Psalms 24 - Introduction

XXIV.

Here, as in Psalms 19, we come upon a poem made up of two separate pieces, united without due regard to the difference both of tone and rhythm, which strikes even an English reader. The piece from Psalms 24:1 inclusive falls into three stanzas, of four, five, and four lines respectively. The second piece, though evidently intended to be sung in parts, falls into triplets. Notice also that the didactic character of the first ode does not harmonise with the warlike march of the second. In the first, moreover, it is the pious Israelite who is, by virtue of the correspondence of his character to the godlike, to ascend the Holy Mountain; in the second, it is Jehovah Himself who comes to claim admission into the fortress by virtue of His prowess in battle, or, more exactly, it is the ark which represents Him, and which was understood by its presence to secure victory, which is brought in triumph to that hill where it was henceforth to have its home. The fact that in the early part of the psalm Jehovah appears in full possession of His mountain, which is already a centre for pious worshippers, seems to bring its composition down to a time posterior to the removal of the ark to Zion. Apart from the rhythmical difficulty, the unity of the poem might possibly be vindicated by the supposition that it was composed not for this first removal, but for some subsequent return of the ark.

This hymn was naturally adopted by Christians as figurative of the Resurrection and Ascension.