Psalm 24 Verse-by-Verse

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Welcome to the Verse-by-Verse Notes for Psalm 24!

The Verse-by-Verse Notes present scholarly, exegetical materials (from all layers of analysis) in a verse-by-verse format. They often present alternative interpretive options and justification for a preferred interpretation. The Verse-by-Verse Notes are aimed at consultant-level users.

The discussion of each verse of this psalm includes the following items.

1. A link to the part of the overview video where the verse in question is discussed.
2. The verse in Hebrew and English.
3. An expanded paraphrase of the verse.
4. A grammatical diagram of the verse, which includes glosses for each word and phrase.
5. A series of notes on the verse, which contain information pertaining to the interpretation of the psalm (e.g., meaning of words and phrases, poetic features, difficult grammatical constructions, etc.).

v. 1

Watch the Overview video on v. 1.

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
ss	לְדָוִ֗ד מִ֫זְמ֥וֹר	By David, a psalm.
1a	לַֽ֭יהוָה הָאָ֣רֶץ וּמְלוֹאָ֑הּ	The earth and its fullness belong to YHWH,
1b	תֵּ֝בֵ֗ל וְיֹ֣שְׁבֵי בָֽהּ׃	the world and the inhabitants in it,

Expanded Paraphrase

By David, a psalm. (Since YHWH alone created everything) The earth and its fullness belong to YHWH, the world and the inhabitants in it, (so he doesn't lack anything that we could offer him, nor can we manipulate him as we tried when we brought the ark into battle at Aphek,),

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• See our discussion of the lamed in By David (לְדָוִד) here.
• The LXX's superscription includes the phrase of the day of the Sabbath (τῆς μιᾶς σαββάτων), which highlights a prominent motif in vv. 1-2, namely, that of of creation and rest thereafter.
• The lamed in [belong] to YHWH (לַיהוָה) is one of possession (GKC §129a; BHRG §39.11.1a; W-OC §11.2.10d).
• The constituent [belong] to YHWH (לַיהוָה) is fronted, functioning as restrictive focus, as brought out in the paraphrase of the macrosyntax visual:

• We have here the first mention of YHWH in the psalm, who appears once in each strophe, though twice in v. 8.

• The waw in The earth and its fullness communicates addition, though the idea is probably more accurately portrayed by the preposition ܒ (with) in the Peshiṭta's the earth with its fullness.
• While the earth (הָאָרֶץ), as a unique referent, has an article, its parallel counterpart the world (תֵּבֵל) does not, apparently considered definite as "a common noun that has acquired the value of a proper noun" (BHRG §24.4.1).
• Regarding the construct state in combination with a prepositional phrase in the inhabitants in it (יֹ֣שְׁבֵי בָֽהּ), GKC notes, "The construct state... is frequently employed...as a connecting form, even apart from the genitive relation; so especially - (1) Before prepositions, particularly in elevated (prophetic or poetic) style" (§130a; cf. Ps 2:12).

v. 2

Watch the Overview video on v. 2.

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
2a	כִּי־ה֭וּא עַל־יַמִּ֣ים יְסָדָ֑הּ	because he has founded it upon the sea
2b	וְעַל־נְ֝הָר֗וֹת יְכוֹנְנֶֽהָ׃	and established it upon the ocean.

Expanded Paraphrase

because he founded it, (the world), upon seas and established it upon oceans, (thereby establishing the waters' boundaries) (and his sovereign authority).

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• Supporting the previous proposition, this verse's because (כִּי) clause(s) have a fronted pronoun he (הוּא), functioning focally, as illustrated by the paraphrase in the following visual:

• Though יַמִּים (lit. seas) and נְהָרוֹת (lit. rivers) don't have an article, they are considered definite as unique cosmological entities (see CSB, ESV, NASB, NIV, etc.) and are best rendered singular as their plural morphology is probably best understood as plural of intensification /amplification, so, for example, יַמִּים is interpreted as "the ocean, which encircles the earth" (GKC §124e). Furthermore, the term נְהָרוֹת is often used simply as 'currents', as in Jonah 2:4 (וַתַּשְׁלִיכֵ֤נִי מְצוּלָה֙ בִּלְבַ֣ב יַמִּ֔ים וְנָהָ֖ר יְסֹבְבֵ֑נִי), so in the current cosmic context is best rendered ocean.
• As a lexical pair, both יַמִּים and נְהָרוֹת were known as Yammu and Naharu, both mentioned as gods defeated by Ba'lu, in the same context Ba'lu encouraged the assembly of gods to lift up their heads (CTA2 in Hallo (ed.) The Context of Scripture, vol. 1, p. 246; see note on 'heads' in vv. 7, 9).
• Though both verbs of this verse are most commonly understood as past and finished actions, it is preferable to render yiqṭol as posterior and continuous aspect:

• This verse concludes the initial global speech act section, Decree.

• Furthermore, vv. 1-2 are dominated by consistent end rhyme, which is resumed in the final syllable of each of the following strophes (see the poetic feature, The Final "Who").

v. 3

Watch the Overview video on v. 3.

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
3a	מִֽי־יַעֲלֶ֥ה בְהַר־יְהוָ֑ה	Who may go up on the mountain of YHWH?
3b	וּמִי־יָ֝קוּם בִּמְק֥וֹם קָדְשֽׁוֹ׃	And who may stand within his holy place?

Expanded Paraphrase

(In previous attempts to unite his ark and his temple, however,) (we have tried to manipulate the ark's presence, and we saw how Hophni, Phineas, the men of Beth-Shemesh and Uzzah suffered the consequences of doing so according to their own understanding. As we now bring the ark into Jerusalem, we are determined to do it rightly this time. So,) Who may go up on the mountain of YHWH? And who may stand within his holy place?

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• Both yiqṭol verbs in this verse should be understood as permissive (can, may, should), as discussed in GKC §107t. Hence, our CBC: "Who may go up...?"
• The parallelism between these two lines makes it probable that the mountain of the Lord and his holy place are co-referential, as the mountain-city. Such seems clear from other places in the Psalter, such as Ps. 48:2, in the city of our God, his holy hill (בְּעִ֥יר אֱ֝לֹהֵ֗ינוּ הַר־קָדְשֽׁוֹ).
• Such questions are necessary as there had been a history of the Israelites (and, indeed, the Philistines) trying to manipulate the presence of the ark, so standing in YHWH's presence and accompanying the ark to the temple-mountain should not be taken lightly.

• In fact, this history, including Hophni, Phineas and the Israelite army (1 Sam. 4), the Philistines ( 1 Sam. 5-6), the people of Beth-Shemesh (1 Sam. 6.19), and Uzzah (2 Sam. 6.5-8) provide one of the key background events of the psalm.

• Thus the questions provide a challenge and set up a decree regarding the requirement of these participant, not a real question. So we have an indirect speech act.

• Nonetheless, this pair of Who (מִי) questions provide a strong ingredient to the psalm's poetic structure, and are matched with two more מִי questions in vv. 8 and 10.

v. 4

Watch the Overview video on v. 4.

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
4a	נְקִ֥י כַפַּ֗יִם וּֽבַר־לֵ֫בָ֥ב	One with clean hands and a pure heart,
4b	אֲשֶׁ֤ר ׀ לֹא־נָשָׂ֣א לַשָּׁ֣וְא נַפְשִׁ֑י	who hasn’t delighted in falsehood,
4c	וְלֹ֖א נִשְׁבַּ֣ע לְמִרְמָֽה׃	nor taken an oath deceitfully.

Expanded Paraphrase

(Unlike the Israelite army who tried to manipulate the ark's presence being carried by Hophni and Phineas,) (the answer to who may enter his presence is: only) One with clean hands and a pure heart, (and in contrast to the actions of Hophni and Phineas, who were morally corrupt and unfit for priestly worship of YHWH as they treated their duties with contempt), (the answer is: one who) who hasn't taken delight in falsehood, nor taken an oath deceitfully ( - falsehood and deceit being euphemisms for idols. So, clean hands and a pure heart represent ethical purity, and rejection of idolatry is part of proper worship).

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• As indicated by the diagram above, the descriptions in this verse provide the answer to the two Who (מִי) questions in v. 3, so the overt answer has been elided.
• This verse concludes the second global speech act section and the second decree of the psalm.

• The first two phrase contain construct chains of clean (characteristic) with regards to hands (specification) and pure (characteristic) with regards to heart (specification), hence the HALOT's rendering; "clean as regards hands" (cf. GKC §128y).
• Right worship involves ethical integrity and religious purity, so avoids idolatry, of which both falsehood (שָּׁוְא) and deceit (מִרְמָה) can refer to - see the Venn diagram of שָׁוְא below:

• The second line of this verse has merited its own exegetical issue wiki page, The Text and Meaning of Ps. 24:4b, which discusses of construction לָשֵׂאת נֶפֶשׁ לְ/אֵל as desire something and therefore the logic matches the best textual evidence for the 3ms suffix on נֶפֶשׁ, as read by all the major versions.

• The use of נשׂ׳׳א in this construction is the first of six instances of this verb in the psalm, which constitute a large part of the poetic feature Lift up.

v. 5

Watch the Overview video on v. 5.

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
5a	יִשָּׂ֣א בְ֭רָכָה מֵאֵ֣ת יְהוָ֑ה	He will receive blessing from YHWH
5b	וּ֝צְדָקָ֗ה מֵאֱלֹהֵ֥י יִשְׁעֽוֹ׃	and privilege from the God of his salvation.

Expanded Paraphrase

(As for this person with moral and religious integrity) He will receive blessing from YHWH (just as Obed-Edom was blessed after inhabiting with the presence of the ark) and privilege from the God of his salvation (- that is, the right standing to form part of those who will accompany YHWH's ark,) (just as Obed-Edom participated in the ark's procession.)

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• Though possibly read as modal yiqṭol, יִשָּׂא is best read as future indicative as forming part of the confident claim, He will receive, and description of this person in vv. 3-4. The major versions also contain and indicative verb and its parallel in Ps. 15.5 also points in this direction. At the same time, in perlocutionary fashion, the indicative nature of the clause "functions to call its readers to become Jacob" (Sumpter 2014, 49), as discussed in the next verse.

• Extending the literal take up to receive, the יִשָּׂא here provides another instance of נשׂ׳׳א as discussed in the Lift up poetic feature.

• The use of privilege (צְדָקָה) seems relate to the forming part of those who will accompany the ark to Jerusalem. Indeed, if forming part of those who will accompany the ark to Jerusalem is the counterpart of blessing, Obed-Edom serves as an example of someone who enjoyed both this blessing and justice (2 Sam. 6.10-12; 1 Chr. 15). Nevertheless, צְדָקָה has wider semantic potential:

• Where the God of salvation enters the equation, therefore, has to do with the previous subduing of Israel's enemies, including both the Philistines and the Jebusite inhabitants of Jerusalem.

v. 6

Watch the Overview video on v. 6.

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
6a	זֶ֭ה דּ֣וֹר דֹּרְשָׁ֑יו	Such is the generation - those seeking him,
6b	מְבַקְשֵׁ֨י פָנֶ֖יךָ יַעֲקֹ֣ב סֶֽלָה׃	those who seek your face - of Jacob. Selah.

Expanded Paraphrase

(Previously Israel tried to manipulate YHWH's presence and did not respect his boundaries of holiness) Such(, that is, with moral purity and the ability to accompany the ark and enter YHWH's presence,) is the generation of those (now) seeking him, of those who seek your face, the generation of Jacob. Selah.

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• This verse conclude the first of two major macrosyntax sections, primarily indicated by Selah (סֶלָה) and the shift two a chain of imperatives in v. 7, and the third global speech act division, vv. 5-6 constituting the confidence.

• The Such (זֶה), which begins the verse, is most prototypically understood as as demonstrative pronoun, this, which would equate the generation of Jacob with those previously described, but can also communicate manner, i.e., living like this, or such is the sort of those who seek him (LEB). We have preferred the manner reading in our CBC (see HALOT; cf. CSB, ESV, NET, NIV).

• The presence of God of before Jacob in the LXX and Peshiṭta is followed by a number of modern translators (among them, the CSB, ESV, NIV). However, being the longer, easier reading, and only attested in two medieval Hebrew manuscripts, we view the presence of God of in the text as unlikely to be original. The arguments for either position can be examined on the wiki page Text, Grammar and Meaning of Ps. 24:6. This exegetical issue also discussed the different syntactic possibilities of the verse in light of the absence of God of. Ultimately, we have preferred the reading of equation the generation of Jacob with the generation of those seeking him.

v. 7

Watch the Overview video on v. 7.

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
7a	שְׂא֤וּ שְׁעָרִ֨ים ׀רָֽאשֵׁיכֶ֗ם	Lift up your heads, gates,
7b	וְֽ֭הִנָּשְׂאוּ פִּתְחֵ֣י עוֹלָ֑ם	and be lifted up, eternal doorways,
7c	וְ֝יָב֗וֹא מֶ֣לֶךְ הַכָּבֽוֹד׃	so that the glorious king might enter!

Expanded Paraphrase

(This true Jacob, those now seeking him in right worship, are those qualified to enter his presence as they bring the ark of YHWH to his temple-mountain) (- an image of the entire cosmos). (After subduing anything chaotic in creation, he is like a returning victor from battle entering his capital city, just as the ark was returned victoriously from the Philistine territory and the people of Beth-Shemesh lifted up their eyes and rejoiced, so) Lift up your heads (in expectation and hope), gates, (you true worshippers who seek YHWH's face), and be lifted up (to open and welcome him), eternal doorways, so that the glorious king might enter (to be enthroned, victorious, over his cosmic temple)!

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• This verse commences the second and final macrosyntax section, the final global speech act section, and begins a line-length pattern dominated by tricola.

• For the identity of the doors, their heads, and thus, what it means to lift them up, and them to be lifted up, see the exegetical issue The Meaning of "Doors" in Ps. 24. In short, the gates seem to be metaphorical for the elders of the city, who then represent the entire population.

• The inhabitants of Jerusalem are then extended to represent all of humanity, in the cosmic temple, as indicated by the Targum's treatment of the gates in v. 9 as the gates of the garden of Eden (Stec 2004, 62).

• Both here and in v. 9, the verb enter וְיָבוֹא is best interpreted as resultative:

v. 8

Watch the Overview video on v. 8.

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
8a	מִ֥י זֶה֮ מֶ֤לֶךְ הַכָּ֫ב֥וֹד	Who is this glorious king?
8b	יְ֭הוָה עִזּ֣וּז וְגִבּ֑וֹר	YHWH, a mighty one and a warrior.
8c	יְ֝הוָ֗ה גִּבּ֥וֹר מִלְחָמָֽה׃	YHWH is a battle warrior.

Expanded Paraphrase

Who is this glorious king? (The one who created and sustains the world), YHWH, (has shown himself to be) a mighty one and a warrior, (superior over any other god, assuming his rest in the cosmic temple after establishing order in the cosmos). YHWH is a battle warrior, (whose special presence is manifested by the Ark) (having returned from battle to enter his temple-mount).

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• Although "Both זְה and הוּא are sometimes used almost as enclitics to emphasize the interrogative words... מִי זְה who now? ... and still more emphatically מִי הוּא זֶה" (GKC §136c; cf. Joüon-Muraoka §143g), זֶה is best read here, following all of the Ancient Versions, as a demonstrative adjective. Thus, we have rendered זֶה֮ מֶ֤לֶךְ הַכָּ֫ב֥וֹד as this glorious king. The alternative diagram would look as follows:

• The interrogative is probably not a real question, but an indirect speech act providing a directive:

v. 9

Watch the Overview video on v. 9.

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
9a	שְׂא֤וּ שְׁעָרִ֨ים ׀רָֽאשֵׁיכֶ֗ם	Lift up your heads, gates,
9b	וּ֭שְׂאוּ פִּתְחֵ֣י עוֹלָ֑ם	and lift up, eternal doorways,
9c	וְ֝יָבֹא מֶ֣לֶךְ הַכָּבֽוֹד׃	so that the glorious king might enter!

Expanded Paraphrase

Lift up your heads, gates (of creation), (indeed, of all his created subjects), and lift up (to open and), eternal doorways, so that the glorious king might enter!

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• The only difference between v. 7 and v. 9 is the consistent use of the Qal stem for the two imperatives lift up (שְׂא֤וּ... וּ֭שְׂאוּ), whereas v. 7 switches to a niphal in its second case: be lifted up.

• Nonetheless, we have the final two instances of the root נשׂ׳׳א, as shown in the Lift up poetic feature:

v. 10

Watch the Overview video on v. 10.

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
10a	מִ֤י ה֣וּא זֶה֮ מֶ֤לֶךְ הַכָּ֫ב֥וֹד	Who is he, this glorious king?
10b	יְהוָ֥ה צְבָא֑וֹת ה֤וּא מֶ֖לֶךְ הַכָּב֣וֹד סֶֽלָה׃	YHWH of armies, he is the glorious king. Selah.

Expanded Paraphrase

Who is this glorious king? (The Lord of all creation who has revealed himself as) YHWH of armies, (sitting enthroned between the cherubim on the ark, and established his special presence on Mount Zion), He is the glorious king, (to whom belongs the worship of the whole world). Selah.

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• The addition of he (הוּא) causes glorious king to be in extraposition, as indicated by the comma in Who is he, this glorious king? Alternatively, similarly to our comments on v. 8, both הוּא and זֶה could both be considered question clitics, which would result simply in, Who is the glorious king?

Or two separate questions: Who is he? This is the glorious king.

Or, finally, הוּא could be understood as the copula in a tripartite copulative clause: Who is this, the glorious king?

• SDBH describes YHWH of armies (יְהוָ֥ה צְבָא֑וֹת) as an "epithet of God with focus on his being in charge of the host of heavenly beings surrounding his throne, praising him, and carrying out his will on earth; ≈ as an epithet it relates to God's power and control of the cosmos as the divine king and warrior." See Story Behind on the relationship between this title and creation, there is intentional overlap between heavenly hosts as created stars (Ps. 33:6, Gen. 1 allusion) and as a mighty army (Judg. 5:20, Amos 4:13). Furthermore, both uses of YHWH of armies seem to result in a cultic context as hinted at by the Levites' tabernacle labour being described in צבא terms in Num. 4:23, 8:24). Finally, the name YHWH of armies is used intentionally to refer to YHWH's dwelling presence with the ark in 1 Sam. 4:4, and 2 Sam. 6:2).

• See the poetic feature The final "Who" for how the entire psalm (especially from vv. 1-2 onwards) and specifically the syntax of v. 10 leads up to the revelation of this identity.

Legends

Grammatical diagram

For legend, click "Expand" to the right

Grammatical Term	Definition	Diagram	Example
Clausal Additions
Subject	The subject performs the action of the active verb or receives the action of a passive verb. With intransitive verbs	Indicated at the beginning of the main clausal line, and followed by a vertical line that crosses over the main clause line (separating the subject from the predicate).
Direct Object	Object that receives the direct action of a (transitive) verb	Indicate with a vertical line up from main clausal line
Predicate adjective/ Subject complement	A word used with a linking verb (ex. "to be"), renaming or restating the subject. Can be a whole prepositional phrase.	Indicate with a vertical slanted line up from the main clausal line. It can be on a stand if it is an embedded clause.
Object Complement	Word following a direct object to state what it has become.	Indicate with a vertical slanted line up from the main clausal line.
Infinitives	Can be subject, adverbial, or an infinitive construct.	Indicate with double vertical lines that cross the main clausal line. If used adverbially (ie. an embedded clause), place on a stand.
Participles	A verbal noun/adjective that can be used in three positions: (1) substantival; (2) attributive; (3) predicative.	Indicate with a round vertical line. Substantival participles are placed on a stand (they are embedded). Attributive participles are placed with a rounded line underneath what is modified.
Modifiers
Adjectives	A word modifying a noun to indicate quality, quantity, extent, or differentiating something from something else.	Indicate with a slanted line down from what is modified.
Adverbs	A word that modifies a verb, adverb, adjective, prepositional phrase, clause, or sentence to express a relation (ex. manner, quality, or time).	Indicate with a slanted line down from what is modified.
Construct relationships	Construction can express many different relationships between two (or more) nouns. English grammarians call this construction a ‘Construct’ (our term) or ‘Genitive’ phrase; Hebrew grammarians call it smīḵūt (סְמִיכוּת).	Indicate with a stair-step down from the modified word/clause/phrase.
Prepositional phrases	A phrase that consists of a preposition and its object and has adjectival or adverbial value	Indicate with a slanted vertical line connecting to a new clause.
Connectives	(1) Coordinating conjunctions join together words or word groups of equal grammatical rank (2) Subordinating conjunctions join a main clause and a clause which does not form a complete sentence by itself.	Indicate with a dashed line down from a vertical line marker.
Embedded clause	A clause inside another clause which can include substantival participles, adverbial infinitives, and prepositional phrases.	Indicate using stilts.
Particles
Subordinating particle	Indicates a dependent clause.	Indicate with a dashed line down from the antecedent to the pronoun.
Apposition	A word that is functioning as an explanatory equivalent as another in the sentence	Place on a line apart from the diagram but next to the word it is the equivalent of with an equal sign in between.
Vocative	Indicating a person being addressed (usually with a 2nd person verb)	Place on a line apart from the diagram next to the '()' indicating the gapped subject an equal sign in between.

Master Diagram

Shapes and colours on grammatical diagram

For legend, click "Expand" to the right

	Prepositional phrase	Construct chain	Construct chain within a prepositional phrase	Phrase-level waw	Article and כֹּל
Diagram Shading
Definition	- A prepositional phrase consists of a preposition plus its object. The phrase usually modifies the clause or another constituent in the clause.	- A construct chain, also called a 'genitive phrase', is a grammatical encoding of the relationship 'A of B,' in which A is a phonologically modified noun (in the construct state), and B is a phonologically unmodified noun (the absolute state).	- Some construct chains occur within prepositional phrases	- A waw conjunction can join units of all sizes. Phrase level waw join units at the word or phrase level (i.e., below the level of the clause).	- Definite articles tell you something about the identifiability or inclusiveness about the word it is attached to - כֹּל is a quantifier that tells you about the scope of a word it is attached to

Expanded paraphrase

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• Close but Clear (CBC) translation
• Assumptions which provide the most salient background information, presuppositions, entailments, and inferences

References

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