Psalm 24: Into the Battle

In this Psalm, David reflects on the magnitude of G-d. The G-d created all there is, over the water filled abyss, and fine-tuning our existence through the rivers of the garden of Eden. King David tries to understand what type of man is the one who will be clean and pure enough to elevate unto G-d’s mountain, and receive His Divine presence.  

This person will have to be “clean of sins and has a wild-heart” and he must not underappreciated the power of his own soul, nor walk the ways of manipulation and trickery. It will be someone that uplifts others through the blessings G-d will whisper into his soul, and he will act in just and loving-kindness ways. 

David reflects on Jacob as someone who had erred and sinned in the past, yet was allowed to do Teshuva and become that type of person who works as a messenger of goodness in G-d’s name: “This is the generation that demands, asking your face, Jacob, wholesomely.” Please, David says, like with Jacob, offer this all-encompassing return -- our generation needs it, our generation is asking for it.

   After this plea, David turns to the people with instructions of what they must do to allow this communal Teshuva to occur: “Lift up the gateways to your minds, and uplift the opening of the world, and the King of Honor will arrive.” David is saying that if we only rise up a little, if we only create a little opening, G-d will find the way to enter our experience and our soul and we will receive His eminence and force within us. 

David clarifies that whatever strength and bravery him and his men might have on the battle ground, it is coming from G-d. The “King of Honor” is G-d, the hero of wars. This explanation points to this Psalm as a potential speech offered by King David to his people before going to war. In such a motivational speech, David hypes up the grandeur of G-d and His creation, reminds the soldiers that G-d helped Jacob with all his troubles, and now, we must not let out heads fall in fear -- we must hold our head up high, offer even a crack of faith in G-d, and He will fill each soldier with the strength to fight in the name of His Honor. 

Hyping his soldiers, King David repeats the same verse twice: “Lift up the gateways to your minds, and uplift the opening of the world, and the King of Honor will arrive” and asks again, with what we can only imagine is having a roaring response from the Israelite soldiers: “Who is the King of Honor? G-d of the armies is the King of all-encompassing Honor.”

לְדָוִ֗ד מִ֫זְמ֥וֹר לַֽ֭ה’ הָאָ֣רֶץ וּמְלוֹאָ֑הּ תֵּ֝בֵ֗ל וְיֹ֣שְׁבֵי בָֽהּ׃

A song for David,

To G-d is the land and all that is in it,

The universe and all who dwell in it.

כִּי־ה֭וּא עַל־יַמִּ֣ים יְסָדָ֑הּ וְעַל־נְ֝הָר֗וֹת יְכוֹנְנֶֽהָ׃

For He over-waters established it,

And over-rivers He fine-tunes it.

מִֽי־יַעֲלֶ֥ה בְהַר־ה’ וּמִי־יָ֝קוּם בִּמְק֥וֹם קָדְשֽׁוֹ׃

Who will ascend on the mountain of G-d?

And who will rise in the place of His Holiness? 

נְקִ֥י כַפַּ֗יִם וּֽבַר־לֵ֫בָ֥ב אֲשֶׁ֤ר ׀ לֹא־נָשָׂ֣א לַשָּׁ֣וְא נַפְשִׁ֑י וְלֹ֖א נִשְׁבַּ֣ע לְמִרְמָֽה׃

One who is clean of sins and has a wild-heart,

Which has not taken in vain his soul,

And has not sworn to a life of treachery.

יִשָּׂ֣א בְ֭רָכָה מֵאֵ֣ת ה’ וּ֝צְדָקָ֗ה מֵאֱלֹקי יִשְׁעֽוֹ׃

He will uplift blessings received from G-d,

And will righteous deeds from the Lord he will carry.

זֶ֭ה דּ֣וֹר דרשו [דֹּרְשָׁ֑יו] מְבַקְשֵׁ֨י פָנֶ֖יךָ יַעֲקֹ֣ב סֶֽלָה׃

This is the generation that demands,

Asking your face, Jacob, wholesomely. 

שְׂא֤וּ שְׁעָרִ֨ים ׀ רָֽאשֵׁיכֶ֗ם וְֽ֭הִנָּשְׂאוּ פִּתְחֵ֣י עוֹלָ֑ם וְ֝יָב֗וֹא מֶ֣לֶךְ הַכָּבֽוֹד׃

Lift up the gateways to your minds,

And uplift the opening of the world,

And the King of Honor will arrive.

מִ֥י זֶה֮ מֶ֤לֶךְ הַכָּ֫ב֥וֹד ה’ עִזּ֣וּז וְגִבּ֑וֹר ה’ גִּבּ֥וֹר מִלְחָמָֽה׃

Who is the King of Honor?

G-d, the almighty and the hero,

G-d, the hero of war.

שְׂא֤וּ שְׁעָרִ֨ים ׀ רָֽאשֵׁיכֶ֗ם וּ֭שְׂאוּ פִּתְחֵ֣י עוֹלָ֑ם וְ֝יָבֹא מֶ֣לֶךְ הַכָּבֽוֹד׃

Lift up the gateways to your minds,

And uplift the opening of the world,

And the King of Honor will arrive.

מִ֤י ה֣וּא זֶה֮ מֶ֤לֶךְ הַכָּ֫ב֥וֹד ה’ צְבָא֑וֹת ה֤וּא מֶ֖לֶךְ הַכָּב֣וֹד סֶֽלָה׃

Who is the King of Honor?

G-d of the armies is the King of all-encompassing Honor.