◄ Psalm 15:1 ►
O LORD, who may abide in Your tent? Who may dwell on Your holy hill?
Study Bible
A Psalm of David.
This introduction identifies King David as the author, a shepherd turned king, known for his deep relationship with God. David's psalms often reflect his personal experiences and his heart for God. As a historical figure, David's life provides context for understanding the psalm's themes of worship and righteousness. His reign established Jerusalem as the political and spiritual center of Israel, which is significant for the themes of dwelling in God's presence.

O LORD,
The use of "LORD" in all capitals signifies the Hebrew name Yahweh, the covenant name of God, emphasizing His eternal, self-existent nature. This invocation sets a tone of reverence and acknowledges God's sovereignty and holiness. It reflects the intimate relationship between God and His people, as seen throughout the Old Testament, where God is both a personal and national deity.

who may abide in Your tent?
The "tent" refers to the Tabernacle, the portable dwelling place of God among the Israelites before the construction of the Temple. It symbolizes God's presence and the place of worship and sacrifice. The question implies a desire for closeness with God and raises the issue of who is worthy to enter His presence. This echoes the requirements for priests and Levites who served in the Tabernacle, emphasizing purity and holiness (Exodus 29:44-46).

Who may dwell on Your holy mountain?
"Your holy mountain" refers to Mount Zion in Jerusalem, the site of the future Temple, and a symbol of God's eternal kingdom. It represents a place of divine presence and ultimate worship. The question highlights the theme of righteousness required to be in God's presence, connecting to the broader biblical narrative of holiness and the separation between God and sin. This phrase also foreshadows the eschatological vision of God's kingdom, where the faithful will dwell with Him eternally (Isaiah 2:2-3, Revelation 21:3).

Persons / Places / Events
1. LORD (Yahweh)
The covenant name of God, emphasizing His eternal and unchanging nature. In this context, it highlights God's holiness and the reverence due to Him.

2. Tent (Tabernacle)
Refers to the dwelling place of God among His people, symbolizing His presence and the place of worship and communion with Him.

3. Holy Hill (Zion)
Represents the location of the Temple in Jerusalem, a place of divine presence and worship, symbolizing God's kingdom and His rule.
Teaching Points
Holiness and Integrity
To dwell in God's presence, one must pursue a life of holiness and integrity. This involves aligning one's actions and heart with God's standards.

Worship and Communion
Abiding in God's tent signifies a life of worship and communion with Him. Believers are called to cultivate a relationship with God through prayer, worship, and obedience.

Spiritual Readiness
Just as the Israelites prepared to enter the Tabernacle, believers must prepare their hearts to enter God's presence, seeking forgiveness and purity.

Community and Fellowship
The imagery of the tent and holy hill also points to the importance of communal worship and fellowship with other believers, encouraging mutual edification and accountability.
Bible Study Questions
1. What does it mean to "abide" in God's tent, and how can we apply this concept to our daily lives?

2. How does the requirement to dwell on God's holy hill challenge our current lifestyle and spiritual practices?

3. In what ways can we cultivate the characteristics described in Psalm 15 to ensure we are living in a manner pleasing to God?

4. How do the themes of holiness and integrity in Psalm 15 connect with the teachings of Jesus in the New Testament?

5. Reflect on a time when you felt particularly close to God. What practices or attitudes helped you to "dwell" in His presence, and how can you incorporate these into your regular spiritual routine?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Psalm 24
This psalm also asks who may ascend the hill of the LORD, emphasizing the need for clean hands and a pure heart, connecting the idea of moral integrity with access to God's presence.

Isaiah 33:14-16
These verses describe the characteristics of those who can dwell with God, such as walking righteously and speaking truthfully, reinforcing the theme of holiness and integrity.

Hebrews 12:22-24
This passage speaks of believers coming to Mount Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem, drawing a parallel between the earthly and heavenly dwelling places of God.
Sermons
A Life Without ReproachW. Forsyth Psalm 15:1-5
A Question and an AnswerW. Boyd Carpenter, D. D.Psalm 15:1-5
An Ideal WorshipperA. Maclaren, D. D.Psalm 15:1-5
Dwelling on the Holy HillG. Downame.Psalm 15:1-5
Earth as Seen from the Holy Hill of Communion with GodG. Downame.Psalm 15:1-5
Practical ChristianityDean Farrar.Psalm 15:1-5
The Church MilitantR. Turnbull.Psalm 15:1-5
The Citizen of Zion DescribedT. Boston, D. D.Psalm 15:1-5
The Essentials of a Spiritual ReligionC. Short Psalm 15:1-5
The Good CitizenF. D. Maurice, M. A.Psalm 15:1-5
The Man in Undisturbed RestC. Clemance Psalm 15:1-5
The Soul of Man Turned Towards HeavenA. T. Pierson, D. D.Psalm 15:1-5
Who Shall Abide with GodR. Horsfall.Psalm 15:1-5
People
David, Psalmist
Places
Jerusalem
Topics
Abide, David, Dwell, Gt, Hill, Holiness, Holy, Living-place, Lt, Mountain, O, Psalm, Resting-place, Sanctuary, Sojourn, Tabernacle, Tent
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Psalm 15:1

     1065   God, holiness of
     7438   sanctuary

Psalm 15:1-2

     8275   honesty

Psalm 15:1-5

     1461   truth, nature of
     5547   speech, power of
     5769   behaviour
     8158   righteousness, of believers
     8201   blamelessness
     8245   ethics, incentives
     8278   innocence, teaching on
     8625   worship, acceptable attitudes

Library
Question of the Division of Life into the Active and the Contemplative
I. May Life be fittingly divided into the Active and the Contemplative? S. Augustine, De Consensu Evangelistarum, I., iv. 8 " Tractatus, cxxiv. 5, in Joannem II. Is this division of Life into the Active and the Contemplative a sufficient one? S. Augustine, Of the Trinity, I., viii. 17 I May Life be fittingly divided into the Active and the Contemplative? S. Gregory the Great says[291]: "There are two kinds of lives in which Almighty God instructs us by His Sacred Word--namely, the active and …
St. Thomas Aquinas—On Prayer and The Contemplative Life

Perceivest Thou not How Much this Reasoning Aideth the Very Persons whom as Great...
2. Perceivest thou not how much this reasoning aideth the very persons whom as great game we make ado to catch by our lies? For, as thyself hast shown, this is the sentiment of the Priscillianists to prove which, they apply testimonies from the Scriptures exhorting their followers to lie, as though by the examples of Patriarchs, Prophets, Apostles, Angels; not hesitating to add even the Lord Christ Himself; and deeming that they cannot otherwise prove their falsehood truthful, unless they pronounce …
St. Augustine—Against Lying

Wherefore, that which is Written, "Who Speaketh the Truth in his Heart...
14. Wherefore, that which is written, "Who speaketh the truth in his heart," [2400] is not so to be taken, as if, truth being retained in the heart, in the mouth one may speak a lie. But the reason why it is said, is, because it is possible that a man may speak with his mouth a truth which profiteth him nothing, if he hold it not in his heart, that is, if what he speaketh, himself believe not; as the heretics, and, above all, these same Priscillianists do, when they do, not indeed believe the catholic …
St. Augustine—Against Lying

Thus Then what is Written, "The Mouth that Lieth...
31. Thus then what is written, "The mouth that lieth, slayeth the soul;" [2351] of what mouth it speaketh, is the question. For in general when the Scripture speaks of the mouth, it signifies the very seat of our conception [2352] in the heart, where is approved and decreed whatever also by the voice, when we speak the truth, is uttered: so that he lieth with the heart who approveth a lie; yet that man may possibly not lie with the heart, who uttereth other than is in his mind, in such sort that …
St. Augustine—On Lying

The Folly of Slander. Part 1.
"He that uttereth slander is a fool."--Prov. x. 18. General declamations against vice and sin are indeed excellently useful, as rousing men to consider and look about them: but they do often want effect, because they only raise confused apprehensions of things, and indeterminate propensions to action; which usually, before men thoroughly perceive or resolve what they should practise, do decay and vanish. As he that cries out "Fire!" doth stir up people, and inspireth them with a kind of hovering …
Isaac Barrow—Sermons on Evil-Speaking, by Isaac Barrow

Of Evil-Speaking in General.
"To speak evil of no man."--Titus iii. 2. These words do imply a double duty; one incumbent on teachers, another on the people who are to be instructed by them. The teacher's duty appeareth from reflecting on the words of the context, which govern these, and make them up an entire sentence: put them in mind, or, rub up their memory to do thus. It is St. Paul's injunction to Titus, a bishop and pastor of the Church, that he should admonish the people committed to his care and instruction, …
Isaac Barrow—Sermons on Evil-Speaking, by Isaac Barrow

Thou Shalt not Bear False Witness against Thy Neighbor.
This Commandment seems small, and yet is so great, that he who would rightly keep it must risk and imperil life and limb, goods and honor, friends and all that he has; and yet it includes no more than the work of that small member, the tongue, and is called in German Wahrheit sagen, "telling the truth" and, where there is need, gainsaying lies; so that it forbids many evil works of the tongue. First: those which are committed by speaking, and those which are committed by keeping silent. By speaking, …
Dr. Martin Luther—A Treatise on Good Works

Life of a Christian Man. Scriptural Arguments Exhorting to It.
This first chapter consists of two parts,--I. Connection between this treatise on the Christian Life and the doctrine of Regeneration and Repentance. Arrangement of the treatise, sec. 1-3. II. Extremes to be avoided; 1. False Christians denying Christ by their works condemned, sec. 4. 2. Christians should not despair, though they have not attained perfection, provided they make daily progress in piety and righteousness. 1. WE have said that the object of regeneration is to bring the life of believers …
Archpriest John Iliytch Sergieff—On the Christian Life

How to Dwell in the Fire of God
'Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings? 15. He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil.'--ISAIAH xxxiii. 14, 15. 'He that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God'--1 JOHN iv. 16. I have put these two verses together because, striking as is at first sight the …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The King --Continued.
The years thus well begun are, in the historical books, characterized mainly by three events, namely, the bringing up of the ark to the newly won city of David, Nathan's prophecy of the perpetual dominion of his house, and his victories over the surrounding nations. These three hinges of the narrative are all abundantly illustrated in the psalms. As to the first, we have relics of the joyful ceremonial connected with it in two psalms, the fifteenth and twenty-fourth, which are singularly alike not …
Alexander Maclaren—The Life of David

The Ninth Commandment
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.' Exod 20: 16. THE tongue which at first was made to be an organ of God's praise, is now become an instrument of unrighteousness. This commandment binds the tongue to its good behaviour. God has set two natural fences to keep in the tongue, the teeth and lips; and this commandment is a third fence set about it, that it should not break forth into evil. It has a prohibitory and a mandatory part: the first is set down in plain words, the other …
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

Question Lxxxi of the virtue of Religion
I. Does the Virtue of Religion Direct a Man To God Alone? S. Augustine, sermon, cccxxxiv. 3 " on Psalm lxxvi. 32 sermon, cccxi. 14-15 II. Is Religion a Virtue? III. Is Religion One Virtue? IV. Is Religion a Special Virtue Distinct From Others? V. Is Religion One of the Theological Virtues? VI. Is Religion To Be Preferred To the Other Moral Virtues? VII. Has Religion, Or Latria, Any External Acts? S. Augustine, of Care for the Dead, V. VIII. Is Religion the Same As Sanctity? Cardinal Cajetan, …
St. Thomas Aquinas—On Prayer and The Contemplative Life

Rules to be Observed in Singing of Psalms.
1. Beware of singing divine psalms for an ordinary recreation, as do men of impure spirits, who sing holy psalms intermingled with profane ballads: They are God's word: take them not in thy mouth in vain. 2. Remember to sing David's psalms with David's spirit (Matt. xxii. 43.) 3. Practise St. Paul's rule--"I will sing with the spirit, but I will sing with the understanding also." (1 Cor. xiv. 15.) 4. As you sing uncover your heads (1 Cor. xi. 4), and behave yourselves in comely reverence as in the …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

Election Confirmed by the Calling of God. The Reprobate Bring Upon Themselves the Righteous Destruction to which they are Doomed.
1. The election of God is secret, but is manifested by effectual calling. The nature of this effectual calling. How election and effectual calling are founded on the free mercy of God. A cavil of certain expositors refuted by the words of Augustine. An exception disposed of. 2. Calling proved to be free, 1. By its nature and the mode in which it is dispensed. 2. By the word of God. 3. By the calling of Abraham, the father of the faithful. 4. By the testimony of John. 5. By the example of those who …
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion

Psalms
The piety of the Old Testament Church is reflected with more clearness and variety in the Psalter than in any other book of the Old Testament. It constitutes the response of the Church to the divine demands of prophecy, and, in a less degree, of law; or, rather, it expresses those emotions and aspirations of the universal heart which lie deeper than any formal demand. It is the speech of the soul face to face with God. Its words are as simple and unaffected as human words can be, for it is the genius …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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