Psalm 24

Psalm 24 belongs to Book One of the Psalms (Psalms 1–41), and its superscription reads "A Psalm of David." It immediately follows Psalm 23, which celebrates God as shepherd, and it praises the LORD as the owner of the whole world and the King of glory.

Structure

• Verses 1–2 declare that the earth, the world, and all who dwell in it belong to the LORD. The psalmist sings that the LORD founded the earth upon the seas and established it upon the floods.
• Verses 3–6 ask who may ascend the hill of the LORD. The psalmist answers that it is the one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul unto vanity, and who has not sworn deceitfully. Such a person receives blessing and righteousness from the LORD and belongs to the generation that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.
• Verses 7–10 twice call on the gates to lift up their heads, proclaiming that the King of glory shall come in. The question "Who is this King of glory?" is answered twice: first, the LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle; and finally, the LORD of hosts.

Key Verses

• Psalm 24:1 "The earth is the LORD's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein." This verse confesses that the Creator is the owner of the whole world, and it is quoted in 1 Corinthians 10:26.
• Psalm 24:4 "He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart." The verse requires of the worshiper both outward conduct and inward disposition.
• Psalm 24:7 "Lift up your heads, O ye gates." The verse depicts the reception of the King of glory, and the later church has read it as applying to Christ.

People and Places

• David: named in the superscription as the author of the psalm.
• Jacob: in the expression "the God of Jacob" in verse 6, the name stands for the people of Israel.
• The hill of the LORD and the holy place: these refer to the place where God is worshiped. They are commonly understood as Zion, the mount on which the Temple in Jerusalem stood.

Points for Reflection

• The question-and-answer exchange in verses 3–6 resembles Psalm 15, which asks who may dwell in the sanctuary. For this reason, some scholars regard the psalm as a liturgical song sung upon entering the temple.
• A long-standing interpretation connects verses 7–10 with David's bringing of the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6). The text itself, however, does not say so directly.
• The one with "a pure heart" in verse 4 is often read alongside the Beatitudes: "Blessed are the pure in heart" (Matthew 5:8).
• Since the early church, there has been a tradition of reading verses 7–10 in connection with Christ's Ascension or Second Coming. This is an interpretation of the church after the New Testament era; the psalm itself celebrates the presence of the LORD.