New American Bible
2002 11 11
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Chapter 24
1
1 A psalm of David. The earth is the LORD'S and
all it holds, the world and those who live there.
2
For God founded it on the seas, established it
over the rivers.
3
Who may go up the mountain of the LORD? Who can
stand in his holy place?
4
2 "The clean of hand and pure of heart, who
are not devoted to idols, who have not sworn falsely.
5
They will receive blessings from the LORD, and
justice from their saving God.
6
Such are the people that love the LORD, that
seek the face of the God of Jacob." Selah
7
3 Lift up your heads, O gates; rise up, you
ancient portals, that the king of glory may enter.
8
Who is this king of glory? The LORD, a mighty
warrior, the LORD, mighty in battle.
9
Lift up your heads, O gates; rise up, you
ancient portals, that the king of glory may enter.
10
Who is this king of glory? The LORD of hosts is
the king of glory. Selah
1 [Psalm 24] The psalm apparently
accompanied a ceremony of the entry of God (invisibly enthroned upon the ark),
followed by the people, into the temple. The temple commemorated the creation
of the world (⇒ Psalm 24:1-2). The people had to
affirm their fidelity before being admitted into the sanctuary
(⇒ Psalm 24:3-6; cf Psalm 15). A choir identifies
the approaching God and invites the very temple gates to bow down in obeisance
(⇒ Psalm 24:7-10).
2 [4-5] Literally, "the one
whose hands are clean." The singular is used for the entire class of
worshipers, hence the plural translation.
3 [7, 9] Lift up your heads, O gates
. . . you ancient portals: the literal meaning is impossible since the
portcullis (a gate that moves up and down) was unknown in the ancient world.
Extra-biblical parallels suggest a full personification of the circle of gate
towers: they are like a council of elders, bowed down and anxious, awaiting the
return of the army and the Great Warrior gone to battle.
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