Psalms 15:1

Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle?.... This question, with the following, is put by the psalmist in a view of the sad corruption and degeneracy of mankind described in the preceding psalm,

LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? The Lord's abode is represented by the "tabernacle," wherein His worshippers had communion with Him.

Psalms 15 THE The occasion and time of composing this Psalm is uncertain; but the scope of it is plain, which is to give the character of a holy and happy man, and to describe the way to true blessedness; wherein this is observable, that he is wholly silent as to the ceremonial or ritual observations of the law; not that he doth disown them, or allow the neglect of them, as is manifest from David’ s constant practice, an from many other passages; but that he might undeceive the hypocritical Israelites, who laid too great a stress upon those things, as the diligent performance thereof would excuse their wicked lives, which error almost all the prophets do observe and condemn in them; and that he might inform the church of that and all succeeding ages, that the substance of religion did consist in the practice of true holiness and righteousness. David describeth a citizen of Zion, , i.e. he is pure in heart, ; governeth his tongue, ; contemns a vile person, but honours him that fears God, . He is no usurer, . O thou who art the sovereign Lord of this holy hill and tabernacle, to whom it belongs to give laws to it, and to admit or reject persons as thou seest fit, I beg of thee the resolution of this important question. And he proposeth this question to God, that the answer coming from him may have the greater authority and influence upon men’ s consciences. Who shall abide, Heb. sojourn, to wit, so as to dwell, as it is explained in the next clause; unless this clause be meant of sojourning in the church here, and the next of dwelling in heaven hereafter. Who shall enter thither and abide there, with thy good leave and liking? In thy tabernacle, i.e. in thy church; either, 1. Militant. Who is a true and will be a persevering member of this church? Or, 2. Triumphant, or in heaven; which is called the true tabernacle, not made with man’ s hands, 9:11 . In thy holy hill, to wit, of Zion, so called , which is oft put for the church and for heaven. Who shall so dwell in thy church here as to dwell with thee for ever hereafter in heaven?

Psalms 15:1 « A Psalm of David. » LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?Ver. 1. Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle?] Heb. who shall sojourn? for that is our condition while here, in a foreign country, and not at home. The Church militant also is transportative, as well as the tabernacle; and not fixed to one place. Never was the ark settled till set in Solomon’ s temple; neither shall we till we come to heaven. David, having described an atheist in Psalms 14:1-4, and finding but too many such in the bosom of the Church, politicians, profane persons, hypocrites, who profess that they know God, but in works they deny him, Titus 1:16 (he that dethroneth a king doth as bad as he that denieth him), he therefore begs of God to disterminate, and put a difference between the righteous and the wicked, by certain infallible distinctive notes and characters, wherein men may surely rest without danger of being deceived; since his testimony is beyond all exception, and he is αυτοπιστος self credible. Here, then, that grand and grave question is propounded by David as a prophet of God, consulting with him, and answered by God himself, from more authority’ s sake: Who is the true citizen of Zion, the free denizen of the new Jerusalem, who is a right member of the Church militant, and shall be at length of the Church triumphant? A reverend divine said once to a poor soul, that told him he was troubled about his salvation, I tell thee, said he, it is able to trouble the whole world (Sinners’ Salvation, by Hooker, p. 2). Let a man but approve himself the party here described in desire at least, and endeavour, being humbled for his daily failings, and he may be confident. Who shall dwell in thine holy hill?] Heaven is aptly compared to a hill, hell to a hole. Now who shall ascend into this holy mount? None but those whom this mount comes down unto, that have sweet communion with God in this life present, whose conversation is in heaven, though their commoration be for a while upon earth, who do here eat, and drink, and sleep eternal life.

(1) Abide . . . dwell.—Properly, as in margin, sojourn like a passing guest, and dwell like a resident. But here the two terms are apparently used as synonyms. It was the natural form in which to put the question at Jerusalem, where God had His abode in the Temple, and we may paraphrase it thus: “What constitutes a true and genuine citizen of the kingdom of God?” The form of Wordsworth’s poem, “Who is the happy warrior? who is he,” &c, was possibly suggested by the Psalm, and it may be read with advantage by the side of it.

PSALM XV The important question answered, Who is a proper member of the Church militant? and who shall finally join the Church triumphant? Psalms 15:1 contains the question; Psalms 15:2-5, the answer. NOTES ON PSALM XV The title, מזמור לדוד mizmor ledavid, a Psalm of David, has nothing in it particularly worthy of notice. If it were a Psalm composed during the captivity, relating to their return and settlement in their own land, with the restoration of their temple service and all the ordinances of God, and a description of the persons who should then be considered Israelites indeed, the name of David is improperly prefixed. But the subject is of the most general utility, and demands the most solemn and serious attention of all men who profess to believe in the immortality of the soul. Verse 1. Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle?] The literal translation of this verse is, "Lord, who shall sojourn in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in the mountain of thy holiness?" For the proper understanding of this question we must note the following particulars:- 1. The tabernacle, which was a kind of moveable temple, was a type of the Church militant, or the state of the people of God in this world. 2. Mount Zion, the holy mount, where the temple was built, was the type of the kingdom of heaven. There the ark became stationary, and was no longer carried about from place to place; and the whole was typical of the rest that remains for the people of God. 3. The TABERNACLE was a temporary and frequently-removed building, carried about from place to place, and not long in any one place. Concerning this it is said: מי יגור mi yagur, "Who shall lodge, or sojourn," there? It is not a residence, or dwelling-place, but a place to lodge in for a time. 4. The TEMPLE was a fixed and permanent building; and here it is inquired, מי ישכן mi yiscon, "Who shall dwell, abide," or have his permanent residence, there? 5. The tabernacle being a migratory temple, carried about on the shoulders of the priests and Levites, there was no dwelling there for any; they could but lodge or sojourn. 6. The temple being fixed, the priests, Levites, c., became permanent occupiers. There was no lodging or sojourning, but permanent residence for all connected with it. 7. The tabernacle is, therefore, a proper type of the Church militant, wandering up and down, tossed by various storms and tempests the followers of God, having here no continuing city; sojourning only on earth to get a preparation for eternal glory. 8. The temple is also a proper type or emblem of the Church triumphant in heaven. "Here the wicked cease from troubling, and the weary are at rest." It is the dwelling-place, the eternal residence, of all who are faithful unto death, who are made pillars in that temple of God, to go no more out for ever. The questions therefore are, 1.

1. More exactly: Jehovah, who shall sojourn in thy tent? Who shall dwell in thy holy mountain? Who is worthy to be received as Jehovah’s guest, to enjoy His protection and hospitality, to dwell in the place which He has consecrated by His Presence? Cp. Psalms 5:4. It is not as a mere form of speech that the Psalmist addresses Jehovah. By this appeal he at once places himself and his readers in immediate relation to Jehovah. The question is asked of Him, and the answer is given as in His Presence. In thy tent might be wholly metaphorical and mean no more than in thy abode, but here where it stands in parallelism to thy holy mountain, it is natural to see a reference to ‘the tent’ which David pitched for the Ark on Mount Zion. Cp. Psalms 27:5-6. ‘Sojourn’ commonly denotes a temporary stay, but not necessarily so (Psalms 61:4); the special point here lies in the protection which the guest in Oriental countries claims from his host. “The Arabs give the title of jâr allâh to one who resides in Mecca beside the Caaba.” Robertson Smith’s Religion of the Semites, p. 77. Not merely ministers at the sanctuary or even worshippers are meant, but all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, who were often too prone to assume that God’s presence among them was a guarantee of security, instead of recognising that it demanded holiness on their part (Micah 3:11). Spiritually, the question concerns all who would draw near to God.

Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? - Margin, “sojourn.” The Hebrew word means properly to “sojourn;” that is, to abide in a place as a sojourner or stranger; not permanently, but only for a while.

1. Abide—This is the emphatic word in the inquiry, and stands opposed to a formal and occasional visit to Zion.