Psalms 24:6-10

24:6 Such purity characterizes the people who seek his favor,

Jacob’s descendants, who pray to him. 1  (Selah)

24:7 Look up, 2  you gates!

Rise up, 3  you eternal doors!

Then the majestic king 4  will enter! 5 

24:8 Who is this majestic king? 6 

The Lord who is strong and mighty!

The Lord who is mighty in battle!

24:9 Look up, you gates!

Rise up, you eternal doors!

Then the majestic king will enter!

24:10 Who is this majestic king?

The Lord who commands armies! 7 

He is the majestic king! (Selah)

1 tn Heb “this [is the] generation of the ones seeking him, the ones seeking your face, Jacob.” To “seek the Lord’s face” means to seek his favor through prayer (see 2 Sam 21:1; Pss 27:8; 105:4).

2 tn Heb “lift up your heads.” The gates of the Lord’s dwelling place are here personified. The idiom “lift up the head” often means “be confident, bold” (see Judg 8:28; Job 10:15; Ps 83:2; Zech 1:21).

3 tn Heb “lift yourselves up.”

4 tn Or “king of glory.”

5 tn Following the imperatives of the preceding lines, the prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose or result.

6 sn Who is this majestic king? Perhaps the personified gates/doors ask this question, in response to the command given in v. 7.

7 tn Traditionally, “the Lord of hosts,” a title which here pictures the Lord as a mighty warrior-king who leads armies into battle.