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Psalms 24

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God's Ownership of Creation 1–2

1
The earth is Jehovah’s, and the fulness thereof; The world, and they that dwell therein. ​
2
For he hath founded it upon the seas, And established it upon the floods. ​

Requirements for Approaching God 3–6

3
Who shall ascend into the hill of Jehovah? And who shall stand in his holy place? ​
4
He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; Who hath not lifted up his soul unto falsehood, And hath not sworn deceitfully. ​
5
He shall receive a blessing from Jehovah, And righteousness from the God of his salvation. ​
6
This is the generation of them that seek after him, That seek thy face, even Jacob. [Selah ​

The King of Glory Enters 7–10

7
Lift up your heads, O ye gates; And be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors: And the King of glory will come in. ​
8
Who is the King of glory? Jehovah strong and mighty, Jehovah mighty in battle. ​
9
Lift up your heads, O ye gates; Yea, lift them up, ye everlasting doors: And the King of glory will come in.
10
Who is this King of glory? Jehovah of hosts, He is the King of glory. [Selah ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Psalms 24

Verse 1

The earth is the LORD'S — 'Earth' is erets, 'world' is tebel, the inhabited land, and 'fulness' (melo) is all that fills it. Paul quotes the verse to settle a question about food 'sold in the shambles' (1 Cor 10:25–26). Ps 89:11 says the same of the heavens and the earth: 'thou hast founded them'.

Verse 2

founded it upon the seas — Yasad is to lay a foundation, and kun ('established') to make firm. The line looks back to the third day, when the waters were 'gathered together unto one place' and 'the dry land' appeared (Gen 1:9). Ps 104:5 gives the result: 'the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed for ever'.

Verse 3

Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? — The question is that of Ps 15:1. Alah, to go up, is the verb of pilgrimage: 'whither the tribes go up' (Ps 122:4). The hill is the LORD's 'holy hill of Zion' (Ps 2:6), and to 'stand' (qum) in his holy place is to remain there.

Verse 4

clean hands, and a pure heart — 'Clean' is naqi, innocent, the word for 'the innocent' in Ps 15:5; 'pure' is bar. Christ's 'Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God' (Matt 5:8) takes up the same pair. 'Vanity' is shav, the word of the third commandment, 'in vain' (Ex 20:7).

Verse 5

He shall receive the blessing — 'Receive' is nasa, to lift or carry, the verb of 'lifted up' in v.4 and of 'lift up' in vv.7 and 9. The righteousness (tsedaqah) comes 'from the God of his salvation', as Paul puts it, 'the righteousness which is of God by faith' (Phil 3:9).

Verse 6

the generation of them that seek him — Dor, generation, here a kind or class of people. Two verbs are used for seeking: darash, to resort to, and baqash, to search out. 'Seek thy face' is the answer the psalmist gives elsewhere to God's word: 'Seek ye my face; … Thy face, LORD, will I seek' (Ps 27:8).

Verse 7

Lift up your heads, O ye gates — Nasa is again the verb, now of the gates' heads, so that the doors may open. 'Everlasting' is olam, ancient and lasting. The King's title, 'King of glory' (kabod), is echoed in Paul's 'the Lord of glory' (1 Cor 2:8).

Verse 8

The LORD strong and mighty — The answer to 'Who is this King of glory?' is the LORD himself: izzuz is forceful and gibbor a warrior, 'mighty in battle' (milchamah). The song of Moses already says 'The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name' (Ex 15:3).

Verse 10

The LORD of hosts — Tsaba means an army or host. Joshua met the 'captain of the host of the LORD' (Josh 5:14). The second answer gives another title: the King of glory is the LORD of hosts. The New Testament uses the title of Christ, 'the Lord of glory' (1 Cor 2:8).