Down to Earth But Heavenly Minded

What does Psalms Chapter 15 mean?

This psalm begins with a deceptively simple question. Who is worthy to be in the presence of God? The term “sojourn” does not necessarily mean travel or a temporary condition. Rather, it means to live somewhere as a stranger or foreigner. David implicitly realizes that no human being is perfect (Psalm 51:1–2; 143:2; Romans 3:23); any imperfect person in God’s presence is somewhat out of place. What follows are characteristics of a truly righteous person. These are explanations of what righteousness looks like, not an explanation of how one can prove their righteousness to the Lord (Psalm 15:1).

The term “blameless” is a reference to reputation. It does not mean “sinless,” but implies someone whose life offers no room for criticism from others (Deuteronomy 18:13; Proverbs 29:10). One way to monitor this is by honesty. The “heart,” as mentioned in ancient writing, includes many aspects modern language ascribes to the “mind.” A righteous person is not only truthful about others, and about themselves, they think honestly about others and themselves (Psalm 15:2).

Telling lies, speaking unkindly of others, or harming a neighbor are all incompatible with a righteous lifestyle. In addition, the godly person weighs if other people’s lifestyles are God-honoring and esteems their actions accordingly. In honesty and respectful love for others, the righteous person keeps their word, even when it’s to their own disadvantage (Psalm 15:3–4).

Under the Old Testament law, Israelites were forbidden from charging interest when lending money to poor countrymen. The terms used in ancient Hebrew most closely resemble the English term usury, which means to charge excessive interest. A righteous person does not give financial aid to those in need with the intent of making a profit. Investing for a business purpose is not the same as “lending” to those who are poverty-stricken. Also, those who are righteous refuse to accept bribes; they do not allow their judgment to be clouded with corruption (Psalm 15:5).

Chapter Context
The psalms immediately preceding this describe the wicked who deny God’s existence and assault the poor. Here, David describes the lifestyle of a righteous person. David makes these comments knowing no human being is without flaws (Psalm 51:1–2; 143:2). Ideally, however, a believer honors the Lord and relates righteously to his neighbor. David may have written this psalm after bringing the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem.

Verse by Verse

Verse 1. O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent?Who shall dwell on your holy hill?

David questions how to describe a person qualified to be the Lord’s guest in His tabernacle. This is not meant as a shallow thought; David seems to recognize that everyone has fallen short of God’s glory (Psalm 51:1–2; 143:2; Romans 3:23). The Lord cannot coexist in His full presence with sin, so how can He welcome anyone to live in His presence?

David’s use of the term “sojourn” here is part of his perspective. The Hebrew root word is guwr, which most literally means to live somewhere as a stranger or foreigner. Naturally, any imperfect person would be out of place in God’s presence. This term is sometimes used for temporary travel, but it is not necessarily something short-lived. David’s desire is for something permanent (Psalm 5:4–8; 15:5).

Today, a person might ask, “Who will live in heaven with the Lord?” In the New Testament a young lawyer pondered this question (Matthew 19:16–23). A Pharisee, Nicodemus, also sought an answer from Jesus (John 3:1–4). Jesus provides the answer in John 3:36 and John 14:1–3. John 3:36 assures us that whoever believes in Jesus, God’s Son, has eternal life. In John 14:1–3 Jesus promises His disciples—and all believers—that He will come again and take them to His Father’s house. Then Jesus and believers will be together forever.

God’s saving grace is the means for us to answer. By grace He saves sinners (Ephesians 2:8–9) and reconciles them to Himself (2 Corinthians 5:17–21). David refers to the Lord’s “tent,” or “tabernacle,” as situated on His holy hill, which is Zion, or Jerusalem. Some believe this psalm was written when David brought the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem with great joy (2 Samuel 6:12–15).

Context Summary
Psalm 15:1 asks a question many have pondered through the ages. David poses the riddle of what kind of person is fit to be in the presence of God. This sets up a series of challenging requirements, which form the other verses of this psalm.

Verse 2. He who walks blamelessly and does what is rightand speaks truth in his heart;

The person who is the Lord’s guest in His tabernacle (Psalm 15:1) proves the genuineness of his faith by leading a blameless life and speaking truthfully. The term “blameless” is often misunderstood to imply “sinless;” it means being sincere and free of any legitimate charge of sinful conduct, in so far as that’s possible for a fallible person (1 John 1:8–10). At the beginning of the church age, the congregation at Jerusalem was instructed to choose seven men to oversee the church’s welfare program. One of the required qualifications for these men was that of being “of good repute” (Acts 6:3). Paul exhorted the Philippian believers to be “blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation” (Philippians 2:15).

David also refers to this person as one who “speaks truth in his heart.” Honesty and truthfulness are necessary parts of personal integrity. That not only applies to the world, at large, but to one’s own thoughts and emotions. The Hebrew concept of “the heart” is not purely emotional. Terms translated as “heart” and “mind” in ancient writing are more closely related than they are in modern language. The righteous person is not only honest with others, and about others, but with and about himself, as well.

Clearly, the person who anticipates dwelling with the Lord in heaven demonstrates a righteous life on earth. Having received salvation by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8–9), he performs good deeds as a natural outcome and visible evidence of that salvation (Ephesians 2:10; Philippians 2:12–13).

Context Summary
Psalm 15:2–5 describes the person who is qualified to be the Lord’s guest in the tabernacle (Psalm 15:1). This is not an explanation of “how” a person comes to be qualified. Rather, it describes “what” a person’s life looks like to honor God and reflect His goodness. While not a direct parallel, the ten ideas given here complement the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1–17).

Verse 3. who does not slander with his tongueand does no evil to his neighbor,nor takes up a reproach against his friend;

David describes the Lord’s guest (Psalm 15:1) as a person of integrity and peace. He doesn’t slander others, nor does he harm his neighbor. Furthermore, he does not lie about his neighbor.

Believers today ought to avoid using language that harms others. They show by their speech that they are followers of Jesus, who is the truth (John 14:6). They speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15) and display the fruit of the Spirit: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22–23). This also includes avoiding slander: unkind or untrue words that harm another person’s reputation.

The wicked person poisons society by slander, but the person who reflects God’s nature uses speech that is gracious and seasoned with salt (Colossians 4:6). The wicked person is like the robbers who assaulted the man who was traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho. The righteous man is like the Good Samaritan who ministered to the wounded traveler (Luke 10:25–37). He shows compassionate love and care for his neighbor.

Verse 4. in whose eyes a vile person is despised,but who honors those who fear the Lord;who swears to his own hurt and does not change;

The person the Lord allows to be His tabernacle guest (Psalm 15:1) understands how mankind ought to react to their Creator (Genesis 1:26–27). There are two important terms in this first phrase. The word “vile” describes a deliberately wicked, morally worthless person. “Despise” comes from a term which can also mean “to hold in contempt” or “to disdain.” These are both understood through direct contrast. The opposites of those conditions are to “honor,” or to esteem and respect, and those who “fear” God, in the sense of submissive reverence and obedience (Proverbs 1:7). A godly person respects those who honor God and rejects the lifestyles of those who hate Him.

This partly includes refusing to partner with evil people in evil activities. The apostle Paul commands in 2 Corinthians 6:14–16, “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols?” The righteous person chooses to honor those who fear the Lord. He commends them, edifies them, and supports them with his fellowship and prayers.

Philippians 2:2–4 exhorts believers to honor one another by sharing the same mind and love, being unified, and putting one another’s interests ahead of their own. According to this verse, the righteous person is true to his word regardless of the consequences. Even when the promise is hard, it is God-honoring to keep one’s word (Matthew 5:37).

Verse 5. who does not put out his money at interestand does not take a bribe against the innocent.He who does these things shall never be moved.

The person allowed to be the Lord’s guest in the tabernacle (Psalm 15:1) exhibits faith in the Lord in the way he lends money. Jews were commanded in Scripture not to charge interest of fellow Israelites. Exodus 22:25 states, “If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall not be like a moneylender to him, and you shall not exact interest from him.” There is a biblical distinction between lending to those in need, for their need, as opposed to lending for some business purpose. In this verse, for example, the Hebrew terminology specifically refers to usury: the charging of unfair levels of interest. One who lends to invest reasonably expects a return on his money (Luke 19:23). Those who lend to the needy and poor should not expect to profit from that charity.

Also, the Lord commanded His people not to accept a bribe. Exodus 23:8 states plainly, “And you shall take no bribe, for a bribe blinds the clear-sighted and subverts the cause of those who are in the right.” It seems judges commonly accepted bribes in David’s day. Later, both the sin of usury and the sin of taking a bribe brought indictments from the prophets (Isaiah 1:23; 5:23; 10:2; Ezekiel 22:12; Amos 5:11–12).

David writes that the person who lives according to the characteristics described in verses 2–5 will never be moved, meaning nothing will shake him. His consistent lifestyle of godliness will act as a form of self-protection to avoid falling into sin and evil.

End of Psalm 15

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