When was Psalm 24 sung?
The text does not say. Many connect it with the ark's ascent to Jerusalem in 2 Samuel 6, or with processions in the temple. Its structure of questions and answers suggests a song alternated between groups.
Psalms · psalm 24 of 150
Psalm 24: Summary, Key Verses and Study Questions
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What happens in Psalm 24?
Psalm 24 proclaims that the earth and everything in it belong to the Lord, because he founded it upon the seas. It asks who may ascend his holy hill and answers: whoever has clean hands and a pure heart. It ends with a procession in which the gates are told to lift up so that the King of glory, the Lord of hosts, may come in.
The title attributes it to David. It is a processional hymn, probably sung when the ark of the Lord went up to Jerusalem, as in 2 Samuel 6, or at festivals in the temple. It has three parts: God as creator and owner of all, the conditions for drawing near to him, and the entrance of his glory. Christian tradition sometimes reads it in connection with Christ's ascension, although the New Testament does not quote it.
Psalm 24 summary
The psalm opens with a statement: the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell in it. He founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers. Nothing that exists is independent of his rule.
The question that follows is: who shall ascend the hill of the Lord, and who shall stand in his holy place? The answer concerns character and not birth: he who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false or swear deceitfully. He will receive blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation. Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, O God of Jacob.
In the last part, the procession reaches the gates. A choir calls for the gates to lift up their heads and the ancient doors to be lifted so that the King of glory may come in. Another asks who this King of glory is, and the answer is: the Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. The call and the question are repeated, and the final answer is: the Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory.
Chapter outline
- vv. 1-2: The earth is the Lord's because he created it.
- vv. 3-6: Who may ascend his hill: clean hands, a pure heart and seeking his face.
- vv. 7-10: The entrance of the King of glory through the ancient gates.
Key verses in Psalm 24
References follow ESV book names and verse numbers. Read each verse in your Bible before the explanation.
Psalm 24:1
The earth is the Lord's and everything in it. Paul quotes this verse in 1 Corinthians 10:26 to remind us that all creation belongs to God and can be received with gratitude.
Psalm 24:3
The psalmist asks who shall ascend the hill of the Lord and stand in his holy place. The question acknowledges the distance between a holy God and the people who approach him.
Psalm 24:4
The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not sworn deceitfully, may ascend. Worship requires integrity in what we do and in what we desire.
Psalm 24:7
The gates are invited to lift up so that the King of glory may come in. It is a picture of God's majesty drawing near to his people, and Christians apply it to the coming of Christ in glory.
Main themes
- The Lord, owner of all creation
- Integrity in drawing near to God
- Seeking the Lord's face
- The King of glory
- God's entrance among his people
People and places
- David
- The Lord, King of glory
- Those who seek his face
- The ancient gates
Psalm 24 study questions and answers
6 questions with answers and references, ready for Sunday school, small group or a Bible quiz night.
1. Whose is the earth and everything in it?
Answer: The Lord's. — Psalm 24:1
2. On what did the Lord found the earth?
Answer: Upon the seas and the rivers. — Psalm 24:2
3. Who may ascend the hill of the Lord?
Answer: The one with clean hands and a pure heart, who has not sworn deceitfully. — Psalm 24:3-4
4. What will the one who ascends receive?
Answer: Blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation. — Psalm 24:5
5. What are the gates told to do?
Answer: Lift up their heads so that the King of glory may come in. — Psalm 24:7
6. Who is the King of glory?
Answer: The Lord, strong and mighty in battle; the Lord of hosts. — Psalm 24:8
Application for today
Psalm 24 joins worship with ethics. Whoever recognizes God as owner of the earth recognizes that nothing he has is absolute. In a small group you can ask which part of life we still treat as our own: money, time, talents.
It also reminds us that drawing near to God requires a clean heart. No human being achieves it alone, but Christ, who had clean hands and a pure heart, opens the way for us. And the picture of the gates invites a prayer: Lord, open the gates of my life, my family and my church so that you may enter, King of glory.
Psalm 24 ends with the entrance of the King of glory. Psalm 25, by contrast, is the humble prayer of someone who lifts his soul to the Lord and asks him to teach, forgive and guide him.
Frequently asked questions about Psalm 24
What does it mean that the King of glory comes in through the gates?
It was the picture of God himself, present with his people, arriving at the sanctuary. Christians often apply it to Christ entering glory and to his return, although the New Testament does not quote the psalm.
What is meant by clean hands and a pure heart?
Hands represent actions and the heart represents desires and thoughts. The psalm asks for consistency between what is done and what is desired, without deceit and without idolatry.