Down to Earth But Heavenly Minded

What does Psalms Chapter 24 mean?

In this psalm King David extols God as the eternal King, the Lord of hosts. This psalm has traditionally been associated with David’s relocation of the ark of the covenant, from the house of Obed-edom to Mount Zion (2 Samuel 6). A procession would have accompanied the ark with singing and music (1 Chronicles 15:2–28). Likely, the psalm was composed for a choir. The people at worship or a chorus would sing the first two verses, and a leader asked the questions starting in verse 3.

David writes that the Lord owns the earth and everything in the earth and on it, including human beings. The “fullness” of earth is a reference to all of humanity. As the one who created the world and established its form, God is rightfully considered the Master of everyone and everything (Psalm 24:1–2).

Only the righteous can properly worship the Lord in His house. This involves having pure motives, a truthful approach, and hands which are not stained with evil. David writes that those who lead a righteous life will receive blessing from God (Psalm 24:3–6).

Calling out to the entire city of Jerusalem, David cries out for the city gates to swing open so the King of glory can enter Jerusalem. In Hebrew the exact same phrasing used in verse 7 is repeated in verse 9, emphasizing the poetry and importance of that moment. This psalm describes God as strong and mighty, mighty in battle and the Lord of hosts (Psalm 24:7–10).

Chapter Context
Psalm 24 follows logically after Psalms 22 and 23. Psalm 22 depicts the Good Shepherd’s suffering on the cross. Psalm 23 depicts the depths of His care of his sheep. Psalm 24 depicts his return to rule as king. The cross is seen in Psalm 22. The shepherd’s crook is seen in Psalm 23. The shepherd’s crown is in view in Psalm 24. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, died for us (Psalm 22), cares for us (Psalm 23), and is coming for us (Psalm 24). Psalm 15 is a parallel to this passage.

Verse by Verse

Verse 1. The earth is the Lord ‘s and the fullness thereof,the world and those who dwell therein,

This psalm is credited to David. It is possible, even likely, that this was composed to celebrate the return of the ark of the covenant from Obed-edom’s house (2 Samuel 6). This is not certain, however.

Abraham referred to the Lord as “Possessor of heaven and earth” (Genesis 14:22). In Psalm 24:1 David affirms the truth that the Lord owns all creation. He states that the earth and everything pertaining to it, including human beings, belongs to the Lord. Although God placed a curse on the earth following our first parents’ sin, the Lord possesses the earth and everything in and on it, and when Jesus returns to earth, he will roll back the curse and restore earth to Edenic conditions (see Genesis 3; Isaiah 11:1–16; Romans 8:19–21).

David also acknowledges that God owns all human beings. The term translated “fullness” here is meant as a reference to all people. Genesis 1:26–27 reports that God created humanity, as males and females, in His own image. First John 2:2 declares that Jesus Christ died for the sins of all mankind. Therefore, the Lord has a rightful claim to our lives by virtue of creation and redemption.

Context Summary
Psalm 24:1–6 affirms what is declared in John 1:1–3 and Genesis 1—2: that God created everything. The people at worship or a chorus sang the first two verses, and a leader asked the question in verse 3. Psalm 15 echoes the truth taught in Psalm 24:4–6, and Matthew 5:6–8 reinforces the fact that only the righteous can see God. Tradition says this psalm celebrates David bringing the ark of the covenant back from Obed-edom’s house (2 Samuel 6).

Verse 2. for he has founded it upon the seasand established it upon the rivers.

The point here is not about the exact construction of the planet. Even as stated the meaning is not that the earth rests on water; rather this refers to how God separated the land from the water. He formed the sea and the rivers, the lakes and streams, the springs, ponds, and waterfalls. Genesis 1:2 points out that when God initiated the creation, “the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.”

When civilization reached its lowest moral point, God demonstrated clearly that He owns the waters. He sent a flood to sweep away the entire corrupt human race—with the exception of righteous Noah and his family (Genesis 6—9). The apostle Peter reminds us that “the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God [the land appeared from water], and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished” (2 Peter 3:5–6).

The Lord’s ownership of the waters is further illustrated by the fact that He caused the flood in Noah’s time to abate so that dry land appeared again (Genesis 8:1–5). Such a flood has not recurred, nor will it recur because the Lord promised He would never send such a flood again (Genesis 9:11).

Verse 3. Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?And who shall stand in his holy place?

David asks a basic question about approaching God. He ponders who can climb the hill to worship in the tabernacle and who can enter the Lord’s presence. Because God is holy and man is sinful, no one in his natural state can worship God acceptably or enter His presence (Exodus 33:20).

The Samaritan woman, with whom Jesus conversed at Jacob’s well, believed worship involved a special place. She told Jesus, “Our fathers worshiped on this mountain” (John 4:20). But Jesus assured her that true worship is not about a place but about the condition of the heart. He pointed out that worshipers must worship God in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). Many religious people believe they cannot truly worship without being in church, surrounded by religious symbols. Or they feel they must repeat certain religious prayers or follow prescribed rituals. David’s question, therefore, carries relevance for people today as well as for his original readers.

Verse 4. He who has clean hands and a pure heart,who does not lift up his soul to what is falseand does not swear deceitfully.

The answer to the question posed in verse 3 is given here. Proper worship of God requires clean hands, a pure heart, and integrity. A person cannot truly worship God unless they are submitted to Him in faith, and that submission cannot occur until they have been redeemed by salvation. The question is not whether or not a person is capable of singing or saying words; it’s whether their efforts are appropriate.

The Levites who transported the ark had to be ceremonially clean, as did the priests. Exodus 30:18–21 instructs Aaron, the high priest, and his sons to wash their hands and feet at the laver in the tabernacle before ministering to the Lord. Isaiah 52:11 commands: “Purify yourselves, you who bear the vessels of the LORD.”

Having “clean hands” refers to the performance of righteous deeds, as well as avoidance of evil deeds. This imagery is reflected in modern English expressions such as “willing to get his hands dirty,” which implies someone willing to do evil to accomplish their goals. Pilate’s dramatic washing of his hands declared his opinion that he was completely innocent of what happened to Jesus (Matthew 27:24).

Having a pure heart likely refers to a person’s godly thoughts and character. Further, the person who legitimately enters the Lord’s presence in worship does not worship idols: anything or anyone other than the one true God.

A true worshipper does not practice deception (John 4:24). He is a person of integrity. The Lord cannot be fooled. He knows our thoughts, motives, deeds, and speech, and He hates hypocrisy. Jesus rebuked the scribes and Pharisees because they appeared righteous but were full of hypocrisy and lawlessness (Matthew 23:28).

Verse 5. He will receive blessing from the Lordand righteousness from the God of his salvation.

This proclaims blessings and righteousness to the person described in verse 4: someone with clean hands, a pure heart, and truthfully faithful soul.

These benefits are not wages a person earns. They are gifts from the God of salvation. All who have been saved by grace (Ephesians 2:8–9) are blessed “in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 1:3) and have “become the righteousness of God” in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21). Isaiah 61:10 states: “I will greatly rejoice in the LORD; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness.”

It is a tragic mistake to think our righteous works can earn God’s favor. Titus 3:5 declares that God saves us “not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.”

Verse 6. Such is the generation of those who seek him,who seek the face of the God of Jacob. Selah

David refers to seeking God’s face. This means to meet with God in a personal way. We use similar terminology in modern language. When a conversation needs to be personal, we speak of it needing to happen “face to face,” or that something needs to be said “to that person’s face.” This level of direct communication requires closeness and deliberate choice. In Jeremiah 29:13–14 the Lord promises, “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the LORD.” Seeking the Lord, then, is not a casual or haphazard experience but an intense experience, a yearning to know God intimately (Matthew 7:7–8).

Here, David compares those who seek God in worship to the patriarch Jacob, who wrestled with God and would not quit until God blessed him (Genesis 32:22–26). When the match ended, Jacob was blessed, and he called the place where he wrestled with God, Peniel, meaning the face of God (Genesis 32:30).

Because Jesus paid the penalty of our sin, He opened the way to God so by faith we have a personal relationship with God. Paul phrases this in similarly personal terms, saying God speaks to us “in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6). We can get to know God better if we spend quality time with Him.

This verse ends with the term selah, which has an unclear meaning. It might refer to a musical pause, or a declaration similar to the “amen” sometimes shouted when hearing a message.

Verse 7. Lift up your heads, O gates!And be lifted up, O ancient doors,that the King of glory may come in.

David appeals to Jerusalem to make room for the King of glory to enter the city. Today, when a prominent dignitary like a royal person visits the nation’s capital, a flurry of activity precedes his arrival. Traffic is cleared, flags are hoisted, and security is enhanced. Every precaution is taken to welcome the distinguished visitor. Jerusalem’s gates were the site where official business was transacted. David’s call to the gates was a poetic summons to the whole city of Jerusalem to welcome the King of glory.

Tradition suggests this psalm is connected to when David brought the ark of the covenant back from the home of Obed-edom (2 Samuel 6). The ark that represented God’s presence was about to enter Jerusalem. When it had been seized by the Philistines, Eli’s daughter-in-law bore a son and called him Ichabod, saying, “‘The glory has departed from Israel!’ because the ark of God had been captured” (1 Samuel 4:21). Now that the ark was about to enter Jerusalem, the glory of the King of heaven and earth was returning.

Context Summary
Psalm 24:7–10 calls upon Jerusalem to welcome the Messiah. The original audience of the psalm likely heard these words while being encouraged to welcome the ark’s return to Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6). Matthew 21:1–11 offers a preview of Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem at His second coming (Revelation 19:11–16). At that time Jesus, the King of glory, will be king over all the earth (Zechariah 14:9).

Verse 8. Who is this King of glory?The Lord, strong and mighty,the Lord, mighty in battle!

This describes the King of glory. He is “Yahweh, strong and mighty, Yahweh, mighty in battle.” David had seen the Lord display His strength in defeating David’s enemies, such as the giant Goliath (1 Samuel 17:41–49). He surely recalled how God had drowned Egypt’s military in the Red Sea after miraculously granting the Hebrews safe passage (Exodus 14:26–29).

In his song of praise to the Lord, Moses asked, “Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?” (Exodus 15:11). Moses also depicted the inhabitants of Canaan as trembling and experiencing terror and dread because of the greatness of the Lord’s arm (Exodus 15:15–16).

Believers should be encouraged to know the Lord is strong and mighty. In Romans 8:31 the apostle Paul asks, “If God be for us, who can be against us?” He adds in verse 37, “We are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”

Verse 9. Lift up your heads, O gates!And lift them up, O ancient doors,that the King of glory may come in.

Again, David calls upon the city of Jerusalem to welcome the King of glory. In Hebrew, this is a word-for-word repetition of the proclamation made in verse 7. This emphasizes the importance of the statement, and fits into the poetic structure of the psalm.

It’s likely that at this moment, David was returning the ark to Jerusalem from the home of Obed-edom (2 Samuel 6:12–15). The ark was a visible reminder of God’s presence. It was constructed to rest in the Most Holy Place in the tabernacle (Hebrews 9:3–4). David was returning the ark to Jerusalem to rest once again in the tabernacle. The King of glory, therefore, would be entering the city.

However, the scene of the ark entering Jerusalem also previews a future event. Before He was arrested and nailed to a cross, Jesus entered Jerusalem. He arrived in humility, but received a spontaneous welcome. “Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road” (Matthew 21:8). Those who went before Him and those who followed Him shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” (Matthew 21:9). Clearly, they were acknowledging that He is the Messiah. However, before long the crowd clamored for His crucifixion (Matthew 27:23).

Nevertheless, Christ will enter Jerusalem again, at His second coming. Then He will arrive as the conquering King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 19:11–16).

Verse 10. Who is this King of glory?The Lord of hosts,he is the King of glory! Selah

This closing verse of Psalm 24 describes the glorious King as “the LORD of hosts.” This divine title occurs well over two hundred times in the Old Testament. Its first occurrence is in 1 Samuel 1:3. Isaiah and Jeremiah combined use this phrase well over one hundred times.

The name “LORD of hosts” identifies the Lord as eternal and ruler over all the angels and stars. The title reflects the truth that, although Israel’s earthly king was David, her real king was Yahweh. Prophetically, the glorious king who will enter Jerusalem is the Lord Jesus. He is the Lord of heaven and earth by virtue of creation and redemption. Colossians 1:15–17 describes Jesus as having created everything in heaven and on earth, not only visible objects but invisible. The invisible would include the angelic host. He also holds everything together. Someday the Lord of hosts will return to earth with mighty angels to execute judgment on unbelievers and to reign from the throne of David (Isaiah 9:6–7).

End of Psalm 24

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