Psalm 15
The Character of the One God Receives
This psalm is titled A Psalm of David. It is a deeply searching meditation upon the kind of man whom God receives into His presence. Though no historical occasion is explicitly given, it very likely reflects the spiritual atmosphere surrounding the bringing of the ark of the covenant into Jerusalem under the leadership of David, recorded in 2 Samuel 6. That event forced the nation, and especially its king, to confront a central question: Who is truly fit to approach the holy God?
This is not a superficial inquiry. It is not merely about access to a structure, but access to the presence of the covenant God of Israel. David is not asking who may visit a building, but who may live in fellowship with the LORD. The psalm therefore moves from question to character, from inquiry to examination. It is a mirror held before every worshiper.
A. The Question Presented: Who Can Come Before God?
1. (Psalm 15:1a) Who can come to the tabernacle of God?
“LORD, who may abide in Your tabernacle?”
David opens with a direct and reverent address to the covenant name of God, the LORD, Jehovah. This is not a philosophical question addressed to the air. It is a question directed to the Holy One Himself.
The word translated “abide” carries the idea of sojourning. It refers to dwelling temporarily as a welcomed guest. In the ancient Near Eastern world, hospitality was sacred. To be received into the tent of another was to be placed under his protection. The guest was inviolable. His needs were supplied. His safety was guaranteed.
David’s question therefore has covenantal overtones. Who may be received as a protected guest in the dwelling of God? Who may enjoy divine hospitality?
Though David may have longed, like the sons of Korah, to live continually in the house of the LORD, as expressed in Psalm 84, this could not be literal in a priestly sense. David was from the tribe of Judah, not Levi. He could not function as a priest. Therefore, his language is spiritual, not sacerdotal. He is speaking of fellowship, not office.
The tabernacle itself was the divinely prescribed meeting place between God and Israel. In Exodus 25–31, the LORD gave Moses detailed instructions concerning its construction. It was the place of sacrifice, mediation, and atonement. It symbolized the nearness of God, yet also the separation between a holy God and a sinful people.
By David’s time, the tabernacle structure appears to have been located at Gibeon, as recorded in 1 Chronicles 16:39–40. Yet the question transcends geography. To abide in the tabernacle is to live in the conscious presence of God. It is to walk in covenant fellowship.
David’s concern is therefore intensely practical. He is asking, Who may live a life that enjoys communion with the LORD? Who walks in such a way that his life is aligned with God’s character?
2. (Psalm 15:1b) Who can come to the hill of God’s temple?
“Who may dwell in Your holy hill?”
The second question parallels the first, yet deepens it. Hebrew poetry often employs repetition with intensification. The word “dwell” here carries a more permanent sense than “abide.” The first word suggests a guest, the second suggests a citizen.
The structure of the verse may be understood this way. Who may be received as a guest into God’s tent? Who may live as a permanent resident upon His holy hill?
The phrase “Your holy hill” most naturally refers to Mount Zion in Jerusalem. At this stage in Israel’s history, the ark of the covenant had been brought into Jerusalem, as recorded in 2 Samuel 6:17, even though the tabernacle itself remained at Gibeon. Later, the temple would be constructed on Mount Moriah under Solomon, as described in 2 Chronicles 3:1.
This creates a historical nuance. David may be deliberately distinguishing between the tabernacle at Gibeon and the ark’s resting place in Jerusalem. If so, he is thinking of two sacred sites, yet one divine presence. The tent and the hill represent the same theological reality, access to God.
The holiness of the hill is central. It is not merely elevated ground. It is holy because God has set His name there. The issue is not proximity to sacred architecture, but qualification to stand in the presence of a holy God.
This intensifies the question. Who may dwell in the sphere of God’s holiness? Who is fit not merely to visit, but to remain?
Theologically, this psalm forces the reader to confront the doctrine of holiness. God is not approached casually. Access is not assumed. The covenant community might gather around the sanctuary, but only those who reflect the character of God truly dwell in fellowship with Him.
David therefore establishes a standard that is ethical and spiritual, not ceremonial alone. Sacrifice had its place under the Mosaic system. Yet this psalm makes clear that external ritual without corresponding character is insufficient.
The question is searching. It moves beyond lineage, beyond position, beyond outward religion. It asks about the inner man.
Who may come before God?
The remainder of the psalm will answer that question not by describing temple procedures, but by describing moral integrity. God receives the man whose life reflects righteousness in thought, word, and deed.
B. The Character of the One Who Can Come Before God
1. Psalm 15:2–3, His Character Among His Friends and Neighbors
“He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour.”
David now moves from the question of access to the answer of character. The man who dwells in the presence of God is marked by integrity in life and speech. The emphasis is not ceremonial but moral, not ritual but relational. Fellowship with a holy God produces holiness in conduct.
“He that walketh uprightly” describes the total direction of life. To walk in Scripture refers to one’s habitual manner of living. This is not occasional obedience but a settled pattern. The term uprightly carries the idea of wholeness, completeness, and moral soundness. It describes a man whose inner life and outer life agree.
This reflects the covenantal structure of Israel’s relationship with God. Under the Mosaic covenant, obedience brought blessing and disobedience brought cursing, as clearly stated in Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28. The covenant community understood that fellowship with God was inseparably tied to obedience to His revealed will.
Yet under the New Covenant, the ground of acceptance before God is not personal performance but the finished work of Christ. Salvation rests upon justification by faith. Nevertheless, the moral principle remains. A transformed heart produces a transformed life. The apostle John states plainly in 1 John 1:6,
“If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth.”
Under the Old Covenant, righteous living functioned as a covenant requirement for blessing. Under the New Covenant, righteous living functions as the evidence and fruit of genuine saving faith. Fellowship produces fruit. Regeneration produces obedience.
“And worketh righteousness” further intensifies the description. Uprightness describes the direction of life, righteousness describes the deeds of life. The accepted man is not merely morally well intentioned, he actively practices what is right.
“And speaketh the truth in his heart” penetrates beneath outward conduct to inner sincerity. The truth must reside in the inner man before it flows from the lips. The heart in Scripture is the control center of life, the seat of thought, affection, and will. A man may maintain outward civility while harboring deceit internally, but such a man does not dwell in God’s presence.
The Lord Jesus Christ confirmed this moral connection between heart and speech in Matthew 12:34,
“O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.”
Speech reveals spiritual condition. A corrupt heart cannot permanently disguise itself. The tongue becomes the diagnostic instrument of the soul.
“He that backbiteth not with his tongue” describes one who refuses to wound others through slander. Backbiting is secret character assassination. It destroys reputations in absence. Scripture repeatedly condemns such conduct because it fractures covenant community and reflects malice.
The righteous man restrains his speech. He refuses to traffic in rumor. He does not magnify faults to elevate himself. The command not to bear false witness in Exodus 20:16 applies not only in court but in conversation.
“Nor doeth evil to his neighbour” expands the focus from speech to action. Neighbor in the Mosaic context referred first to fellow Israelites but carried broader moral implications. Righteousness is measured in daily interactions. How one treats those nearby reveals whether one walks with God.
“Nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour” suggests refusing to receive, repeat, or endorse accusations against another. The righteous man does not become a carrier of scandal. He refuses to amplify reproach.
This anticipates the deeper ethic of Christ in Matthew 5:44,
“But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.”
If covenant righteousness prohibits harm toward neighbor, kingdom righteousness commands active love toward enemy. The trajectory of revelation moves from restraint to redemptive love.
Thus, the man who dwells with God is known by integrity of life, purity of heart, restraint of speech, and faithfulness in relationships. Religion without relational righteousness is hypocrisy.
2. Psalm 15:4–5a, His Character Among Difficult People
“In 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. He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent.”
The focus now shifts from personal integrity to moral discernment. Righteousness requires not only personal purity but proper evaluation of others.
“In whose eyes a vile person is contemned” does not mean cruelty or arrogance. It means moral clarity. The righteous man does not celebrate wickedness. He does not admire corruption simply because it is powerful or prosperous. He does not envy the wicked.
This aligns with Proverbs 8:13,
“The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.”
True reverence for God produces moral opposition to evil. One cannot claim to love holiness while honoring wickedness.
“But he honoureth them that fear the LORD” balances the statement. The righteous man esteems godly character over social status. His value system is not shaped by wealth, influence, or charisma, but by reverence for God.
He respects those who fear the LORD, whether they are socially elevated or obscure. This reflects covenant loyalty rather than cultural popularity.
“He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not” reveals the depth of personal integrity. The righteous man keeps his word even when circumstances change to his disadvantage. His commitments are not governed by convenience.
This principle reflects the seriousness of vows in the Old Testament. In Leviticus 27:10,
“He shall not alter it, nor change it, a good for a bad, or a bad for a good: and if he shall at all change beast for beast, then it and the exchange thereof shall be holy.”
The law treated vows as binding. The man of God mirrors that seriousness in daily dealings. His word is dependable.
“He that putteth not out his money to usury” addresses economic righteousness. Scripture does not universally condemn interest, but it strongly forbids exploiting the vulnerable. In Leviticus 25:35–37,
“And if thy brother be waxen poor, and fallen in decay with thee; then thou shalt relieve him: yea, though he be a stranger, or a sojourner; that he may live with thee. Take thou no usury of him, or increase: but fear thy God; that thy brother may live with thee. Thou shalt not give him thy money upon usury, nor lend him thy victuals for increase.”
The righteous man does not capitalize on another’s hardship. He does not convert a brother’s misfortune into personal gain. His fear of God governs his financial conduct.
“Nor taketh reward against the innocent” condemns bribery and corruption. Justice must not be sold. In covenant society, the innocent must not be condemned through financial manipulation.
This anticipates the broader biblical condemnation of perverted justice, such as found in Isaiah 5:23,
“Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!”
The man who dwells with God refuses to participate in injustice, even when profit is available.
Christ and the Fulfillment of Psalm 15
When measured against this standard, every honest reader sees deficiency. The psalm exposes sin. No fallen man naturally meets this description in perfection.
Under the New Covenant, we read this psalm Christologically. The Lord Jesus Christ alone perfectly walked uprightly, worked righteousness, spoke truth without deceit, loved without hypocrisy, judged without corruption, and fulfilled every vow without failure.
Through union with Christ by faith, His righteousness is imputed to believers. Justification is grounded in His obedience. Yet sanctification progressively conforms the believer to His image.
Thus Psalm 15 is not merely a moral checklist. It is both a diagnostic instrument and a prophetic portrait. It drives the sinner to Christ for justification and calls the justified to pursue holiness as evidence of fellowship.
The man who dwells in God’s holy hill is the man whose life reflects the character of God. Under grace, that character is being formed in all who truly belong to Him.
3. Psalm 15:5b, The Blessing That Comes from This Character
“He that doeth these things shall never be moved.”
David concludes the psalm with a promise of stability. After describing the moral character of the man who may dwell in God’s presence, he now declares the result. The man marked by upright conduct, truthful speech, covenant loyalty, and financial integrity possesses spiritual permanence.
“He that doeth these things” summarizes the entire description of verses 2 through 5a. The emphasis falls upon consistent practice, not occasional action. The phrase indicates a settled pattern of life. This is the man whose conduct aligns with the revealed will of God.
Under the Old Covenant framework, obedience and blessing were directly connected. The covenant established in Deuteronomy 28 explicitly tied stability in the land to faithful obedience. Conversely, disobedience resulted in instability and removal. The covenantal system was clear. Fidelity brought security.
This does not mean sinless perfection. Rather, it describes covenant loyalty expressed through obedience. To persist in rebellion was to forfeit covenant blessing. As the principle is later summarized in Proverbs 10:30,
“The righteous shall never be removed: but the wicked shall not inhabit the earth.”
Stability is presented as the reward of righteousness.
“Shall never be moved” speaks of spiritual firmness. The imagery suggests a structure that cannot be shaken, a foundation that cannot be overturned. In the context of Psalm 15, the one who is not moved is the one who remains in God’s tent and upon His holy hill. He is not expelled from divine fellowship.
This theme of stability appears elsewhere in the Psalms. In Psalm 61:4, David writes,
“I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings. Selah.”
The connection between abiding and permanence is evident. The one who dwells with God enjoys enduring security.
Under the New Covenant, the ground of this stability is not covenant performance but union with Christ. Yet the principle remains that genuine faith manifests itself in obedience. Stability is promised to those whose faith is living and active.
The apostle John expresses this permanence in 1 John 2:17,
“And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.”
The world system is unstable. Its desires are temporary. But the one aligned with the will of God participates in what is eternal.
Likewise, our Lord’s teaching in Matthew 7:24–25 reinforces the same principle:
“Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.”
Obedience demonstrates the solidity of one’s foundation.
Therefore, Psalm 15 closes not merely with a moral commendation but with a covenant promise. The man whose life reflects the character of God enjoys spiritual security. Under the Old Covenant, that stability was tied to faithful obedience within the covenant framework. Under the New Covenant, that stability is secured through Christ and evidenced by a life progressively conformed to His righteousness.
The psalm begins with the question, Who may dwell with God? It ends with the assurance that the one who truly walks with God shall not be shaken.
