Psalms 24:1-3

Psalm 24 ¹ 

A psalm of David.

24:1 The Lord owns the earth and all it contains,

the world and all who live in it.

24:2 For he set its foundation upon the seas,

and established ²  it upon the ocean currents. ³ 

24:3 Who is allowed to ascend ⁴  the mountain of the Lord? ⁵ 

Who may go up to his holy dwelling place?

[24:1]  ¹ sn Psalm 24. The psalmist affirms the universal kingship of the sovereign creator, reminds his people that only the morally pure are qualified to worship him, and celebrates his splendor as a mighty warrior king.

[24:2]  ² tn The prefixed verbal form is understood as a preterite, referring to the creation of the world.

[24:2]  ³ sn He…established it upon the ocean currents. The description reflects ancient Israelite prescientific cosmology, which is based on outward appearances. The language also suggests that God’s creative work involved the subjugation of chaos, symbolized by the sea.

[24:3]  ⁴ tn The imperfects in v. 3 are modal, expressing potential or permission.

[24:3]  ⁵ sn In this context the Lord’s mountain probably refers to Zion/Jerusalem (see Isa 2:2-3).