5 is an urgent command for God's people to profoundly reverence and worship Him. It calls for them to "exalt" Yahweh, their personal God, recognizing His supreme position and infinite worth. The command to "worship at His footstool" signifies an act of humble adoration in the specific place of His revealed presence, acknowledging His universal dominion and ultimate authority. The declaration "Holy is He!" provides the fundamental reason and foundation for this commanded exaltation and worship, affirming God's unique and perfect nature, His absolute transcendence, and His moral purity.

Psalm 99 5 Context

Psalm 99 belongs to a group of psalms (Psalms 93-99) celebrating God's kingship (YHWH Malakh - "The Lord reigns"). This psalm portrays God as a supreme, holy, and righteous King who reigns over all, establishing justice and judgment. Verse 5 follows descriptions of His powerful reign (v. 1), His greatness in Zion (v. 2), and His fearsome holiness (v. 3). The psalm acknowledges God as the One who loves justice and established equity in Jacob (v. 4). Therefore, the call to "Exalt the Lord our God" in verse 5 serves as a direct, imperative response from humanity to God's inherent nature and mighty acts of sovereignty. Historically, the "footstool" in the Israelite context most directly refers to the Ark of the Covenant, situated in the Holy of Holies, which symbolized God's throne and the locus of His presence on earth among His people, making the call to worship at His footstool a call to approach Him reverently where He dwells and reveals Himself.

Psalm 99 5 Word analysis

• Exalt (רוּמוּ - Rûmû): Derived from the Hebrew root רום (rum), meaning "to be high, lifted up, elevated." It's an imperative, a command to lift God high, both physically (raising hands in worship) and metaphorically (giving Him supreme honor, glory, and praise). This reflects His ultimate preeminence above all things. It's a proactive command for worship.
• the Lord (יְהוָה - YHWH): The sacred, unpronounceable covenant name of God (Tetragrammaton), revealed to Moses. It signifies God's self-existence, eternal nature ("I AM WHO I AM"), and His covenant faithfulness. Using this name emphasizes His personal, unchanging identity.
• our God (אֱלֹהֵינוּ - Eloheynu): Combines Elohim (a plural noun for God, denoting majesty and power, yet grammatically singular) with the suffix "-eynu" meaning "our." This signifies the unique, intimate covenant relationship between God and His people Israel, highlighting their belonging to Him and His ownership of them. It makes the call to worship personal and communal.
• And worship (וְהִשְׁתַּחֲווּ - vəhištaḥawû): An imperative from the Hebrew root שָׁחָה (shachah), meaning "to bow down, prostrate oneself, do homage, reverence." This word describes the most profound physical and spiritual posture of submission, adoration, and humility before a superior being. It implies total reverence and surrender to divine authority.
• at His footstool (לַהֲדֹם רַגְלָיו - laḥadôm raḡlāyw):
  • footstool (הֲדֹם - hadôm): Literally, an object placed under the feet of a king. Metaphorically in the Bible, it signifies a place of sovereignty and dominion. In this context, it primarily refers to the Ark of the Covenant and the Mercy Seat, situated in the Holy of Holies within the Tabernacle/Temple, where God's presence was specifically manifested among His people. It is the earthly locus of His throne.
  • His feet (raḡlāyw): Refers to God's presence, signifying where His dominion rests.
  • Worshipping at the footstool indicates worshipping in the direct sphere of God's manifest presence and authority, approaching Him with humble reverence at the designated place of encounter.
• Holy (קָדוֹשׁ - Qādôš): A foundational attribute of God, meaning "set apart," "sacred," "transcendent," "pure," "unique," and "wholly other." It signifies God's absolute moral perfection, His utter distinctiveness from all creation, and His awesome majesty. This holiness is the ultimate basis for all worship.
• is He (הוּא - Hû’): An emphatic pronoun, "He himself," reinforcing that holiness is an intrinsic, inseparable attribute of God's very being. It's not something He acquires, but something He is absolutely and eternally.

Words-group analysis:

• Exalt the Lord our God: This phrase combines a command to magnify YHWH, recognizing Him specifically as "our God" through covenant. It implies public and collective acknowledgment of His unique position and goodness toward His people. It contrasts with pagan practices that did not acknowledge such a personal relationship with a truly supreme being.
• And worship at His footstool: This unites the act of prostration and adoration with a specific theological location of God's manifested presence (Ark/Temple). It directs worship towards the tangible (though symbolic) representation of God's presence on earth, implying ordered and covenantal worship, not random or arbitrary forms.
• Holy is He!: This declarative sentence stands as the theological grounding for the preceding commands. God's intrinsic holiness demands and compels our exaltation and worship. It separates Him from all human and created entities, highlighting His absolute purity and transcendence as the object of supreme veneration. The repeated emphasis on God's holiness throughout Psalm 99 (v. 3, v. 9) underlines its paramount importance.

Psalm 99 5 Bonus section

The structure of Psalm 99, with its three refrains emphasizing God's holiness (vv. 3, 5, 9), creates a powerful crescendo of praise centered on this attribute. Verse 5 reiterates this truth early on, anchoring the subsequent descriptions of God's justice and mercy (vv. 6-8) within the framework of His absolute sanctity. The repetition solidifies the theological reason for worship, asserting that God’s reign is fundamentally one of holiness and righteousness, ensuring His people’s welfare. The imagery of the "footstool" connects the divine cosmic kingship with the very specific, earthly presence among His people, particularly significant given the emphasis on Zion (v. 2), the chosen place of God's dwelling and the symbolic center of His rule on earth. While historically tied to the Ark, the command transcends the physical object, directing worship to the Living God whose presence it symbolized. In Christian understanding, this command is fulfilled through Christ, who is God’s perfect revelation, through whom believers now access God and present spiritual worship, recognizing the Lord Jesus Christ as the King of Kings, whose rule is righteous and whose being is perfectly holy.

Psalm 99 5 Commentary

Psalm 99:5 serves as a core theological declaration and a directive for proper worship. It articulates that the Lord's absolute kingship and righteous rule, already affirmed in the preceding verses, necessitate a profound response of adoration from His people. The imperative "Exalt" is not merely an outward gesture, but an inward recognition of God's unparalleled glory and His deserved supreme status. Coupled with this is the call to "worship at His footstool," which in its original context, directed the worshipper towards the Ark of the Covenant – the very symbol and site of God's presence, His earthly throne. This teaches us that worship should be humble, purposeful, and directed towards where God has revealed Himself. The powerful concluding affirmation, "Holy is He!" is not an addendum, but the very fount from which all legitimate worship flows. God's holiness demands, enables, and sanctifies our praise. It's because He is uniquely pure, distinct, and righteous that He is worthy of our complete devotion. Practically, this verse calls believers today to continually elevate God above all other concerns, to approach Him with humility and reverence through Christ (our new "footstool" of access to the Father), and to allow His absolute holiness to define and refine their lives and worship.