Psalm 24 Participant Analysis
From Psalms: Layer by Layer
Psalm 24/Participant Analysis
Choose a PsalmNavigate Psalm 24
Meeting the king
Psalm 24
Please note: Resources for Psalm 24 are in the process of being reformatted for visual consistency and improved functionality.
Participant Analysis
Participant Analysis focuses on the characters in the psalm and asks, “Who are the main participants (or characters) in this psalm, and what are they saying or doing? It is often helpful for understanding literary structure, speaker identification, etc.
For a detailed explanation of our method, see the Participant Analysis Creator Guidelines.
There are 3 participants/characters in Psalm 24:
| David |
| YHWH |
| "YHWH" (vv. 1, 3, 5, 8, 10) |
| "The God of... salvation" (v. 5) |
| "The glorious king" (vv. 7–10) |
| Congregation |
| "gates" (vv. 7, 9) |
| "eternal doorways" (vv. 7, 9) |
| one with clean hands and a pure heart (v. 4) |
| the generation of Jacob (v. 6) |
| "those who seek YHWH" (v. 6) |
- The psalmist, as the speaker throughout the psalm, is identified as David in the superscription.
- YHWH is referred to as "the God of salvation" (v. 5) to the one who will approach his holy place (v. 3). As his people welcome him in as king, he is referred to as "the glorious king."
- The addressee throughout the psalm (with the exception of v. 6) is considered to be the congregation. They are encouraged to examine themselves to ensure they belong to those "with clean hands and a pure heart" (v. 4) in order to be identified as "the generation of Jacob" and "those who seek YHWH" (v. 6). If that is the case, they are counted among those who receive the privilege of accompanying the Ark of YHWH into his holy place and welcome him as king, as if they, themselves, were the gates of the city. (For further detail, see the exegetical issue, The Meaning of "Doors" in Ps 24:7, 9).
| Hebrew | Verse | English |
|---|---|---|
| לְדָוִ֗ד מִ֫זְמ֥וֹר | 1a | By David. A psalm. |
| לַֽ֭יהוָה הָאָ֣רֶץ וּמְלוֹאָ֑הּ | 1b | The earth and its fullness belong to YHWH, |
| תֵּ֝בֵ֗ל וְיֹ֣שְׁבֵי בָֽהּ׃ | 1c | the world and the inhabitants in it, |
| כִּי־ה֭וּא׀ עַל־יַמִּ֣ים יְסָדָ֑הּ | 2a | because he has founded it upon the seas |
| וְעַל־נְ֝הָר֗וֹת יְכוֹנְנֶֽהָ׃ | 2b | and keeps it established upon the currents. |
| מִֽי־יַעֲלֶ֥ה בְהַר־יְהוָ֑ה | 3a | Who may go up on the mountain of YHWH? |
| וּמִי־יָ֝קוּם בִּמְק֥וֹם קָדְשֽׁוֹ׃ | 3b | And who may stand within his holy place? |
| נְקִ֥י כַפַּ֗יִם וּֽבַר־לֵ֫בָ֥ב | 4a | One with clean hands and a pure heart, |
| אֲשֶׁ֤ר ׀ לֹא־נָשָׂ֣א לַשָּׁ֣וְא נַפְשׁוֹ | 4b | who has not delighted in falsehood, |
| וְלֹ֖א נִשְׁבַּ֣ע לְמִרְמָֽה׃ | 4c | nor taken an oath deceitfully. |
| יִשָּׂ֣א בְ֭רָכָה מֵאֵ֣ת יְהוָ֑ה | 5a | He will receive blessing from YHWH |
| וּ֝צְדָקָ֗ה מֵאֱלֹהֵ֥י יִשְׁעֽוֹ׃ | 5b | and privilege from the God of his salvation. |
| זֶ֭ה דּ֣וֹר דֹּרְשָׁ֑יו | 6a | Such is the generation—those seeking him, |
| מְבַקְשֵׁ֨י פָנֶ֖יךָ יַעֲקֹ֣ב סֶֽלָה׃ | 6b | those who seek your face—of Jacob. Selah. |
| שְׂא֤וּ שְׁעָרִ֨ים ׀ רָֽאשֵׁיכֶ֗ם | 7a | Lift up your heads, gates, |
| וְֽ֭הִנָּשְׂאוּ פִּתְחֵ֣י עוֹלָ֑ם | 7b | and be lifted up, eternal doorways, |
| וְ֝יָב֗וֹא מֶ֣לֶךְ הַכָּבֽוֹד׃ | 7c | so that the glorious king might enter! |
| מִ֥י זֶה֮ מֶ֤לֶךְ הַכָּ֫ב֥וֹד | 8a | Who is this, the glorious king? |
| יְ֭הוָה עִזּ֣וּז וְגִבּ֑וֹר | 8b | YHWH, a mighty one and a warrior; |
| יְ֝הוָ֗ה גִּבּ֥וֹר מִלְחָמָֽה׃ | 8c | YHWH, a battle warrior. |
| שְׂא֤וּ שְׁעָרִ֨ים ׀ רָֽאשֵׁיכֶ֗ם | 9a | Lift up your heads, gates, |
| וּ֭שְׂאוּ פִּתְחֵ֣י עוֹלָ֑ם | 9b | and lift up, eternal doorways, |
| וְ֝יָבֹא מֶ֣לֶךְ הַכָּבֽוֹד׃ | 9c | so that the glorious king might enter! |
| מִ֤י ה֣וּא זֶה֮ מֶ֤לֶךְ הַכָּ֫ב֥וֹד | 10a | Who is this, the glorious king? |
| יְהוָ֥ה צְבָא֑וֹת ה֤וּא מֶ֖לֶךְ הַכָּב֣וֹד סֶֽלָה׃ | 10b | YHWH of armies, he is the glorious king. Selah. |
- Addressee throughout vv. 1-5: The congregation , or YHWH? Both the faithful, Jacob, and YHWH are described largely in the third person throughout vv. 1-5. Nevertheless, the intended perlocutionary effect is that the listener would examine him/herself to ensure they belonged among those described in v. 4, such that it is the congregation itself being addressed throughout these verses.
- Addressee in v. 6: The congregation , or YHWH? The second-person suffix on "your face" as belonging to YHWH supports interpreting YHWH as the addressee of this verse, though only this verse.
- Addressee throughout vv. 7-10: Due to the imagery of the gates, being addressed, as identified with the inhabitants of Zion (see the imagery tables), it is most plausible that the same congregation addressed in vv. 1-5 are also addressed here.
Participant Relations Diagram
The relationships among the participants may be abstracted and summarized as follows:
