Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in.
Parallel translations
- WEB Lift up your heads, you gates! Be lifted up, you everlasting doors, and the King of glory will come in.
- KJV Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.
- BSB Lift up your heads, O gates! Be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of Glory may enter!
- NASB ¶Lift up your heads, you gates, And be lifted up, you ancient doors, That the King of glory may come in!
- NLT Open up, ancient gates! Open up, ancient doors, and let the King of glory enter.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The ancient gates are commanded to open wide for the King of glory to enter. It is a triumphant summons to receive the LORD as King.
Overview
The scene shifts to a royal procession in which the city gates are called to lift up and admit the King of glory, likely picturing the ark's entry into the sanctuary. The language conveys the majesty of God coming to dwell among his people. Christians have long seen here a foreshadowing of Christ's ascension and his triumphant entry as the reigning King.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 21
- Isa 26:2Open the gates, that the righteous nation may enter: the one which keeps faith.
- Ps 118:19–20Open to me the gates of righteousness. I will enter into them. I will give thanks to Yah.
- Ps 97:6The heavens declare his righteousness. All the peoples have seen his glory.
- Rev 4:11“Worthy are you, our Lord and God, the Holy One, to receive the glory, the honor, and the power, for you created all things, and because of your desire they existed, and were created!”
- 1 Cor 2:8which none of the rulers of this world has known. For had they known it, they wouldn’t have crucified the Lord of glory.
- Eph 4:8–10Therefore he says, “When he ascended on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men.”
- Mal 3:1“Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me; and the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, behold, he comes!” says Yahweh of Armies.
- Hag 2:7and I will shake all nations. The precious things of all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory, says Yahweh of Armies.
- Num 10:35–36When the ark went forward, Moses said, “Rise up, Yahweh, and let your enemies be scattered! Let those who hate you flee before you!”
- 1 Kgs 8:11so that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud; for Yahweh’s glory filled Yahweh’s house.
- 1 Pet 3:22who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, angels and authorities and powers being made subject to him.
- Hag 2:9‘The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former,’ says Yahweh of Armies; ‘and in this place will I give peace,’ says Yahweh of Armies.”
- Ps 68:16–18Why do you look in envy, you rugged mountains, at the mountain where God chooses to reign? Yes, Yahweh will dwell there forever.
- 2 Sam 6:17They brought in Yahweh’s ark, and set it in its place, in the middle of the tent that David had pitched for it; and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before Yahweh.
- Mark 16:19So then the Lord, after he had spoken to them, was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.
- Ps 132:8Arise, Yahweh, into your resting place; you, and the ark of your strength.
- 2 Pet 3:18But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.
- 1 Kgs 8:6The priests brought in the ark of Yahweh’s covenant to its place, into the inner sanctuary of the house, to the most holy place, even under the cherubim’s wings.
- Jas 2:1My brothers, don’t hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ of glory with partiality.
- Ps 21:1For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. The king rejoices in your strength, Yahweh! How greatly he rejoices in your salvation!
- Ps 21:5His glory is great in your salvation. You lay honor and majesty on him.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.
How Psalms 24:7 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.