Psalm 24
Psalm 24 is a short psalm of David in three parts. It declares that the earth and everyone in it belong to the LORD, asks who may stand in his holy place (he that hath clean hands and a pure heart), and ends by calling the gates to lift up their heads so the King of glory, the LORD of hosts, can come in.
Psalm 24 (KJV)
The earth is the LORD's v. 1-2
1The earth is the LORD’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.
2For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods.
Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? v. 3-6
3Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place?
4He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.
5He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
6This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah.
Lift up your heads, O ye gates v. 7-10
7Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.
8Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.
9Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.
10Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.
What Psalm 24 means
The psalm opens with ownership. The earth, its fulness, the world, and they that dwell therein all belong to the LORD, because he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the floods. Everything that follows rests on that claim: the God being approached is the owner of all things.
That raises a question in verse 3: "Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place?" The answer is about the whole person. Clean hands speak of what a person does, a pure heart of what they are inside, and the rest of verse 4 names what they worship and how they speak: not lifting the soul to vanity, not swearing deceitfully. Such a person receives blessing and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
Verses 7-10 sound like a procession arriving at the city. The gates are told to lift up their heads and the everlasting doors to be lifted, so the King of glory can enter. Someone asks, "Who is this King of glory?" The answer comes twice: first the LORD strong and mighty, mighty in battle, and then, at the close, "The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory."
Christians have long heard the King of glory entering the gates as a picture of Christ, and the standard of verse 4 as one only he fully meets. The first verse is quoted in the New Testament when Paul tells believers they may eat what is sold in the market, because the earth is the Lord's (1 Corinthians 10:26).
Background and context
The heading printed in the KJV calls it a Psalm of David. Many readers connect it with David bringing the ark of the LORD up to Jerusalem with shouting and trumpets (2 Samuel 6:15), though the psalm itself does not say so.
The word Selah appears twice, after verse 6 and verse 10. Its exact meaning is uncertain; it is usually understood as a musical or reading pause.
Key verses
The earth is the LORD’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.
Psalm 24:1 · KJV
Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.
Psalm 24:3-4 · KJV
Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.
Psalm 24:10 · KJV
Cross references
- 1 Corinthians 10:26 Paul quotes verse 1 to settle a question about food sold in the market.For the earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof.
- Psalm 15:1-2 A companion psalm asks who shall dwell in thy holy hill and gives a similar answer.LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.
- Matthew 5:8 Jesus blesses the pure in heart, who shall see God.Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
- 2 Samuel 6:15 David brings the ark up to Jerusalem with shouting and trumpets, a setting many link to this psalm.So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet.
- Exodus 15:3 The LORD is a man of war, echoing the LORD mighty in battle in verse 8.The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name.
How well do you know Psalm 24?
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Common questions
What is the meaning of Psalm 24?
It says the whole earth belongs to the LORD, that only those with clean hands and a pure heart may stand in his holy place, and it welcomes the LORD of hosts as the King of glory entering his gates.
Who is the King of glory in Psalm 24?
The psalm answers its own question: "The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory." Christians have long also seen Christ in this picture.
Where does it say the earth is the Lord's?
Psalm 24:1, and Paul quotes it in 1 Corinthians 10:26: "For the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof."
Who wrote Psalm 24?
The heading in the KJV calls it a Psalm of David.
What does clean hands and a pure heart mean?
Clean hands point to right actions and a pure heart to right desires and motives. Verse 4 adds not lifting the soul to vanity and not swearing deceitfully.
Large Print Bible Crossword
Verses of Joy & Praise — 50 Scripture Crossword Puzzles for Adults & Seniors
Psalm 24 is a song of praise to the King of glory, and the Large Print Bible Crossword on joy and praise turns verses like it into 50 easy-to-read puzzles.
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