A psalm of David. Lord, who shall dwell in thy tabernacle? or who shall rest in thy holy hill?

“Touching this title there is no question. "O Lord who shall sojourn in Your tabernacle?" [Psalm 15:1]. Although tabernacle be sometimes used even for an everlasting habitation: yet when tabernacle is taken in its proper meaning, it is a thing of war. Hence soldiers are called tent-fellows, as having their tents together. This sense is assisted by the words, "Who shall sojourn?" For we war with the devil for a time, and then we need a tabernacle wherein we may refresh ourselves. Which specially points out the faith of the temporal Dispensation, which was wrought for us in time through the Incarnation of the Lord. "And who shall rest in Your holy mountain?" Here perhaps he signifies at once the eternal habitation itself, [2 Corinthians 5:1-2] that we should understand by "mountain" the supereminence of the love of Christ in life eternal.”

“A Psalm of David. Lord, who shall sojourn in Thy Tabernacle? And who shall dwell in Thy Holy Hill? – Thy Tabernacle: that is, the heavens, and he designates them a tent because they are spread out as a tent. And Thy Holy Hill is Mount Moriah, where the Holy House was, for it was the most glorious place in the earth. And in like manner he designates them (the heavens) a palace, as he says (Ps. 11:4): “The Lord is in His Holy Palace; the Lord, His throne is in heaven” as we have interpreted. So also, “He heard my voice out of His Palace” (ibid, 18:7). (The questions) Who shall sojourn? and Who shall dwell? have reference to the higher spiritual part (of man). He says that he who has done in his lifetime these works (about to be mentioned), his spirit shall dwell in the place of Glory after his death. And what are the works?”

“Above, the Psalmist treated of the malice and deceit of his adversaries; here he treats of his own justice. And first he shows what kind of justice God accepts. Second, as if giving thanks, he shows what his own justice is, at the place, "preserve me." The title, "A Psalm of David." In this Psalm he does two things: for, existing as a priest before God, he consults God. First a question is posed. Second, the response, at the place, "he who walks without blemish." He therefore sets forth a twofold question: because there is a twofold state of the Church, present and future. The first is of those who are warring: Apocalypse 14: "Henceforth now the Spirit says that they may rest." And these two states were signified in the Old Testament. For first they had the tabernacle, Exodus 26, as long as they had wars and labors. 2 Kings 7: "It came to pass, when the Lord had given rest to David from all his enemies, that he said to Nathan: You see that I dwell in a house of cedar, and the ark of God is set in the midst of skins?" Afterward he made the temple, when he had peace. By the tabernacle is designated the Church militant, by the temple made on the mountain, the state of the future life; and therefore he says, "Who shall dwell in your tabernacle?" That is, in the present Church; as if he were to say: who is worthy to dwell? For sinners dwell there in number, not in merit. Jerome has, "Who shall sojourn?" Psalm 67: "He makes those of one mind to dwell in a house." The second question, "who shall rest on your holy mountain?" And it is called a holy mountain, because nothing there is defiled: Jeremiah 31: "May the Lord bless you, O beauty of justice, holy mountain"; Isaiah 35: "It shall be called the holy way"; Exodus 15: "You shall bring them in and plant them in the mountain of your inheritance, in your most firm habitation, which you have made, O Lord." "Who..." Here the response is set forth; and concerning this he does two things. First he commemorates the merits of those dwelling in the aforesaid places, namely in the tabernacle and on the holy mountain of God. Second, the reward, at the place, "he who does these things shall not be moved forever." Now he sets forth ten effects of the virtues. But the action of the virtuous man is considered in two ways. First by comparison to himself. Second by comparison to others. First he sets forth those things by which a man acts well in himself. Second, those by which he conducts himself well toward his neighbor, at the place, "nor has he done to his neighbor," etc. In himself, as to external things, in deed, and in speech. In deed, as to two things. First, that he flee evil; and therefore he says: "who walks without blemish." This life is a kind of road toward eternal life; and therefore he says, "walks," that is, journeys along the way: Psalm 41: "I shall go into the place of the tabernacle." Likewise Psalm 118: "Blessed are the undefiled in the way." "Without blemish," namely mortal, because venial sin does not, properly speaking, have blemish: Ecclesiasticus 31: "Blessed is the rich man that is found without blemish." But in Christ and in the Virgin Mary there was no blemish whatsoever, and to these is appropriated temperance, because it is against temperance that one is defiled. Second, that he do good; and therefore it follows, "and works justice," that is, those things to which justice inclines; and they are reduced to it insofar as it is a special virtue. In speech, first, that he do good; "who speaks the truth," that is, that he do good in his speech: Isaiah 33: "Who among you shall be able to dwell with the everlasting burnings? He who walks in justices, and speaks truth." And he says, "in his heart," against those who speak truth by chance, not from purpose: Proverbs 12: "The lip of truth shall be firm"; 1 Peter 2: "laying aside all guile and all deceit, as newborn infants." Second, that he avoid evil, namely deceitfulness: Jeremiah 9: "their tongue is a wounding arrow, it has spoken deceit." "Who has not done deceit in his tongue." Another reading has, "who is not glib in his tongue": Proverbs 25: "a city that lies open and without the compass of walls, is a man who cannot restrain his own spirit in speaking." Another reading, "and there is no accusation in his tongue"; because, namely, he is not a detractor and a reporter of tales; or because his words are not open to accusation: Ephesians 4: "let no evil speech proceed out of your mouth." "Nor has he done..." Above the Psalmist treated of the virtuous operation which God accepts, enumerating those things by which a man acts well in himself; but here he enumerates those things by which he conducts himself well toward his neighbor. And here, as regards his neighbor, he asks three things. First, that he not harm him. Second, that he not consent to one harming him: Romans 1: "they who do such things shall not obtain the kingdom of God; but they are worthy of death, not only they who do them, but they also who consent to them that do them." Third, that he not deceive him. He says, therefore, as to the first, "nor has he done evil to his neighbor," neither bodily nor spiritually: Romans 12: "rendering to no man evil for evil"; Galatians 6: "while we have time, let us work good." As to the second he says, "and has not taken up a reproach against his neighbors." Someone says something against another, but it is not to be tolerated; and therefore he says, "he has not taken up a reproach," namely then, when he who hears detracting words against someone, and from these detests the one of whom they are spoken, or even himself says them to others: Ecclesiasticus 19: "have you heard a word against your neighbor? let it die within you," etc. Ecclesiasticus 28: "hedge in your ears with thorns, and do not listen to a wicked tongue." Jerome: "if there is no listener, there is no detractor." Bernard: "which of these is more damnable, to detract or to listen to one detracting, I would not easily say": Proverbs 25: "the north wind scatters rain, and a sad face, a detracting tongue"; because, literally, the detractor stops when the hearer is saddened. "As nothing..." Here he shows that he does not despise. In man there are two things: namely vice and virtue. Vice is to be despised; and therefore he says, "the malignant one," insofar as he is such, "is brought to nothing," that is, is reckoned as nothing; and this is good: first, to remove envy: for sometimes some evil man is exalted: Jeremiah 12: "the way of the wicked prospers," etc. But because of this he ought in no way to reckon him great, but ought to despise him: 1 Maccabees 2: "the glory of a sinful man is dung and worms: today he is lifted up, and tomorrow he is not found, because he is turned back into his own earth, and his thought has perished." Or someone great intends to harm; but since he is malignant, despise him: because the disparagement of such men is the approval of our life: Psalm 26: "though hosts should stand together against me, my heart shall not fear," namely of sinners. But repute the virtuous man great; therefore he says, "but he glorifies them that fear the Lord": Ecclesiasticus 25: "how great is he that finds wisdom and knowledge, but there is none above him that fears the Lord." The Gloss expounds otherwise, "in his sight the malignant one is brought to nothing," that is, the Devil is bound by him: John 2: "you have overcome the wicked one," etc. The Lord glorifies them that fear the Lord, namely himself. But the first exposition is the more literal. Here he forbids that he deceive his neighbor. Now a neighbor is deceived in three ways. Namely in promises, and this through an oath; and therefore he says, "who swears," etc., that is, confirms in order to deceive, because he does not keep it: Zechariah 8: "love not a false oath"; Leviticus 14: "you shall not swear falsely by the name of your God, and you shall not pollute it." To swear does not pertain to virtue, but to keep the oath does. Likewise in contracts. Whence: "who has not put out his money to usury": Luke 6: "lend, hoping for nothing thereby: and has not taken bribes against the innocent": Proverbs 17: "the wicked man takes gifts out of the bosom," that is, of the Church, "to pervert the paths of judgment"; Deuteronomy 23 it is forbidden that it be given to a brother upon usury, because he sells what is not his, since he does not have the usufruct. Likewise in judgments, when he gives sentence against the innocent; and therefore he says, "and gifts": Isaiah 5: "woe to you that justify the wicked for gifts"; Job 19: "fire shall devour the tabernacles of them that love to take gifts." Consequently the reward is set forth. "He who does," that is, keeps, "these things," all the aforesaid: James 1: "be doers of the word"; Romans 2: "not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers": "shall not be moved forever," that is, he shall dwell here on my holy mountain: below, Psalm 124: "they that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion," etc. Psalm 54: "you shall never suffer the just to waver." Above, Psalm 15.”

“Here is, I. A very serious and weighty question concerning the characters of a citizen of Zion (Psa 15:1): "Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? Let me know who shall go to heaven." Not, who by name (in this way the Lord only knows those that are his), but who by description: "What kind of people are those whom thou wilt own and crown with distinguishing and everlasting favours?" This supposes that it is a great privilege to be a citizen of Zion, an unspeakable honour and advantage, - that all are not thus privileged, but a remnant only, - and that men are not entitled to this privilege by their birth and blood: all shall not abide in God's tabernacle that have Abraham to their father, but, according as men's hearts and lives are, so will their lot be. It concerns us all to put this question to ourselves, Lord, what shall I be, and do, that I may abide in thy tabernacle? Luk 18:18; Act 16:30. 1. Observe to whom this enquiry is addressed - to God himself. Note, Those that would find the way to heaven must look up to God, must take direction from his word and beg direction from his Spirit. It is fit he himself should give laws to his servants, and appoint the conditions of his favours, and tell who are his and who not. 2. How it is expressed in Old Testament language. (1.) By the tabernacle we may understand the church militant, typified by Moses's tabernacle, fitted to a wilderness-state, mean and movable. There God manifests himself, and there he meets his people, as of old in the tabernacle of the testimony, the tabernacle of meeting. Who shall dwell in this tabernacle? Who shall be accounted a true living member of God's church, admitted among the spiritual priests to lodge in the courts of this tabernacle? We are concerned to enquire this, because many pretend to a place in this tabernacle who really have no part nor lot in the matter. (2.) By the holy hill we may understand the church triumphant, alluding to Mount Zion, on which the temple was to be built by Solomon. It is the happiness of glorified saints that they dwell in that holy hill; they are at home there: they shall be for ever there. It concerns us to know who shall dwell there, that we may make it sure to ourselves that we shall have a place among them, and may then take the comfort of it, and rejoice in prospect of that holy hill. II. A very plain and particular answer to this question. Those that desire to know their duty, with a resolution to do it, will find the scripture a very faithful director and conscience a faithful monitor. Let us see then the particular characters of a citizen of Zion. 1. He is one that is sincere and entire in his religion: He walketh uprightly, according to the condition of the covenant (Gen 17:1), "Walk before me, and be thou perfect" (it is the same word that is here used) "and then thou shalt find me a God all-sufficient." He is really what he professes to be, is sound at heart, and can approve himself to God, in his integrity, in all he does; his conversation is uniform, and he is of a piece with himself, and endeavours to stand complete in all the will of God. His eye perhaps is weak, but it is single; he has his spots indeed, but he does not paint; he is an Israelite indeed in whom is no guile, Joh 1:47; Co2 1:12. I know no religion but sincerity. 2. He is one that is conscientiously honest and just in all his dealings, faithful and fair to all with whom he has to do: He worketh righteousness; he walks in all the ordinances and commandments of the Lord, and takes care to give all their due, is just both to God and man; and, in speaking to both, he speaks that which is the truth in his heart; his prayers, professions, and promises, to God, come not out of feigned lips, nor dares he tell a lie, or so much as equivocate, in his converse or commerce with men. He walks by the rules of righteousness and truth, and scorns and abhors the gains of injustice and fraud. He reckons that that cannot be a good bargain, nor a saving one, which is made with a lie, and that he who wrongs his neighbour, though ever so plausibly, will prove, in the end, to have done the greatest injury to himself. 3. He is one that contrives to do all the good he can to his neighbours, but is very careful to do hurt to no man, and is, in a particular manner, tender of his neighbour's reputation, Psa 15:3. He does no evil at all to his neighbour willingly or designedly, nothing to offend or grieve his spirit, nothing to prejudice the health or ease of his body, nothing to injure him in his estate or secular interests, in his family or relations; but walks by that golden rule of equity, To do as he would be done by. He is especially careful not to injure his neighbour in his good name, though many, who would not otherwise wrong their neighbours, make nothing of that. If any man, in this matter, bridles not his tongue, his religion is vain. He knows the worth of a good name, and therefore he backbites not, defames no man, speaks evil of no man, makes not others' faults the subject of his common talk, much less of his sport and ridicule, nor speaks of them with pleasure, nor at all but for edification. He makes the best of every body, and the worst of nobody. He does not take up a reproach, that is, he neither raises it nor receives it; he gives no credit nor countenance to a calumny, but frowns upon a backbiting tongue, and so silences it, Pro 25:23. If an ill-natured character of his neighbour be given him, or an ill-natured story be told him, he will disprove it if he can; if not, it shall die with him and go no further. His charity will cover a multitude of sins. 4. He is one that values men by their virtue and piety, and not by the figure they make in the world, Psa 15:5. (1.) He thinks the better of no man's wickedness for his pomp and grandeur: In his eyes a vile person is contemned. Wicked people are vile people, worthless and good for nothing (so the word signifies), as dross, as chaff, and as salt that has lost its savour. They are vile in their choices (Jer 2:13), in their practices, Isa 32:6. For this wise and good men contemn them, not denying them civil honour and respect as men, as men in authority and power perhaps (Pe1 2:17, Rom 13:7), but, in their judgment of them, agreeing with the word of God. They are so far from envying them that they pity them, despising their gains (Isa 33:15), as turning to no account, their dainties (Psa 141:4), their pleasures (Heb 11:24, Heb 11:25) as sapless and insipid. They despise their society (Psa 119:115; Kg2 3:14); they despise their taunts and threats, and are not moved by them, nor disturbed at them; they despise the feeble efforts of their impotent malice (Psa 2:1, Psa 2:4), and will shortly triumph in their fall, Psa 52:6, Psa 52:7. God despises them, and they are of his mind. (2.) He thinks the worse of no man's piety for his poverty and meanness, but he knows those that fear the Lord. He reckons that serious piety, wherever it is found, puts an honour upon a man, and makes his face to shine, more than wealth, or wit, or a great name among men, does or can. He honours such, esteems them very highly in love, desires their friendship and conversation and an interest in their prayers, is glad of an opportunity to show them respect or do them a good office, pleads their cause and speaks of them with veneration, rejoices when they prosper, grieves when they are removed, and their memory, when they are gone, is precious with him. By this we may judge of ourselves in some measure. What rules do we go by in judging of others? 5. He is one that always prefers a good conscience before any secular interest or advantage whatsoever; for, if he has promised upon oath to do any thing, though afterwards it appear much to his damage and prejudice in his worldly estate, yet he adheres to it and changes not, Psa 15:4. See how weak-sighted and short-sighted even wise and good men may be; they may swear to their own hurt, which they were not aware of when they took the oath. But see how strong the obligation of an oath is, that a man must rather suffer loss to himself and his family than wrong his neighbour by breaking his oath. An oath is a sacred thing, which we must not think to play fast and loose with. 6. He is one that will not increase his estate by any unjust practices, Psa 15:5. (1.) Not by extortion: He putteth not out his money to usury, that he may live at ease upon the labours of others, while he is in a capacity for improving it by his own industry. Not that it is any breach of the law of justice or charity for the lender to share in the profit which the borrower makes of his money, any more than for the owner of the land to demand rent from the occupant, money being, by art and labour, as improvable as land. But a citizen of Zion will freely lend to the poor, according to his ability, and not be rigorous and severe in recovering his right from those that are reduced by Providence. (2.) Not by bribery: He will not take a reward against the innocent; if he be any way employed in the administration of public justice, he will not, for any gain, or hope of it, to himself, do any thing to the prejudice of a righteous cause. III. The psalm concludes with a ratification of this character of the citizen of Zion. He is like Zion-hill itself, which cannot be moved, but abides for ever, Psa 125:1. Every true living member of the church, like the church itself, is built upon a rock, which the gates of hell cannot prevail against: He that doeth these things shall never be moved; shall not be moved for ever, so the word is. The grace of God shall always be sufficient for him, to preserve him safe and blameless to the heavenly kingdom. Temptations shall not overcome him, troubles shall not overwhelm him, nothing shall rob him of his present peace nor his future bliss. In singing this psalm we must teach and admonish ourselves, and one another, to answer the characters here given of the citizen of Zion, that we may never be moved from God's tabernacle on earth, and may arrive, at last, at that holy hill where we shall be for ever out of the reach of temptation and danger.”

“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, which renders the sons of men unfit for the presence of God, and communion with him; and it is put to the Lord himself, the founder of Zion, who has set his King over this holy hill of his; who has enacted laws for the good of it, and brings his people thither, making them meet for it, and so is most proper to give the qualifications of such as are admitted here; for by the tabernacle is meant not the human nature of Christ, as in Heb 8:2; as some interpret it, and apply all the characters in the following verses to Christ; nor heaven itself, of which the holy place made with hands in the tabernacle and temple were a figure, Heb 9:24; for to "sojourn" (d) or "lodge", as in an inn, as the word rendered abide signifies, will not suit with that state and place which is fixed and immovable; but the church of God on earth, called a "tabernacle", in allusion to the tabernacle of Moses, where God granted his presence, sacrifices were offered up with acceptance, and the holy vessels were put; and which was mean without, but rich and glorious within: so God affords his gracious presence in his church, accepts the spiritual sacrifices of prayer and praise offered to him there; and here are the vessels of mercy placed, which are sanctified and meet for the master's use; and though it is mean and despicable in its outward appearance, in the eyes of men, it is all glorious within; see Sol 1:6; and this is the tabernacle of God, being of his building and preserving, and the place of his residence; who shall dwell in thy holy hill? the same is here intended as in the preceding clause; the allusion is to Mount Zion, whither the ark of the Lord was brought in David's time, and on one part of which the temple was afterwards built: and the church may be compared to this hill, for its eminence and visibility in the world; for the holiness which God has put upon it, and for the immovableness of it; for though like, a tabernacle it may be carried from place to place, yet it is like an hill that can never be removed out of the world; it is built on a sure foundation, the Rock of ages. Now the purport of these questions is, who is a proper person to be an inhabitant of Zion? or to be a member of the church of God? the answer is in the following verses. (d) "peregrinabitur", Pagninus, Montanus; "diversabitur", Muis; so Ainsworth; "vel hospitabitur", Cocceius.”

“David. The word psalm being appropriated to some, while others are styled hymns, &c., does not hinder the latter from being also psalms or spiritual songs, to be set to music: so the insertion of David, “the beloved’s name,” in some of these divine canticles, is no proof that the rest were not written by him. (Worthington) — The author describes the perfection of priests, &c., contrasts the sanctity of those who shall inhabit Jerusalem with that of the wicked mentioned in the last psalm. Some copies have To the end in the title, while others omit it, with the Hebrew, St. Chrysostom, &c. — Hill. The Jews comforted themselves with the hopes of seeing Jerusalem rebuilt, Psalm cxxxi. 1. The prophets describe those who should return from captivity, as holy people, (Isaias xxvi. 3., and Sophonias iii. 13.; Calmet) a figure of the Church. (Haydock) — Heaven is also styled a tabernacle and mountain, (Apocalypse xv. 5., and Hebrews xii. 22.; Berthier) and is here chiefly (Haydock) meant. See ver. 5. (Worthington)”

“That which is expanded in the tristichic portion of the Psalm, is all contained in this distichic portion in nuce. The address to God is not merely a favourite form (Hupfeld), but the question is really, as its words imply, directed to God. The answer, however, is not therefore to be taken as a direct answer from God, as it might be in a prophetical connection: the psalmist addresses himself to God in prayer, he as it were reads the heart of God, and answers to himself the question just asked, in accordance with the mind of God. גּוּר and שׁכן which are usually distinguished from each other like παροικεῖν and κατοικεῖν in Hellenistic Greek, are alike in meaning in this instance. It is not a merely temporary גּוּר (Psa 61:5), but for ever, that is intended. The only difference between the two interchangeable notions is this, the one denotes the finding of an abiding place of rest starting from the idea of a wandering life, the other the possession of an abiding place of rest starting from the idea of settled family life. (Note: In the Arabic jâm ‛lllh is "one under the protection of God, dwelling as it were in the fortress of God" vid., Fleischer's Samachschari, S. 1, Anm. 1.) The holy tabernacle and the holy mountain are here thought of in their spiritual character as the places of the divine presence and of the church of God assembled round the symbol of it; and accordingly the sojourning and dwelling there is not to be understood literally, but in a spiritual sense. This spiritual depth of view, first of all with local limitations, is also to be found in Psa 27:4-5; Psa 61:5. This is present even where the idea of earnestness and regularity in attending the sanctuary rises in intensity to that of constantly dwelling therein, Psa 65:5; Psa 84:4-5; while elsewhere, as in Psa 24:3, the outward materiality of the Old Testament is not exceeded. Thus we see the idea of the sanctuary at one time contracting itself within the Old Testament limits, and at another expanding more in accordance with the spirit of the New Testament; since in this matter, as in the matter of sacrifice, the spirit of the New Testament already shows signs of life, and works powerfully through its cosmical veil, without that veil being as yet rent. The answer to the question, so like the spirit of the New Testament in its intention, is also itself no less New Testament in its character: Not every one who saith Lord, Lord, but they who do the will of God, shall enjoy the rights of friendship with Him. But His will concerns the very substance of the Law, viz., our duties towards all men, and the inward state of the heart towards God. In the expression הולך תמים (here and in Pro 28:18), תמים is either a closer definition of the subject: one walking as an upright man, like הולך רכיל one going about as a slanderer, cf. היּשׂר הולך Mic 2:7 "the upright as one walking;" or it is an accusative of the object, as in הולך צדקות Isa 33:15 : one who walks uprightness, i.e., one who makes uprightness his way, his mode of action; since תמים may mean integrum = integritas, and this is strongly favoured by הלכים בּתמים, which is used interchangeably with it in Psa 84:12 (those who walk in uprightness). Instead of עשׂה צדקה we have the poetical form of expression פּעל צדק. The characterising of the outward walk and action is followed in Psa 15:2 by the characterising of the inward nature: speaking truth in his heart, not: with his heart (not merely with his mouth); for in the phrase אמר בּלב, בּ is always the Beth of the place, not of the instrument-the meaning therefore is: it is not falsehood and deceit that he thinks and plans inwardly, but truth (Hitz.). We have three characteristics here: a spotless walk, conduct ordered according to God's will, and a truth-loving mode of thought.”