1 The earth is the LORD's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.
2 For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods.
3 Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place?
4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity,
nor sworn deceitfully.
5 He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his
salvation.
6 This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah.
7 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the
King of glory shall come in.
8 Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.
9 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the
King of glory shall come in.
10 Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.1
Bible Commentary
1
God has a right to the earth, to all
that it contains, and to all its inhabitants, since He is Creator and Lord of the
whole earth.2
2 The earth was originally completely covered
with water (Gen. 1:2). Then the voice of the Creator bade the waters to be gathered
into one place, and the dry land to appear (Gen. 1:9).2
3 The hill of the Lord is Mount Zion or Moriah,
the place of God's sanctuary and special presence.3 To ascend the hill of the Lord and
stand in his holy place, requires an elevation of the perfect character above the low
places of ordinary character. The character pleasing to God and man must climb above
the commonplace.2
4 Since the hands are the instruments of activity,
to have clean hands means to be upright. True religion does not consist in mere outward
conformity to religious ceremonies; it controls the heart and produces purity of
thought and sincerity of motive. The godly man regards only that which is true and
real. He does not value or desire the vain things of this life such as honours,
riches and pleasures. He does not lie nor take God's name in vain.2,3,4
5 God's friendship and favour are the right of the
man who has an upright character.2
6 The generation of them that seek Him refer
to those that earnestly desire to know the God of Jacob. They seek thy face,
which means seeking the grace and favour of God.2,3
7 The subject of the procession is the ark as it
as it approaches the gates of Jerusalem, about to enter the city. The crowd utters
a summons to admit the King of glory. Jerusalem is to be the permanent abiding
place of the ark.2
8 The question who is this King of glory
was sung as response to those who had demanded of the watchers upon the walls that
the city gates should be opened. The answer follows. The King of glory is Jehovah,
strong and mighty, a God of power, Creator and Proprietor of the earth, who shows
His power in overthrowing His enemies.2
9 The repetition of summons gives force to what is uttered, and heightens
the formal ritualism of the poem. A ceremony is in progress. Hebrew
poetry delights in repetition or near repetition for the sake of
emphasis.2
10 God rules over a universe of creatures and
created things, marshalled in order, or arranged as armies for battle. His reign is
universal. The inhabitants of the universe, and all ranks and orders, acknowledge His
rule. The word Hosts sometimes refers to the heavenly bodies and at other
times the angels. At the first response of the bearers of the ark, the gates appear
to have remained closed before the waiting procession. At this second response,
The Lord of hosts, instead of The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in
battle, appears to be a sort of glorious password that unlocks the city. The
ritualistic effect is heightened. The psalm closes in perfect accord with the
opening thought: God alone is ruler of the universe; He alone should be universally
recognised. The ceremony of installing the ark in the hill of the Lord provides a
fitting occasion for this proclamation.2
References and notes
1. King James Authorized Version
2. SDA Bible
Commentary Vol. 3 pgs. 687-690
3. John Wesley's Explanatory Notes
on the Whole Bible - http://bible.crosswalk.com/Commentaries
4. Jamieson, Fausset, Brown - Commentary
Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - http://bible.crosswalk.com/Commentaries
5.
Catholic Encyclopedia
- www.newadvent.org/cathen/12533a.htm
Song Reviews
Glorious arrangement
Epic reworking of Psalm 24 with a full classical/folk
orchestra featuring mandolins, flutes and tympani
backing up spirited singing including some really lovely
vocal harmonies.
A terrific arrangement.
The challenge of singing a religious text with
expression and commitment was met ably by male and
female lead vocalists who managed to get the words
across clearly without making them sound too cheesy.
- woodstocktaylor (UK)
9 May 2004
Quality song with good Message.
it's apparently a quality sound production..I like it
cause it's melodic and using some interesting
instruments..Mandolin too right? Quality
vocals..interesting message in the lyrics..I love the
orchestration too..song is put together well.
- frankzee
(Pennsylvania, USA)
11 May 2004 |
Who Wrote the Psalms?