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Psalm 24 · a question people ask

"Clean hands and a pure heart" (24:4): does the psalm mean you have to be pure enough to come before God?

In the text

The psalm answers "Who may ascend to the LORD’s hill?" (24:3) with a person: "He who has clean hands and a pure heart" (24:4). Then it says what he will receive: "He shall receive a blessing from the LORD, righteousness from the God of his salvation" (24:5). The righteousness in that verse comes "from the God of his salvation" (24:5). The psalm doesn't say how anyone comes to have clean hands and a pure heart, and it doesn't speak of sin or forgiveness. Psalm 15 asks a question close to this one, and its notes set its answer beside "If you, LORD, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand?" (Psalm 130:3) and other verses; these notes don't repeat them, and don't choose how these verses fit together.

The verses

“Who may ascend to the LORD’s hill? Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart; who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood, and has not sworn deceitfully. He shall receive a blessing from the LORD, righteousness from the God of his salvation.”
Psalm 24:3-5 · World English Bible
“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
“If you, LORD, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand?”
Psalm 130:3 · World English Bible

From Favor's study of Psalm 24

Psalm 24: The King of glory will come in

"Who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood" (24:4) has the same two Hebrew words as "You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God" (Exodus 20:7). And that verb, lift, runs through the psalm: he "shall receive a blessing" (24:5), and the gates are told to lift up their heads for the King of glory, whom the psalm names: "The LORD of Armies" (24:10).

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Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Every answer cites the verses it rests on. What we believe · All Bible questions