Psalms 24:6-10

Context

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 king⁴ 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)

[24:6] ¹tn 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).

[24:7] ²tn 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).

[24:7] ³tn Heb “lift yourselves up.”

[24:7] ⁴tn Or “king of glory.”

[24:7] ⁵tn Following the imperatives of the preceding lines, the prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose or result.

[24:8] ⁶sn Who is this majestic king? Perhaps the personified gates/doors ask this question, in response to the command given in v. 7.

[24:10] ⁷tn Traditionally, “the Lord of hosts,” a title which here pictures the Lord as a mighty warrior-king who leads armies into battle.