Psalm 15

Psalm 15 (NRSV)

A Psalm of David.

¹ O Lord, who may abide in your tent?

Who may dwell on your holy hill? 

² Those who walk blamelessly, and do what is right,

and speak the truth from their heart;

³ who do not slander with their tongue,

and do no evil to their friends,

nor take up a reproach against their neighbors;

⁴ in whose eyes the wicked are despised,

but who honor those who fear the Lord;

who stand by their oath even to their hurt;

⁵ who do not lend money at interest,

and do not take a bribe against the innocent. 

Those who do these things shall never be moved.

Psalm 15 is a song of Zion. The dating is during the divided monarchy. It is a psalm of instruction, teaching the listener and reader to become an individual who shall never be shaken. Jewish ritual uses it as a eulogy, expressing the ideal human qualities that assume the deceased a place in the afterlife. However, in the biblical period, it functioned as an entrance liturgy for the temple, used as a dialogue between priest and worshipper who wishes to enter the temple. Such liturgies were in use in Egypt and Mesopotamia as well. The psalm has in common with much prophetic literature an emphasis upon general moral characteristics that are listed in groupings of positive and negative qualities, included among heart of the commandments, as we also find in Isaiah 33:14-16 and Micah 6:8. 

The superscription describes it as A Psalm of David.

¹ O Lord, who may abide (to sojourn/live as a resident alien) in your tent (’óhel, same as in II Samuel 6:2, 15-17, where David moved the Ark to the holy hill in the newly conquered Jerusalem. Some passages use other words for God’s holy tent; e.g., mishkan (“tabernacle” or “dwelling place” or bet YHWH “the house of the Lord,” as in I Samuel 1:24)?“Tent” still recalls the wilderness wandering and the time before Solomon. This communal memory was still important. The writer is using the word as a metaphor, for the reference to the hill, to Zion, refers to the permanent structure of the temple. The New Testament considers Jesus Christ to be the presence of God with us: See John 1:14 (“The Word became flesh and lived among us …), where “lived” (ἐσκήνωσεν) is etymologically related to skhnh, a Greek word used by the OT Septuagint (LXX) to translate both ’óhel and mishkan. God’s Incarnate Son “tabernacled” with us = “pitched his tent” with us, being and bringing the very presence of God to us. The word “glory” confirms this connection later in 1:14. Both tent/tabernacle and temple were filled with cloud/smoke (= God’s glory/presence) when they were dedicated: See Exodus 40:34; Numbers 9:15; I Kings 8:10-11; Isaiah 4:5. See also Luke 9:28-35 (and II Peter 1:17-18); Hebrews 1:3; and Revelation 21:2-3, which uses the noun skhnh (“home”) and the verb skhnow (“dwell”), followed by covenant language. Who may dwell (shakan, related to mishkan (tabernacle) on your holy (qódesh, a word meaning consecrated for special, sacred use) hill? Priests ask these questions at worship. Since God is holy, one must approach God carefully. Psalm 24:3 asks a similar question: who will ascend the hill of the Lord or who shall stand the holy place, instead of the tent, of the Lord. The holy hill is Jerusalem/Mount Zion. We see this in several scriptures. The Lord has set the king on Zion, the holy hill of the Lord (Psalm 2:6). The Lord is to receive praise in the city of our God, on the holy mountain of God, in Mount Zion (Psalm 48:1-2). The scattered people of God will gather on the holy mountain of the Lord, Jerusalem (Isaiah 66:20). The Lord dwells in Zion, the holy mountain of the Lord, and Jerusalem shall be holy (Joel 3:17).  Jews today refer to the area as “Temple Mount.” The “tent”/”holy place” signify the presence and glory of the Lord with the people because of the location of the Ark of the Covenant within that holy tent. All this is suggesting that one does not approach God or God’s holy place, even to worship him, without being ready to appear before God.

In Psalm 15: 2-5b, we have the priestly response of ritual fitness for entry.  Instead of a focus on ritual matters, the focus is on moral requirements. Here are the ones who can dwell on Zion. We should note that the behaviors in these verses are those of people in relationship to family members and others of the community. How one relates to neighbors has a close connection to how one relates to God. Jesus juxtaposed loving God and loving neighbor (Luke 10:27), taken from Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18b. We can also see this connection in other New Testament passages. The love of God does not abide in one who has the means to help a brother or sister in need and refuses to help (I John 3:17). Those who say they love God and hate their brother or sister are liars (I John 4:19-21). It does no good to say one has faith but does not have the works or way of life that reflects such faith (James 2:14-19). Verse 2 has the basic answer to the question, a list of positive qualities. ² Those who walk (living out the characteristic behavioral pattern of one’s life, thus revealing one’s essential character) blamelessly (can refer literally to an animal without blemish, thus acceptable to present to God as a sacrifice, for which see Exodus 12:5; Leviticus 3:1, although it also refers to people who live lives of integrity/impeccable behavior before God and people, as “You must be blameless before the Lord your God” in Deuteronomy 18:13, NIV, for which also see Genesis 17:1 and Jude 24-25 (where the word ἀμώμους is the same as Psalm 15:2 of the LXX), and do what is right (meaning both to live righteously, morally and ethically, and to conduct oneself in a just way before others in the community), and speak the truth from their heart (Tanakh has “in his heart acknowledges the truth”; an NET note suggests that the Hebrew construction can mean “one who speaks truth [that is] in his heart,” while Ephesians 4:15 advises speaking truth in love). The writer sees perfection in terms of truth or integrity, followed by a focus on moral actions toward the neighbor. It sees truth and justice as the twin pillars of community life. Verses 3-4 expand upon the answer with negative characteristics. Those who can dwell on the holy hill are those ³ who do not slander with their tongue, and do no evil to their friends, nor take up a reproach (insulting, slurring, defaming, taunting, reviling, casting scorn or blame on) against their neighbors. Verses 4ab comprise a wisdom-like proverbial expression: ⁴ in whose eyes the wicked are despised, but who honor those who fear (revere) the Lord. Another psalmist is a companion to all who fear the Lord (119:63) and urges evildoers to depart from him (119:115). Jesus advised his followers, however, not to resist the evildoer and to love the enemy (Matthew 5:38-48). Further, those who can dwell on the holy hill of the Lord are those who stand by their oath that they have made to the Lord even to their hurt. Such persons are those ^5a who do not lend money at interest. Ancient interest rates (as are some modern ones) were often exorbitant; further, Israelites were not to exact any interest from fellow Israelites (see Exodus 22:25-27; Deuteronomy 23:19-20). Proverbs 28:8 (NIV) says: “He who increases his wealth by exorbitant interest amasses it for another, who will be kind to the poor.” Lastly, such persons do not take a bribe against the innocent, referring to a legal situation, the background in the Law being Exodus 23:8 and Deuteronomy 27:25, but also Ezekiel 22:12. 

The psalm concludes with a priestly promise of blessing: ^5bThose who do these things shall never be moved (shaken, upended, tottered), and thus the opposite of the ideal of stability. We find similar thoughts elsewhere. Since the Lord is beside the psalmist, nothing shall move him (Psalm 16:8). No one shall move the king who trusts in the Lord (Psalm 21:7). The Lord is his rock, salvation, and fortress, and thus nothing can move him (Psalm 62:2, 6). No one shall move the righteous (Psalm 112:6). The Lord shall make such persons who do these things firm. It may refer to the person who keeps the law as not experiencing judgment but may also refer to the moral strength of the person who does these things. Clearly these “rules” defined a holy life, so that those who kept these practices were pleasing God. Such persons were welcome to not only enter the Lord’s tent but also even to “abide” and “dwell” there. Some biblical passages answer the question “Who can approach God?” with “the one who has faith” (Hebrews 11:6 says, “Without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would approach him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him”); however, Psalms 15:2-5 and 24:4-6 answer by saying it’s the quality of one’s heart and life that determines acceptability before God. We see the approach of this psalm in other passages. The boastful, evildoers, those who speak lies, the bloodthirsty, the deceitful, will not enter the house of the Lord (Psalm 5:4-7). One can make the Lord weary in presenting sacrifices until they wash themselves and make themselves clean by removing the evil of their doings, and learn to do good, seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, and plead for the widow (Isaiah 1:11-17). Those who can live with the devouring fire are those who walk righteously, those who speak uprightly, who despise the gain through oppression, who refuse bribes, and who reject bloodshed and evil (Isaiah 33:14b-16). The Lord lives with the contrite and humble in spirit (Isaiah 57:15). The Lord will live with them if they amend their ways by acting justly toward each other, not oppress the alien, the orphan, or widow, or murder, do not go to other gods, steal, commit adultery, swear falsely, or make offerings to Baal (Jeremiah 7:1-15). The one who is righteous does not go to idols, does not commit adultery, approach a woman during her menstrual period, does not oppress, pays debts, does not steal, feeds the hungry, clothes the naked, does not charge interest, does not commit iniquity, executes justice, follows the statutes and ordinances of the Lord, and acts faithfully (Ezekiel 18). One should not come to the Lord with the commanded sacrifices, but to do what the Lord requires in doing justice, loving kindness, and walk humbly with God (Micah 6:6-8). Of course, the point is not that performing the sacrifices and offering prayers on the one hand and treating the neighbor rightly on the other hand are mutually exclusive. However, Psalm 15 focuses upon the latter. Faith and obedience are not mutually exclusive either. Paul emphasizes the importance of faith in Galatians and Romans, but both letters conclude with detailing the life of obedience that focuses upon love. Thus, Paul can focus upon justification by faith (Romans 3:21-28, 5:1-2), but also shows that fulfills the law (Romans 13:8-14). Since Jesus is the way, truth, and life, we have access to the Father (John 14:6). Those who have faith and witness will unite with the risen Lord in their resurrection, who will bring us into the divine presence (II Corinthians 4:13-15). God saves us by grace, through faith, creating us for good works (Ephesians 2:8-10). Through Christ we have access in one Spirit to the Father, so that we members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ as the cornerstone, in a way that we become a dwelling place for God (Ephesians 2:17-22). We have access to God through Christ Jesus our Lord so that we can have confidence through faith in him (Ephesians 3:11-12). We have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, passing through the curtain (torn in Matthew 27:51a), having a great high priest, approaching with a sincere heart in the full assurance of faith, holding fast to our confession, and provoking each other to love and good works (Hebrews 10:19-24). With clean hands and pure hearts, we draw near to God and God draws near to us (James 4:8, Psalm 24:4). Jesus makes it clear that the pure in heart will see God (Matthew 5:8). All this suggests that if we look at scripture holistically, the tension between faith and obedience, between private devotion and a way of life, ought not to be present. We need both to properly honor God. While Psalm 15 clearly emphasizes certain actions as determining divine judgment or blessing, the point is not limitation to receiving reward and punishment in this life. Heart and life are not in opposition. He is simply focusing upon one part of the life the Lord requires of us.