| Psalm 24 | |
|---|---|
| "The earth is the LORD's, and the fulness thereof" | |
 Psalm 24 in an anonymous French manuscript, early 14th century | |
| Other name |
|
| Text | byDavid |
| Language | Hebrew (original) |
| Psalm 24 | |
|---|---|
← Psalm 23 Psalm 25 → | |
| Book | Book of Psalms |
| Hebrew Bible part | Ketuvim |
| Order in the Hebrew part | 1 |
| Category | Sifrei Emet |
| Christian Bible part | Old Testament |
| Order in the Christian part | 19 |
Psalm 24 is the 24th psalm of theBook of Psalms, beginning in English in theKing James Version: "The earth is the LORD's, and the fulness thereof". In the slightly different numbering system used in the GreekSeptuagint version of the Bible and the LatinVulgate, this psalm isPsalm 23. In Latin, it is known as "Domini est terra et plenitudo eius orbis terrarum".[1] The psalm is marked as a Psalm ofDavid.
The psalm is a regular part ofJewish,Catholic,Lutheran,Anglican and Nonconformist Protestant liturgies. It has often been set to music, notably byHeinrich Schütz andLili Boulanger. The section "Lift up your heads, O ye gates" has been associated withAdvent, and paraphrased in hymns. The same dialogue, requesting the gates to open for the King of Glory, have also been associated with thefeast of the Ascension, therefore Handel set it in Part II of hisMessiah in the scene "Ascension", andChristoph Bernhard Verspoell wrote a related hymn, "Öffnet eure Tore", in 1810.
David may have composed this psalm after buying theTemple Mount, intending for it to be sung at the dedication of theTemple by his son,Solomon. In verses 7 and 9, he instructs the gates of the Temple to open to receive God's glory at that time. TheTalmud notes that when Solomon came to dedicate the Temple and bring in theArk of the Covenant, the gates refused to open. They acceded only after Solomon prayed for them to open in the merit of his father, David.[2][3] Another possibleSitz im Leben of Psalm 24 is the situation described in1 Chronicles 15 and2 Samuel 6 whereDavid brings theArk of the Covenant from Obed-Edom's house up to theTabernacle inJerusalem.[4]
TheMidrash Tehillim notes the inversion of the first two words of this psalm compared to the preceding one,Psalm 23. Psalm 23 begins, "Mizmor LeDavid, a song of David", while this psalm begins, "LeDavid Mizmor, of David, a song". The Midrash explains thatMizmor LeDavid indicates that first David played on his harp, and then God's spirit rested upon him.LeDavid Mizmor indicates that first he was imbued with the holy spirit, and then he played.[5]
The Talmud inBerakhot 35 a-b remarks on the discrepancy between verse 1, "The world and its contents belong to God", andPsalm 115:16, "The heavens are God's, but the earth He has given to humans". It concludes that these verses express the importance of saying ablessing over food. Before one says a blessing, the food belongs to God and to consume it would be akin to stealing, but after saying the blessing, one has permission to eat it.[3]
The following table shows the Hebrew text[6][7] of the Psalm with vowels, alongside theKoine Greek text in theSeptuagint[8] and the English translation from theKing James Version. Note that the meaning can slightly differ between these versions, as the Septuagint and theMasoretic Text come from different textual traditions.[note 1] In the Septuagint, this psalm is numbered Psalm 23.
| # | Hebrew | English | Greek |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | לְדָוִ֗ד מִ֫זְמ֥וֹר לַֽ֭יהֹוָה הָאָ֣רֶץ וּמְלוֹאָ֑הּ תֵּ֝בֵ֗ל וְיֹ֣שְׁבֵי בָֽהּ׃ | (A Psalm of David.) The earth is the LORD's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. | Ψαλμὸς τῷ Δαυΐδ· τῆς μιᾶς Σαββάτων. - ΤΟΥ Κυρίου ἡ γῆ καὶ τὸ πλήρωμα αὐτῆς, ἡ οἰκουμένη καὶ πάντες οἱ κατοικοῦντες ἐν αὐτῇ. |
| 2 | כִּי־ה֭וּא עַל־יַמִּ֣ים יְסָדָ֑הּ וְעַל־נְ֝הָר֗וֹת יְכוֹנְנֶֽהָ׃ | For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods. | αὐτὸς ἐπὶ θαλασσῶν ἐθεμελίωσεν αὐτὴν καὶ ἐπὶ ποταμῶν ἡτοίμασεν αὐτήν. |
| 3 | מִֽי־יַעֲלֶ֥ה בְהַר־יְהֹוָ֑ה וּמִי־יָ֝ק֗וּם בִּמְק֥וֹם קׇדְשֽׁוֹ׃ | Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? | τίς ἀναβήσεται εἰς τὸ ὄρος τοῦ Κυρίου καὶ τίς στήσεται ἐν τόπῳ ἁγίῳ αὐτοῦ; |
| 4 | נְקִ֥י כַפַּ֗יִם וּֽבַר־לֵ֫בָ֥ב אֲשֶׁ֤ר ׀ לֹא־נָשָׂ֣א לַשָּׁ֣וְא נַפְשִׁ֑י וְלֹ֖א נִשְׁבַּ֣ע לְמִרְמָֽה׃ | He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. | ἀθῷος χερσὶ καὶ καθαρὸς τῇ καρδίᾳ, ὃς οὐκ ἔλαβεν ἐπὶ ματαίῳ τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ καὶ οὐκ ὤμοσεν ἐπὶ δόλῳ τῷ πλησίον αὐτοῦ. |
| 5 | יִשָּׂ֣א בְ֭רָכָה מֵאֵ֣ת יְהֹוָ֑ה וּ֝צְדָקָ֗ה מֵאֱלֹהֵ֥י יִשְׁעֽוֹ׃ | He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. | οὗτος λήψεται εὐλογίαν παρὰ Κυρίου καὶ ἐλεημοσύνην παρὰ Θεοῦ σωτῆρος αὐτοῦ. |
| 6 | זֶ֭ה דּ֣וֹר דֹּרְשָׁ֑ו מְבַקְשֵׁ֨י פָנֶ֖יךָ יַעֲקֹ֣ב סֶֽלָה׃ | This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah. | αὕτη ἡ γενεὰ ζητούντων τὸν Κύριον, ζητούντων τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ Θεοῦ ᾿Ιακώβ. (διάψαλμα). |
| 7 | שְׂא֤וּ שְׁעָרִ֨ים ׀ רָֽאשֵׁיכֶ֗ם וְֽ֭הִנָּשְׂאוּ פִּתְחֵ֣י עוֹלָ֑ם וְ֝יָב֗וֹא מֶ֣לֶךְ הַכָּבֽוֹד׃ | Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. | ἄρατε πύλας, οἱ ἄρχοντες ὑμῶν, καὶ ἐπάρθητε, πύλαι αἰώνιοι, καὶ εἰσελεύσεται ὁ βασιλεὺς τῆς δόξης. |
| 8 | מִ֥י זֶה֮ מֶ֤לֶךְ הַכָּ֫ב֥וֹד יְ֭הֹוָה עִזּ֣וּז וְגִבּ֑וֹר יְ֝הֹוָ֗ה גִּבּ֥וֹר מִלְחָמָֽה׃ | Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. | τίς ἐστιν οὗτος ὁ βασιλεὺς τῆς δόξης; Κύριος κραταιὸς καὶ δυνατός, Κύριος δυνατὸς ἐν πολέμῳ. |
| 9 | שְׂא֤וּ שְׁעָרִ֨ים ׀ רָֽאשֵׁיכֶ֗ם וּ֭שְׂאוּ פִּתְחֵ֣י עוֹלָ֑ם וְ֝יָבֹ֗א מֶ֣לֶךְ הַכָּבֽוֹד׃ | Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. | ἄρατε πύλας, οἱ ἄρχοντες ὑμῶν, καὶ ἐπάρθητε, πύλαι αἰώνιοι, καὶ εἰσελεύσεται ὁ βασιλεὺς τῆς δόξης. |
| 10 | מִ֤י ה֣וּא זֶה֮ מֶ֤לֶךְ הַכָּ֫ב֥וֹד יְהֹוָ֥ה צְבָא֑וֹת ה֤וּא מֶ֖לֶךְ הַכָּב֣וֹד סֶֽלָה׃ | Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah. | τίς ἐστιν οὗτος ὁ βασιλεὺς τῆς δόξης; Κύριος τῶν δυνάμεων αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ βασιλεὺς τῆς δόξης. |
Psalm 24 is designated as thePsalm of the Day for the first day of the week (Sunday) in both theAshkenazi andSephardi liturgies. It was sung by theLevites after the offering of the regular daily sacrifice (tamid).[9] This tradition continued into the diaspora, as the psalm is sung on Sundays insynagogues around the world.[10] In recent centuries, Ashkenazi Jews also recite the psalm while theTorah scroll is carried back to the ark on weekdays,Rosh Chodesh,festivals, and during theShabbatafternoon prayer. Chasidic and Sephardic Jews recite it onRosh Hashanah andYom Kippur after theevening prayer, and someNusach Ashkenaz communities have adopted the practice as well.[11] In theSiddur Avodas Yisroel, the psalm is also said afterAleinu during the evening prayer on weeknights.[12] Some congregations recite this psalm during thehakafot onSimchat Torah.[13]
Verse 1 is said by theearth inPerek Shirah. Additionally, verses 7–8 are the first call of therooster, and verses 9–10 are the second call of the rooster, in that ancient text.[12][14]
Verse 5 is a "companion verse" for the wordyissa (Hebrew:יִשָּׂא, may He turn) in thePriestly Blessing (Numbers 6:26).[12][15]
Verses 7–10 are included in the ten verses recited during the section ofMalchuyot in theMussafAmidah on Rosh Hashanah.[16]
Psalm 24 is also recited as a prayer for financial success and to protect from a flood.[17]
Verse 1 is quoted in1 Corinthians10:26 of theNew Testament.[18]
The dialogue of Psalm 24, verses 7–10, requesting the gates to open for the King of Glory, have been associated with theascension of Jesus since the second century, when the Christian philosopherJustin described (inDialog mit dem Juden Tryphon 36,4–6) a dialogue of heavenly lords who did not recognise Jesus because of his human appearance.[19]Charles Spurgeon writes, "He who, fresh from the cross and the tomb, now rides through the gates of the New Jerusalem is higher than the heavens; great and everlasting as they are, those gates of pearl are all unworthy of him before whom the heavens are not pure, and who chargeth his angels with folly.Lift up your heads, O ye gates".[20]Matthew Henry concurs, adding that the Ark being brought up to Jerusalem symbolizes Christ entering into heaven, "and the welcome given to him there".[21]
The same dialogue has also been associated withAdvent.
The apocryphalApocalypse of Peter quotes Psalm 24 when giving its version of the ascension of Jesus, directly saying that "the word of the scripture" was fulfilled and going on to tie opening the gates and seeing the face of the God of Jacob to Jesus's ascension.[22]
In the pre-Tridentine Divine Office of the Catholic Church, the Psalm was said on Sundays atPrime. It was reassigned to Tuesday at Prime byPope Pius V. In the current Divine Office promulgated in 1971 (Liturgy of the Hours), with the suppression of Prime, it was reassigned to both Tuesday Week 1 Lauds, and Sunday Week 4 Office of Readings (Matins).[23]
In theAgpeya, theCoptic Church'sbook of hours, this psalm is prayed in the office ofTerce.[24]
In theChurch of England'sBook of Common Prayer, this psalm is appointed to be read on the morning of the fifth day of the month,[25] as well as atEvensong onAscension Day.[26]
The Protestant ministerGeorg Weissel paraphrased the last section of Psalm 24 as anAdvent hymn, "Macht hoch die Tür" (Make the door high) in 1623.[27] It became Number 1 in the current Protestant hymnalEvangelisches Gesangbuch (EG),[27] and appears in most German hymnals including the CatholicGotteslob (GL 218).Catherine Winkworth translated it as "Lift up your heads, ye mighty gates" in 1853.[28]
The title of the hymn "Come Thou Almighty King", first published in 1757,[29] is based on verse 10 of this psalm.[30]
Christoph Bernhard Verspoell wrote the 1810 hymn "Öffnet eure Tore" (Open your gates) for theFeast of the Ascension. The German text is based on the dialogue in verses 7–10, and a melody was added in aTrier hymnal of 1846.[19]
In theFree Church of Scotland's 2003Psalter,Sing Psalms, the metrical version of Psalm 24 commences "The world and all in it are God’s, all peoples of the earth" and is set in thecommon metre. The recommended tunes areNativity,Praetorius,Winchester andSt. George's, Edinburgh.[31]
Heinrich Schütz set the psalm in German for choir as part of his setting of theBecker Psalter as SWV 121, "Die Erd und was sich auf ihr regt" (The Earth and what moves on it).[32] Andreas Hammerschmidt composed a six-partmotet, "Machet die Tore weit" (Make the gates wide), setting verses 7–9.[33]
Verses 7–10 are set inHandel'sMessiah (1742) in the chorus "Lift up your heads", within the scene "Ascension".[34][35]
Henry Desmarest composed a grand motet, "Domini est terra" (unknown date).
Lili Boulanger set the entire psalm in French,La terre appartient à l’Eternel in 1916 for mixed choir, organ, brass ensemble, timpani and 2 harps.[36]
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