You answered them, Yahweh our God. You are a God who forgave them, although you took vengeance for their doings.
Parallel translations
- KJV Thou answeredst them, O LORD our God: thou wast a God that forgavest them, though thou tookest vengeance of their inventions.
- BSB O LORD our God, You answered them. You were a forgiving God to them, yet an avenger of their misdeeds.
- NKJV You answered them, O Lord our God; You were to them God-Who-Forgives, Though You took vengeance on their deeds.
- NASB Lord our God, You answered them; You were a forgiving God to them, And yet an avenger of their evil deeds.
- NLT O Lord our God, you answered them. You were a forgiving God to them, but you punished them when they went wrong.
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
God answered His people, forgiving them while still disciplining their wrongdoing. He is both merciful and just.
Overview
This verse holds together God's forgiveness and His holy correction of sin, showing that pardon does not cancel discipline. God remains faithful to His people while taking their sin seriously. This tension is resolved at the cross, where God justly punishes sin in Christ and freely forgives those who trust Him.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 13
- Num 20:12Yahweh said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you didn’t believe in me, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.”
- Ps 89:33But I will not completely take my loving kindness from him, nor allow my faithfulness to fail.
- Jer 46:28Don’t be afraid, O Jacob my servant,” says Yahweh; “for I am with you; for I will make a full end of all the nations where I have driven you; but I will not make a full end of you, but I will correct you in measure, and will in no way leave you unpunished.”
- Eccl 7:29Behold, I have only found this: that God made man upright; but they search for many schemes.”
- Deut 9:19–20For I was afraid of the anger and hot displeasure with which Yahweh was angry against you to destroy you. But Yahweh listened to me that time also.
- Num 20:24“Aaron shall be gathered to his people; for he shall not enter into the land which I have given to the children of Israel, because you rebelled against my word at the waters of Meribah.
- Num 14:20–34Yahweh said, “I have pardoned according to your word:
- Num 11:33–34While the meat was still between their teeth, before it was chewed, Yahweh’s anger burned against the people, and Yahweh struck the people with a very great plague.
- Deut 3:26But Yahweh was angry with me for your sakes, and didn’t listen to me. Yahweh said to me, “Let this satisfy you. Speak no more to me of this matter.
- Exod 32:2Aaron said to them, “Take off the golden rings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them to me.”
- Rom 1:21Because, knowing God, they didn’t glorify him as God, neither gave thanks, but became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless heart was darkened.
- Zeph 3:7I said, “Just fear me. Receive correction, so that her dwelling won’t be cut off, according to all that I have appointed concerning her.” But they rose early and corrupted all their doings.
- Exod 32:34–35Now go, lead the people to the place of which I have spoken to you. Behold, my angel shall go before you. Nevertheless in the day when I punish, I will punish them for their sin.”
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
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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 99:8 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.