Psalms 24

The AIT Bible

The Earth Belongs to Yahweh

1Of David. A psalm. The earth is Yahweh’s, and its fullness, the world and those who dwell in it;

2for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers.

3Who may ascend the mountain of Yahweh, and who may stand in his holy place?

4One clean of hands and pure of heart, who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood nor sworn deceitfully.

5He will receive a blessing from Yahweh, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.

6This is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face — Jacob. Selah.

7Lift up your heads, O gates, and be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.

8Who is this King of glory? Yahweh, strong and mighty, Yahweh, mighty in battle.

9Lift up your heads, O gates, and lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.

10Who is he, this King of glory? Yahweh of hosts — he is the King of glory. Selah.

Where this passage connects across Scripture — each link typed and reasoned, part of the AIT Bible Nexus Chart.

quotation 1 Corinthians 10:26 — Paul quotes 'The earth is the Lord's and its fullness' verbatim in his discussion of eating food.
quoted by 1 Corinthians 10:23 — Paul quotes the psalm that the earth and its fullness belong to the Lord.
echoed in Psalms 50:7 — Both affirm that the world and all its fullness belong to God.
thematic Deuteronomy 10:12 — Both affirm that the earth and all that is in it belong to Yahweh.
thematic Genesis 1:9 — Both describe God founding the earth by separating and establishing land upon the waters.
thematic Psalms 104:5 — Both depict Yahweh founding the earth firmly above the waters/deep.
thematic Psalms 104:1 — Both describe God founding the earth upon the waters/its foundations.

parallel Psalms 15:1 — An entrance liturgy asking who may dwell on Yahweh's holy hill, answered by ethical requirements, closely paralleling this psalm.
allusion Exodus 20:7 — The condition of not swearing deceitfully / lifting the soul to falsehood echoes the commandment against taking God's name in vain.
echoed in James 4:1 — The call to cleanse hands and purify hearts echoes the description of clean hands and a pure heart required to approach God.
allusion Matthew 5:8 — Jesus' beatitude 'blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God' echoes the requirement of a pure heart to stand before God.
echoed in Matthew 5:3 — 'Pure in heart... will see God' echoes the psalm's clean hands and pure heart requirement to ascend to God.
thematic 1 Samuel 6:19 — The question of who can stand before the holy God parallels the psalm's question of who may ascend Yahweh's holy hill.
thematic Isaiah 33:1 — Both frame the question of who may dwell on the holy heights and answer with ethical qualifications.
thematic Psalms 27:8 — Both express the ideal of seeking Yahweh's face as the mark of the faithful.

echoed in 1 Corinthians 2:6 — The title 'Lord of glory' echoes the psalm's 'King of glory' as a designation of Yahweh applied here to the crucified Christ.