The Meaning of Psalms 99:9 Explained

Psalms 99:9

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

YLT: Exalt ye Jehovah our God, And bow yourselves at His holy hill, For holy is Jehovah our God!

Darby: Exalt Jehovah our God, and worship at the hill of his holiness; for holy is Jehovah our God.

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

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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

What does Psalms 99:9 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalms 99:1-9 - Worship The Great And Holy One
This psalm has its counterpart in Psalms 97:1-12. There Jehovah's reign is associated with the gladness of faith; here with the trembling of mortal and sinful hearts. Thrice we are reminded that He is holy, Psalms 99:3; Psalms 99:5; Psalms 99:9. This threefold ascription of earth concerning the holiness of God answers the threefold ascription of heaven, where one seraph cries to the rest, saying, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of His glory," Isaiah 6:3.
God's holiness is terrible to sinners. It inspires even His own people with awe. However near we come to Him in Christ, we always must remember that we are sinful men who have no right to stand before Him, save through the mediation and in the righteousness of His Son.
How great God must be, who can reckon Moses, Aaron, and Samuel as His servants! And we, too, though beneath them in personal character and gift, are permitted to be among His priests; to call upon His name; to hear Him speaking from the pillar of cloud. Let us all walk worthy of our high calling! Let us fear this great and holy God, who cannot tolerate sin in His children, and will not scruple to inflict pain if sin is persisted in. He does forgive-glory to His name!-but He will not hesitate to chasten us for sins which we presumptuously and knowingly permit. [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalms 99

1  The prophet, setting forth the kingdom of God in Zion
5  Exhorts all, by the example of their forefathers, to worship God at his holy hill

What do the individual words in Psalms 99:9 mean?

Exalt Yahweh our God and worship at hill His holy for [is] holy Yahweh our God
רֽוֹמְמ֡וּ יְה֘וָ֤ה אֱלֹהֵ֗ינוּ וְ֭הִֽשְׁתַּחֲווּ לְהַ֣ר קָדְשׁ֑וֹ כִּֽי־ קָ֝ד֗וֹשׁ יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ

רֽוֹמְמ֡וּ  Exalt 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: יָרוּם 
Sense: to rise, rise up, be high, be lofty, be exalted.
יְה֘וָ֤ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱלֹהֵ֗ינוּ  our  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
וְ֭הִֽשְׁתַּחֲווּ  and  worship 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hitpael, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: שָׁחָה  
Sense: to bow down.
לְהַ֣ר  at  hill 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: הַר  
Sense: hill, mountain, hill country, mount.
קָדְשׁ֑וֹ  His  holy 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: קֹדֶשׁ  
Sense: apartness, holiness, sacredness, separateness.
קָ֝ד֗וֹשׁ  [is]  holy 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: קָדֹושׁ  
Sense: sacred, holy, Holy One, saint, set apart.
יְהוָ֥ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ  our  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).