Psalms — Chapter 15

Loading ESV text...

1A Psalm of David. O LORD, who may abide in Your tent? Who may dwell on Your holy mountain?

2He who walks with integrity and practices righteousness, who speaks the truth from his heart,

3who has no slander on his tongue, who does no harm to his neighbor, who casts no scorn on his friend,

4who despises the vile but honors those who fear the LORD, who does not revise a costly oath,

5who lends his money without interest and refuses a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken.

1LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?

2He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.

3He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour.

4In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the LORD. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not.

5He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved.

1Jehovah, who shall sojourn in thy tabernacle? Who shall dwell in thy holy hill?

2He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, And speaketh truth in his heart;

3He that slandereth not with his tongue, Nor doeth evil to his friend, Nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbor;

4In whose eyes a reprobate is despised, But who honoreth them that fear Jehovah; He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not;

5He that putteth not out his money to interest, Nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved. Psalm 16 Michtam of David.

1A psalm of David. Lord, who may be a guest in your home? Who may live on your holy hill?

2Whoever lives a blameless life, does what is right, and speaks honestly.

3He does not slander, or do harm to others, or insult his neighbor.

4He despises a reprobate, but honors the Lord’s loyal followers. He makes firm commitments and does not renege on his promise.

5He does not charge interest when he lends his money. He does not take bribes to testify against the innocent. The one who lives like this will never be shaken.

1Yahweh, who shall dwell in your sanctuary? Who shall live on your holy hill?

2He who walks blamelessly does what is right, and speaks truth in his heart;

3He who doesn’t slander with his tongue, nor does evil to his friend, nor casts slurs against his fellow man;

4In whose eyes a vile man is despised, but who honors those who fear Yahweh; he who keeps an oath even when it hurts, and doesn’t change;

5he who doesn’t lend out his money for usury, nor take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be shaken.

Summary
Authorship & Background
Commentary
Videos
Articles
Reflection

Summary

A wisdom psalm describing the character required to dwell in God's presence. It opens with the question of who may stay in God's tent and live on his holy hill (v. 1), then answers with a list of qualities: walking blamelessly, doing what is right, and speaking truth honestly from the heart (v. 2). Such a person does not slander others, harm a neighbor, or spread reproach, but honors those who fear the LORD while despising those who reject him, and keeps promises even when it costs something (vv. 3-4). This person also refuses to profit from exploitative lending or bribery against the innocent, and the psalm concludes that whoever lives this way will never be shaken (v. 5).

Authorship & Background

Author: Multiple authors — primarily David (73 psalms attributed), plus Asaph (12), Sons of Korah (11), Solomon (2), Moses (1), Heman (1), Ethan (1), and anonymous. The Psalter was compiled over approximately 1000 years and served as Israel's hymnal and prayer book. The book is divided into five 'books' (1-41, 42-72, 73-89, 90-106, 107-150), paralleling the five books of Moses.
Classification: Torah/Entrance Liturgy Psalm
Attributed Author: David — "A Psalm of David"
Key Themes: Requirements for dwelling with God, ethical character, truthful speech, integrity in relationships, financial justice, keeping vows
Historical Context: Psalm 15 is an "entrance liturgy" — likely used at the gates of the tabernacle/temple when worshippers asked who may enter God's presence. The question (v.1) receives a ten-point ethical answer (vv.2-5) rather than a ritual one. Notably, none of the qualifications are ceremonial — they are all moral and relational. This is remarkable: access to God is determined by character, not ritual compliance. This may have been composed when David brought the Ark to Jerusalem (2 Sam 6) and established tabernacle worship there. Compare Isaiah 33:14-16 and Psalm 24:3-5 for parallel entrance liturgies.
Who Shall Abide in Thy Tabernacle (v.1): LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle, who shall dwell in thy holy hill. One verse, and it is a question of the kind a pilgrim arriving at the sanctuary gate would ask, which is probably its original setting. Psalm 24:3 asks the same question in almost the same words and answers it more briefly.
He That Walketh Uprightly (vv.2-5a): The answer is a list and every item is conduct rather than belief, which is the point of it: he that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. Then the negatives, he that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour. Three of the ten concern speech about other people. Two are unexpectedly specific and costly, he that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not, that is, keeps a bargain that turns out badly for him, and he that putteth not out his money to usury. The section stops in the middle of verse 5 because the qualifications end there.
He That Doeth These Things Shall Never Be Moved (v.5b): Half a verse, and it is the answer to the question in verse 1. He that doeth these things shall never be moved. Nothing is promised about prosperity or long life, only stability, and it is attached to the list rather than to the temple: the person described is secure whether or not he is standing on the holy hill.

Commentary

  • Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Verse-by-verse commentary on this chapter, written for the everyday reader and freely available online.
  • Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871): blueletterbible.org A critical and explanatory commentary on the whole Bible, more concise than Matthew Henry and closer to the Hebrew and Greek, with attention to historical and geographical detail. Public domain.
  • Matthew Henry's Exposition (1710): blueletterbible.org A devotional verse-by-verse commentary in the Puritan tradition, still among the most widely read three centuries on. Public domain.

Videos

Psalm 15 | Who Can Live with God? | Bible Study
Spoken Gospel

Psalm 15 - The Character of the One God Receives
David Guzik

Articles

  • GotQuestions.org: gotquestions.org On the whole book: an overview of Psalms -- who wrote it, when, why, and how it fits the rest of Scripture.

Links open on the publisher's own site. Nothing here is reproduced on this page.

Reflection

  • Access to God Is About Character, Not Ceremony (v.1) — The question of who may dwell with God is answered with ethics rather than ritual requirements. Does your pursuit of God focus more on right behavior toward others than on religious performance?
  • Truth That Starts Internally (v.2) — The person who may dwell with God speaks truth from the heart, not merely with the lips. Are you honest with yourself, or do you allow self-deception to go unchallenged?
  • Keeping Your Word Even When It Costs You (v.4) — The qualified person keeps a promise even after circumstances make it painful to fulfill. Is there a commitment you are tempted to abandon now that it has become inconvenient?
  • Integrity Produces Stability (v.5) — The psalm promises that the person of integrity will never be shaken. Does your life show the settledness that comes from consistent character, or the instability that comes from compromise?