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Psalm 15 Bible study: Who shall dwell in your tent?

The WEB's "sanctuary" in 15:1 is ohel in Hebrew, a tent: "I will dwell in your tent forever" (Psalm 61:4) has the same two Hebrew words. And the psalm asks who shall dwell there, but ends on something else: "He who does these things shall never be shaken" (15:5).

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“A Psalm by David. LORD, who shall dwell in your sanctuary? Who shall live on your holy hill? He who walks blamelessly and does what is right, and speaks truth in his heart;”
Psalm 15:1-2 · World English Bible

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“Psalm 15 ends by saying that the one who does these things shall never be shaken.”

Is that in Psalm 15, or not? Make your call.

What's really going on

A question about the LORD's tent

In the text

Psalm 15 is titled "A Psalm by David" (15:1), and it opens with a question spoken to the LORD: "LORD, who shall dwell in your sanctuary? Who shall live on your holy hill?" (15:1) (tap dwell, sanctuary, live). Here is what almost everyone misses: the WEB's sanctuary is ohel in Hebrew, which Brown-Driver-Briggs gives as "tent". Another psalm has the same two Hebrew words, dwell and tent: "I will dwell in your tent forever" (Psalm 61:4). Brown-Driver-Briggs gives this dwell, gur, as "sojourn", and Strong's as "to turn aside from the road (for a lodging or any other purpose), i.e. sojourn (as a guest)". The second question has another verb, shakan, which Brown-Driver-Briggs gives as "settle down, abide, dwell". The psalm doesn't name the hill. Psalm 2 has the same Hebrew words for holy hill in "Yet I have set my King on my holy hill of Zion" (Psalm 2:6).

Honest questions

Questions people ask about Psalm 15

That was a taste

The rest of Psalm 15 is waiting in Favor

  • The answer is a life
  • It ends on "never be shaken"
  • The same question in Isaiah, and a list in Ezekiel
  • Psalm 24 asks it too
  • "Could not shake it"
  • 5 questions as you read
  • 11 more Hebrew words
  • A short check at the end
  • Your notes, saved as you go
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The Hebrew word behind it

גּוּרgursay GOOR

Brown-Driver-Briggs: "sojourn". Strong's: "to turn aside from the road (for a lodging or any other purpose), i.e. sojourn (as a guest)". "LORD, who shall dwell in your sanctuary?" (15:1). It is the verb of Psalm 5's "Evil can’t live with you" (Psalm 5:4). Another psalm has it with Psalm 15:1's word for sanctuary: "I will dwell in your tent forever" (Psalm 61:4). The Psalms have this verb, Brown-Driver-Briggs's "sojourn", 6 times in Hebrew. Isaiah has it twice in one question: "Who among us can live with the devouring fire? Who among us can live with everlasting burning?" (Isaiah 33:14).

For your group

Psalm 15 Bible study questions

  1. 1The psalm's man "speaks truth in his heart" (15:2). Where do you find it hardest to be honest, even with yourself?
  2. 2He "keeps an oath even when it hurts, and doesn’t change" (15:4). When has keeping your word cost you something? What helped you keep it, or what made you back out?
  3. 3"LORD, who shall dwell in your sanctuary?" (15:1). When you read the psalm's answer, does it draw you nearer to God or make you hesitate? Why?

Leading a group? In Favor, everyone reads Psalm 15 during the week and answers these questions privately. Answers stay sealed until you meet, then appear together, and you can print the week's sheet.

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Questions

What is Favor?

Favor is a Bible study app that explains every chapter as you read: the Hebrew and Greek behind the words, the details most readers miss, and how each part of the Bible leads to Jesus. Read on your own, or start a Bible study with friends, family or your church.

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Favor takes the Bible as one story, in order, so you'll reach Psalm 15 with everything that leads up to it in view. Start from Genesis, or meet Jesus first in the Gospels. You can read the text of any chapter in Favor's Look up whenever you like.

Do I need a group?

No. Many people read on their own. If you'd like to read with others, start a Bible study and share one link. Everyone's answers stay private until you meet.

I've never really read the Bible. Is this for me?

Yes. Favor starts where you are and explains as it goes. The questions along the way aren't marked right or wrong: you answer, then see what the text shows.

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The World English Bible, a modern, readable translation in the public domain. God's name appears as "the LORD", as in most English Bibles.

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Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Hebrew and Greek words are checked against the original-language texts and public-domain lexicons. What we believe · Favor home