Psalm 24 [23 LXX]
Mar 28, 2025
Outline Key:
Red font = subject is the people & places over which the Lord rules
Blue font = subject is the Lord’s power
Italics = antiphonal sections
Superscription: The “first of sabbath weeks” refers to the first period of seven days in the Jewish religious year. The Jewish religious calendar began in the month of Nisan (also called Abib). Since the first week began after Nisan 1, this week occurred just prior to the Feast of Pascha/Passover (Nisan 14) and the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Nisan 15). Thus, the first week of the religious year would have marked the time of preparation and/or pilgrimage up to the tabernacle for the feast of Pascha. Although many in the church view this superscription as a reference to Christ’s resurrection on “the first day of the week,” according to the interpretation in this post, we might view this superscription as analogous to the period of Great Lent, the time when we in the church prepare our hearts and lives while making our own pilgrimage toward Pascha.
23:3
Psalm 23 (24 MT) addresses “who shall go” to the tabernacle. Yet, we should also be reminded of a similar Psalm 14 (15 MT) that could be characterized as addressing, “who shall dwell” there as a sojourner.
23:4
Note: we are translating the Greek text of the LXX, but not presupposing the Hebrew vorlage of the LXX text. (“Vorlage” is German for, “template.” So, this word is a reference to the “prior version” of the text.) Yet, in order that we may compare, the second half of this verse, as reflected by the Hebrew of Masoretic Text (MT), reads:
לֹא־נָשָׂ֣א לַשָּׁ֣וְא נַפְשִׁ֑י
not lifted up/exalted his soul/life
וְלֹ֖א נִשְׁבַּ֣ע לְמִרְמָֽה׃
and has not sworn deceitfully.
ψυχή (Hebrew transliteration: nep̱hesh) has many connotations. Among the alternatives, I would opt to translate it “life” (as referring to one’s earthly physical life). The other main alternatives are:
the inner seat of life, “soul”; one’s inmost being “self”; or also the sense referring to persons or living creatures, “souls” “human beings.”
λαμβάνω (Hebrew transliteration: nasah) generally means “to take” or the opposite, “to receive.” However, neither of these meanings fits in this context. So, we should look to other known senses such as:
to take up, carry; to put on (as in a garment); to take (as in acquire/possession); to take (as in take advantage); to take hold of, to grasp; to choose, select, or prefer.
Although I have chosen to use the word “grasp,” this translation is not really far from the general sense of the other alternatives. What is condemned is someone “grasping” or holding on to one’s life in an inappropriate manner (above and beyond the basic instinct to survive). David likely envisions the type of person who holds his/her own life so dearly, that they save themselves at the expense of love for God and/or neighbor. Such a selfish, unloving life is a vain pursuit. It is an empty, useless, and ultimately, futile life. Our Lord reminds us similarly in Matt. 16:24-25, when he says, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”
23:5
Note that the LXX translators used the verb λαμβάνω a second time in this verse (to translate the same Hebrew word). For this reason, I have outlined the structure of this verse according to dual forms of parallelism. On one hand, I am fairly certain that, conceptually, there is a (chiastic) reversal of order from 23:4. That is, the blessing corresponds to one who doesn’t make a deceitful oath (with a threat of curse), while the benevolence and deliverance corresponds to the one who doesn’t hold their life dearly – the one who trusts in God, “his deliverer” (i.e., from the woes & foes that otherwise might potentially be a cause for fear and undue concerns in life).
On the other hand, the explicit repetition of the same verb in the first line, may be understood as intended to signal alternating synonymous parallelism. This second level of parallelism may be somewhat mitigated by the figure of ellipsis (i.e., since the “receiving,” stated in first line, also applies, by ellipsis, to the mercy/benevolence in the second line).
23:6
Note the synthetic parallelism in this verse, where the second line builds on or develops the idea of the first line, adding more information.
This “generation” is not merely an ethnic group of Israelites, descended from “Jacob” (as this verse certainly implies). More than that, they are also alike due to their God-given culture (through the Law) of seeking the God of Jacob. What is implied is that they are seeking the (unstated “face of”) the God of Jacob. Just as the sixth beatitude in Matt. 5:8 says, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall “see” God.” They are seeking by actively going on pilgrimage to worship at the tabernacle in order to experience the glorious presence of God in that place (which the same for us today, when we participate in the liturgy). Rather than explicitly name “Israel” David says, “God of Jacob” to referring back, not only to the founder of Israel, but also probably to the first occurrence of this phrase in Genesis 35:9 when Jacob returned to Bethel, built an altar - and their experienced, first hand, the God of the covenant (when the Lord appeared and spoke with him). In Gen 35, God reiterated both the name change (“Jacob” to “Israel”) and the Abrahamic promises that Jacob would inherit. This is the same experience David’s generation still sought through annual prescribed pilgrimages to the tabernacle.
23:7
In response to hypothetical questioning, the “king of glory” demands rightful entry through the city gates from the rulers of the city. Some have theorized that this entrance in the psalm is a historical reference to David bringing the ark of God into the city of Jerusalem. This would lead to the blessing of David’s house, just as had been the case at Kiriath Jearim (with the household of Abinadab) and then later, with the household Obed-Edom.
While that historical reference may or may not be the case, there is also a supra-historical sense to this psalm.
After midnight on every Pascha (Easter), the church celebrates the redemptive significance of the resurrection. In so doing, the church uses Psalm 24 (23 LXX) to re-enact the victorious aspect of that redemptive event. (In so-doing, we not only recall, but also participate in, the blessings and benevolence associated with Christ’s exaltation. This is because, on Pascha, the Lord Jesus (who is the King of Glory) having been powerfully victorious in battle against death and hades, then ascends into heaven. Having necessarily passed through the eternal gates, the risen Lord and King of Glory, enters into his kingdom and takes his rightful place at the Father’s right hand as ruler of the kingdom of God - along with all those he has redeemed. Thus, recalling vs 5 of the psalm (regarding our ascetic journey during Great Lent), whatever struggles or suffering we may experience during our earthly pilgrimage, these things cannot be compared to the glory yet to be rewarded to the faithful. This is because the journey of Pascha is a journey from suffering and death into life and glory - because we receive the blessings of the New Covenant from the King of Glory. Just as vs 4 of the psalm says, this reward will come, not to those who “saved” their life, but rather, to those who have denied themselves, taken up their cross, and followed Christ, our savior/deliverer.