Psa 15:1 | KingComments | STEP | Psalm 15, like Psalm 1, is a wisdom psalm, a psalm of instruction for the believing remnant. This instruction is given to the people by the wise ones of the people ( ), by which the people come to understand what their time is about and especially Who it is about, that is the Messiah. Psalm 15 is the flip side of Psalm 14. In Psalm 16 David speaks of the Person Who is the complete opposite of the fool of Psalm 14 and has fulfilled all the conditions of Psalm 15. For “A Psalm of David” see at Psalm 3:1. It is the first psalm in which there is no further specification, as there is in previous psalms of which he is mentioned as poet. The severe persecution by the wicked ( ) raises the question of who can be kept to enter the realm of peace. Psalm 15 answers the question. He shows us the spiritual features of the faithful remnant who will enter the realm of peace. There are some indications that presuppose a connection with the preceding psalm. There David speaks of the fool who says in his heart that there is no God ( ). Here he speaks of one who “speaks truth in his heart” ( ). There he says that there is no one who does good and seeks after God. Here he asks God who can abide and dwell with Him ( ), that is, enter the realm of peace to be with Him there. The twofold question “who” does not refer to the identity of the person, but to the kind of person, to his characteristics (cf. ; ; ). The question refers to “abiding” in God’s “tent” and “dwelling on” God’s “holy hill”. The word “abide” – Hebrew yagur – means to abide as a stranger. The question freely translated means: who can come to Him as a guest? This means that it is not about approaching God only incidentally, on a special occasion, but about being with Him constantly for the enjoyment of fellowship with Him. It is about having access to God at all times. This is the part of the righteous in the realm of peace. He may abide in the house of God, the temple of God on Mount Zion. This is not the part of the evildoer ( ). David poses this question to the “LORD”. He knows that only the LORD determines the conditions for abiding with Him and that it is not up to him to do so. This is very different from what many people do, even today. They decide for themselves how to approach God, if they even think He exists at all. Two words are used for the dwelling place of God: “Your tent” and “Your holy hill”. “Tent” is the translation of the word for “tabernacle”. David placed the tabernacle on Mount Zion, God’s “holy mountain” ( ). He will have thought of that, but without referring to it here. In the tabernacle, in fact, no one, not even the priests and not even the high priest, can abide there all the time. God Himself is called “a dwelling place” for His people by Moses in his blessing for the twelve tribes ( ; cf. ). God dwells on His holy hill. This is Mount Zion, the mountain over which God has said that He has anointed His King ( ). Now we see that He not only has anointed His King there, but also dwells there. We see here the connection between dwelling and reigning. He dwells where He rules, and He rules where He dwells. Both dwelling and ruling take place in ’holiness’. In that holy place all the righteous will also dwell with Him in the realm of peace. They possess through the new birth ( ) the features He gives in the following verses. They will dwell with Him and reign with Him, for they are holy, as He is holy ( ; ).

‏ Psalms 15:1

Introduction

Psalm 15, like Psalm 1, is a wisdom psalm, a psalm of instruction for the believing remnant. This instruction is given to the people by the wise ones of the people (Dan 11:33a), by which the people come to understand what their time is about and especially Who it is about, that is the Messiah.

Psalm 15 is the flip side of Psalm 14. In Psalm 16 David speaks of the Person Who is the complete opposite of the fool of Psalm 14 and has fulfilled all the conditions of Psalm 15.

The Question

For “A Psalm of David” see at Psalm 3:1.

It is the first psalm in which there is no further specification, as there is in previous psalms of which he is mentioned as poet.

The severe persecution by the wicked (Psa 12:1-6 ; Psa 14:4) raises the question of who can be kept to enter the realm of peace. Psalm 15 answers the question. He shows us the spiritual features of the faithful remnant who will enter the realm of peace.

There are some indications that presuppose a connection with the preceding psalm. There David speaks of the fool who says in his heart that there is no God (Psa 14:1). Here he speaks of one who “speaks truth in his heart” (Psa 15:2). There he says that there is no one who does good and seeks after God. Here he asks God who can abide and dwell with Him (Psa 15:1b), that is, enter the realm of peace to be with Him there.

The twofold question “who” does not refer to the identity of the person, but to the kind of person, to his characteristics (cf. Psa 24:3; Isa 33:14-16; Rev 5:2). The question refers to “abiding” in God’s “tent” and “dwelling on” God’s “holy hill”. The word “abide” – Hebrew yagur – means to abide as a stranger. The question freely translated means: who can come to Him as a guest?

This means that it is not about approaching God only incidentally, on a special occasion, but about being with Him constantly for the enjoyment of fellowship with Him. It is about having access to God at all times. This is the part of the righteous in the realm of peace. He may abide in the house of God, the temple of God on Mount Zion. This is not the part of the evildoer (Psa 5:5).

David poses this question to the “LORD”. He knows that only the LORD determines the conditions for abiding with Him and that it is not up to him to do so. This is very different from what many people do, even today. They decide for themselves how to approach God, if they even think He exists at all.

Two words are used for the dwelling place of God: “Your tent” and “Your holy hill”. “Tent” is the translation of the word for “tabernacle”. David placed the tabernacle on Mount Zion, God’s “holy mountain” (2Sam 6:1-19). He will have thought of that, but without referring to it here. In the tabernacle, in fact, no one, not even the priests and not even the high priest, can abide there all the time. God Himself is called “a dwelling place” for His people by Moses in his blessing for the twelve tribes (Deu 33:27a; cf. Isa 8:14).

God dwells on His holy hill. This is Mount Zion, the mountain over which God has said that He has anointed His King (Psa 2:6). Now we see that He not only has anointed His King there, but also dwells there. We see here the connection between dwelling and reigning. He dwells where He rules, and He rules where He dwells. Both dwelling and ruling take place in ’holiness’. In that holy place all the righteous will also dwell with Him in the realm of peace. They possess through the new birth (Jn 3:3 ; 5) the features He gives in the following verses. They will dwell with Him and reign with Him, for they are holy, as He is holy (Lev 11:45; 1Pet 1:15-16).