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The LORD reigns; let the nations tremble! He is enthroned above the cherubim; let the earth quake!
Psalms 99:1 · Berean Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB Yahweh reigns! Let the peoples tremble. He sits enthroned among the cherubim. Let the earth be moved.
  • KJV The LORD reigneth; let the people tremble: he sitteth between the cherubims; let the earth be moved.
  • NKJV The Lord reigns; Let the peoples tremble! He dwells between the cherubim; Let the earth be moved!
  • NASB The Lord reigns, the peoples tremble! He sits enthroned above the cherubim, the earth quakes!
  • NLT The Lord is king! Let the nations tremble! He sits on his throne between the cherubim. Let the whole earth quake!

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

The LORD reigns enthroned above the cherubim, so let the peoples tremble. His holy kingship demands reverent awe.

Overview

This enthronement psalm proclaims God as King, seated above the cherubim over the ark, the place of His earthly throne. The trembling of peoples and the shaking earth express the proper response to His holy majesty. His sovereign reign foreshadows the universal kingdom of Christ, before whom all will one day bow.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 25

  • Ps 97:1The LORD reigns, let the earth rejoice; let the distant shores be glad.
  • Exod 25:22And I will meet with you there above the mercy seat, between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the Testimony; I will speak with you about all that I command you regarding the Israelites.
  • Ps 97:4His lightning illuminates the world; the earth sees and trembles.
  • Ps 80:1For the choirmaster. To the tune of “The Lilies of the Covenant.” A Psalm of Asaph. Hear us, O Shepherd of Israel, who leads Joseph like a flock; You who sit enthroned between the cherubim, shine forth
  • Ps 93:1The LORD reigns! He is robed in majesty; the LORD has clothed and armed Himself with strength. The world indeed is firmly established; it cannot be moved.
  • Rev 20:11Then I saw a great white throne and the One seated on it. Earth and heaven fled from His presence, and no place was found for them.
  • Jer 49:21At the sound of their fall the earth will quake; their cry will resound to the Red Sea.
  • Luke 19:12So He said, “A man of noble birth went to a distant country to lay claim to his kingship and then return.
  • Ps 96:10Declare among the nations: “The LORD reigns!” The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved; He will judge the peoples with equity.
  • Ps 18:10He mounted a cherub and flew; He soared on the wings of the wind.
  • Jer 4:24I looked at the mountains, and behold, they were quaking; all the hills were swaying.
  • Rev 11:17saying: “We give thanks to You, O Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign.
  • Jer 50:46At the sound of Babylon’s capture the earth will quake; a cry will be heard among the nations.
  • Luke 19:27And these enemies of mine who were unwilling for me to rule over them, bring them here and slay them in front of me.’”
  • Isa 19:14The LORD has poured into her a spirit of confusion. Egypt has been led astray in all she does, as a drunkard staggers through his own vomit.
  • Ps 2:11–12Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
  • Jer 5:22Do you not fear Me?” declares the LORD. “Do you not tremble before Me, the One who set the sand as the boundary for the sea, an enduring barrier it cannot cross? The waves surge, but they cannot prevail. They roar but cannot cross it.
  • Ps 2:6“I have installed My King on Zion, upon My holy mountain.”
  • Luke 19:14But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, ‘We do not want this man to rule over us.’
  • Phil 2:12Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now even more in my absence, continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.
  • Rev 6:14The sky receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved from its place.
  • Ps 21:8–9Your hand will apprehend all Your enemies; Your right hand will seize those who hate You.
  • Isa 24:19–20The earth is utterly broken apart, the earth is split open, the earth is shaken violently.
  • Ps 82:5They do not know or understand; they wander in the darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken.
  • Ezek 10:1–22And I looked and saw above the expanse, above the heads of the cherubim, the likeness of a throne of sapphire.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (2)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Psalms videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Psalms 99:1YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on PsalmsMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.

How Psalms 99:1 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.