Psalms 24:3

3 Who may climb the mountain of the LORD ? Who may stand in his holy place?

Psalms 24:3 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 24:3

Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord?
&c.] Though the Lord has a claim in general to the whole world, and all its fulness; yet there is a particular part of it, or spot in it, which is his special and peculiar property, and that is his church and people; for though some reference may be had, in this passage, to Mount Moriah, and the hill of Zion, on which the temple was afterwards built, and is called the hill of the Lord, where he desired to dwell, ( Psalms 68:15 Psalms 68:16 ) ; yet the church is mystically intended, and is so called on account of its visibility, through a profession of faith in Christ, and for its immovableness, being built on him;

and who shall stand in his holy place?
the same with the hill of the Lord; the temple being to be built upon it, where the Lord took up his residence, and was worshipped, and holiness becomes the house of God for evermore: the import of these questions is, who is a proper person to be an inhabitant of Zion, or a member of a Gospel church? and the answer to them is in ( Psalms 24:4 ) , in which is a description much like that which is given of one hundred forty and four thousand seen with the Lamb on Mount Zion, ( Revelation 14:1 Revelation 14:4 Revelation 14:5 ) ; compare with this verse.

Psalms 24:3 In-Context

1 The earth is the LORD ’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him.
2 For he laid the earth’s foundation on the seas and built it on the ocean depths.
3 Who may climb the mountain of the LORD ? Who may stand in his holy place?
4 Only those whose hands and hearts are pure, who do not worship idols and never tell lies.
5 They will receive the LORD ’s blessing and have a right relationship with God their savior.
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.