Psalm 24 (1928 BCP)

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Psalm 24 (1928 BCP) is the psalm Domini est terra, appointed in the Book of Common Prayer (1928) for Morning Prayer on the Fifth Day of the month. It moves from the LORD's claim over creation, through the question of who may stand in his holy place, to the acclamation of the King of glory. In Christian worship it remains Israel's praise of the Creator and LORD of hosts, and is also heard in the light of Christ's resurrection and ascension.

Prayer Book Text

THE earth is the LORD'S, and all that therein is; * the compass of the world, and they that dwell therein. 2 For he hath founded it upon the seas, * and stablished it upon the floods. 3 Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? * or who shall rise up in his holy place? 4 Even he that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; * and that hath not lift up his mind unto vanity, nor sworn to deceive his neighbour. 5 He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, * and righteousness from the God of his salvation. 6 This is the generation of them that seek him; * even of them that seek thy face, O God of Jacob. 7 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; * and the King of glory shall come in. 8 Who is this King of glory? * It is the LORD strong and mighty, even the LORD mighty in battle. 9 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; * and the King of glory shall come in. 10 Who is this King of glory? * Even the LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory.

[1]

The first two verses make creation the ground of worship: the world and all who dwell in it belong to the LORD because he founded it. The moral question follows from that claim. “Clean hands” concerns deeds, “a pure heart” the inward life, and the refusal of vanity and deceit both worship and speech. The promised blessing is received from “the God of his salvation,” not fabricated by moral achievement.

Holy Place and a Truthful People

Psalm 15 provides a closely related Prayer Book description of the person who may dwell on God's holy hill. Together, these psalms deny that approach to the LORD can be separated from justice and truthful neighbourliness.

LORD, who shall dwell in thy tabernacle? * or who shall rest upon thy holy hill? 2 Even he that leadeth an uncorrupt life, * and doeth the thing which is right, and speaketh the truth from his heart. 3 He that hath used no deceit in his tongue, nor done evil to his neighbour, * and hath not slandered his neighbour.

[2]

The New Testament does not abolish this holiness. It names access through Christ's priestly work and then calls those who draw near to a true and cleansed heart. Psalm 24 is thus neither a programme of self-salvation nor permission to treat integrity as dispensable.

Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having an high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

[3]

Augustine reads the psalm's “clean hands” and “pure heart” as integrity in deed and thought. His is a patristic Christian reception, not a replacement for the psalm's own demand that the worshipper live truthfully before the LORD.

Who then shall ascend there, and abide there, but the guiltless in deed, and pure in thought? “Who has not received his soul in vain.” Who has not reckoned his soul among things that pass away, but feeling it to be immortal, has longed for an eternity steadfast and unchangeable. “And has not sworn in deceit to his neighbour.” And therefore without deceit, as things eternal are simple and undeceiving, has so behaved himself to his neighbour.

[4]

The King of Glory

The final exchange names the arriving king as “the LORD strong and mighty” and “the LORD of hosts.” Its imagery belongs to Zion and Israel's public worship. The account of the ark's arrival in David's city gives a historical liturgical setting for approaching the LORD with joy.

So David brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD from the house of Obed-edom with joy. And it came to pass, when God helped the Levites that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD, that they offered seven bullocks and seven rams. And David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, and all the Levites that bare the ark, and the singers, and Chenaniah the master of the song with the singers.

[5]

Francis Procter and Walter Howard Frere identify this ark setting and explain the later Christian use of the gates on Ascension Day. Their historical account preserves the distinction between the psalm's Israelite liturgical occasion and Christian reception of it.

Ps. xxiv. which celebrates the occasion of bringing the ark into the place which David had prepared for it on Mount Sion, has always been interpreted with reference to the exaltation of Christ, the King of Glory, who passed through the everlasting doors, when He went back to His own glory in Heaven.

[6]

The apostolic proclamation that Christ ascended above all heavens gives this reception its scriptural shape. It does not exhaust Psalm 24 in a prediction; rather, the risen Christ is confessed as the LORD whose glory the psalm celebrates.

But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)

[7]

Augustine makes the ascension reading explicit, joining the King of glory to Christ's victory over death. The quotation is theological reception, grounded in the Church's confession of the crucified and risen Jesus.

And the King, in whom we may glory without pride, shall come in: who having overcome the gates of death, and having opened for Himself the heavenly places, fulfilled that which He said, “Be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world.”

[8]

Prayer Book Use

The 1928 Prayer Book assigns Psalm 24 to Fifth Day Morning Prayer, alongside Psalms 25 and 26. This monthly placement makes creation, truthful approach, and the LORD's kingship ordinary Office worship rather than a text reserved only for a festival.

Fifth Day. Morning Prayer. Psalm 24. Domini est terra. Psalm 25. Ad te, Domine, levavi. Psalm 26. Judica me, Domine.

[9]

In the Daily Office, Psalm 24 forms worshippers in a coherent sequence: the whole world belongs to the LORD; the faithful seek his face with truthful lives; and the final word belongs to the King of glory. On Ascension Day it may rightly be heard with the Church's confession that Christ has ascended, while its direct address remains praise of the LORD of hosts.

See Also

External Links

References

  1. ↑ The Protestant Episcopal Church, The Book of Common Prayer (New York: The Church Pension Fund, 1928), “The Psalter,” Psalm 24, pp. 358–359, "Psalm 24, 1928 BCP Psalter" (accessed 23 October 2026). Text compared word for word with local source sources/justus1928/Psalms1.htm, lines 1180–1215; its HTML small caps are rendered as ordinary capitals.
  2. ↑ The Protestant Episcopal Church, The Book of Common Prayer (New York: The Church Pension Fund, 1928), “The Psalter,” Psalm 15:1–3, p. 351, "Psalm 15, 1928 BCP Psalter" (accessed 23 October 2026).
  3. ↑ The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version (London: Robert Barker, 1611), Hebrews 10:19–22, "Hebrews 10:19–22, KJV" (accessed 23 October 2026).
  4. ↑ Augustine of Hippo, Exposition on Psalm 24, §§3–4 (Psalm 23 in the Septuagint numbering), anonymous translation in Philip Schaff, ed., Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, first series, vol. 8 (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1888), "Augustine, Exposition on Psalm 24" (accessed 23 October 2026).
  5. ↑ The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version (London: Robert Barker, 1611), 1 Chronicles 15:25–27, "1 Chronicles 15:25–27, KJV" (accessed 23 October 2026).
  6. ↑ Francis Procter and Walter Howard Frere, A New History of the Book of Common Prayer: With a Rationale of Its Offices, revised and rewritten edition (London: Macmillan and Co., 1907), chapter XIII, “The Ascension,” "Project Canterbury transcription, ‘A New History of the Book of Common Prayer,’ chapter XIII" (accessed 23 October 2026). Quotation checked against local source tmp/revision-research/psalm-24/procter-frere-ch13.html, lines 761–781.
  7. ↑ The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version (London: Robert Barker, 1611), Ephesians 4:7–10, "Ephesians 4:7–10, KJV" (accessed 23 October 2026).
  8. ↑ Augustine of Hippo, Exposition on Psalm 24, §7 (Psalm 23 in the Septuagint numbering), anonymous translation in Philip Schaff, ed., Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, first series, vol. 8 (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1888), "Augustine, Exposition on Psalm 24" (accessed 23 October 2026).
  9. ↑ The Protestant Episcopal Church, The Book of Common Prayer (New York: The Church Pension Fund, 1928), “The Order how the Psalter is appointed to be read,” p. vii, "1928 Book of Common Prayer, monthly Psalter course" (accessed 23 October 2026).
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