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Epiphany Season · Presentation of the Lord · Year C

Psalm 24:7, 8 ,9, 10

The King of Glory

The Interior of the Oude Kerk, Amsterdam, Emanuel de Witte
The Interior of the Oude Kerk, Amsterdam, Emanuel de Witte, c. 1660–1665Emanuel de Witte, c. 1660 · public domain

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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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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