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Epiphany Season · Presentation of the Lord · Year C

Psalm 24:7, 8 ,9, 10

The King of Glory

Christ the King of Glory, Emmanuel Skordilis
Christ the King of Glory, Emmanuel Skordilis, mid-1600sAgia Triada Monastery, Chania, Crete
Christ sits enthroned on a carved golden throne, crowned and robed in gold, holding an open book and raising his hand in blessing.Lift up your heads, O gates! and be lifted up, O ancient doors! that the King of glory may come in.Emmanuel SkordilisA Cretan icon painter of the 1600s, working in the Byzantine tradition of the school of Crete.Agia Triada Monastery, Chania, CreteThe Monastery of the Holy Trinity at Agia Triada on the Akrotiri peninsula near Chania, Crete.Agia Triada Monastery, Chania, Crete

Overview & Insights

“Lift up your heads, O gates… that the King of glory may come in.” (Psalm 24:7)

Psalm 24 is titled “Of David. A psalm [mizmor].” First occurring in Psalm 3, the term mizmor is generally understood to mean a poem that is sung to musical accompaniment (see comments on the title for Ps. 3). While the order of the words is reversed here (not “A psalm of David,” as it usually is), the order does not seem to have much significance. In Psalm 23:6 David affirms that when “goodness and love” have pursued him into the Lord’s house, he will dwell there forever. As a natural follow-up psalm, Psalm 24 is directly concerned with who will or may ascend the mountain of the Lord (24:3). Psalm 24 is a companion to Psalm 15, with Psalm 24:3–6 corresponding to Psalm 15:2–5b (see table 1). Both psalms pose the question of who may enter the Lord’s sanctuary and then give an answer in ethical terms.

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Take it further: Psalm 24:7, 8 ,9, 10

Commentary

Background & Word Study

The Church Fathers

Questions preachers ask

What is Psalm 24?

“The earth is the Lord’s”; the psalm asks who may ascend his holy hill, then calls the ancient gates to open for the King of glory, the Lord strong and mighty, entering in triumph.

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