Psalm 15

I was reading my Bible this morning and decided to flip over to the Psalms. I landed on Psalm 15, which is titled in my Bible Who Shall Dwell on Your Holy Hill?

Well, that’s a good question and it is one to which I want to know the answer.

When you have a few moments this week, sit down with a fresh cup of coffee and read and study with me a bit. I have not been able to participate in a women’s Bible study in years, so I would love for you to read along with me and share your thoughts in the comments. I miss studying the Bible with other Christian women. ❤

Psalm 15 Living a Life of Integrity

I will share the Psalm here before we move on.

Psalm 15 – English Standard Version (ESV)

(1) O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill?

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

(3) who does not slander with his tongue
and does no evil to his neighbor,
nor takes up a reproach against his friend;

(4) in whose eyes a vile person is despised,
but who honors those who fear the Lord;
who swears to his own hurt and does not change;

(5) who does not put out his money at interest
and does not take a bribe against the innocent.

He who does these things shall never be moved.

How I Use ESV and Amplified Bible Translations

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I often use a commentary when I am reading my Bible, where I read the Scripture first and think and pray on it. Then I read a bit of commentary, mostly from Warren Wiersbe’s Be series. I have read through many of his commentaries over the years and they never disappoint! I find them incredibly helpful for those of us who want a deeper level of meaning and understanding, without being over my head, so to speak.

However, over the summer, I started using only my English Standard Version Bible and my Amplified Bible. (I linked to the exact Bibles that I own.) I read whatever Scripture I am studying in my ESV and think and ponder and pray over it. I ask the Lord to show me something new or give my fresh eyes to see new meaning and understanding, and especially wisdom.

I read all of the notes and cross references in my ESV.

Then I head over to my Amplified Bible that my precious older boy gave me for my birthday this year. ❤ I love and adore this Bible, not only because my thoughtful son gifted it to me, but because it adds such meaning and depth to the verses.

It is often in the Amplified Bible that the deeper layer of understanding and clarity comes for me.

Here is Psalm 15 in the Amplified Bible, so you can compare the two yourself:

(1) O Lord, who may lodge [as a guest] in your tent?
Who may dwell [continually] on Your holy hill?

(2) He who walks with integrity and strength of character, and works righteousness,
And speaks and holds truth in his heart.

(3) He does not slander with his tongue,
Nor does evil to his neighbor,
Nor takes up a reproach against his friend;

(4) In his eyes an evil person is despised,
But he honors those who fear the Lord [and obediently worship Him with awe-inspired reverence and submissive wonder].
He keeps his word even to his own disadvantage and does not change it [for his own benefit];

(5) He does not put out his money at interest [to a fellow Israelite],
And does not take a bribe against the innocent.

He who does these things will never be shaken. [Exodus 22:25, 26]

Psalm 15 Live with Integrity

Going a Bit Deeper in Understanding

Through my various readings and notes scribbled in the sides of my ESV Bible (my favorite and the one I read daily), here are some thoughts and notes I made about these verses. Some of the notes have to do with the text itself and some have to do with living a life of integrity.

The psalm is written by David, and it probably was written after he got the Ark of the Covenant to Mt. Zion. The Ark would have literally been in a tent, which is probably the reason for the tent reference in verse 1.
No one is worthy of dwelling in the Lord’s tent except for Jesus, the only blameless and perfect One. So how can I ever be righteous and blameless enough to do that? As a follower of Christ, verses 2-5 tell me how to live and how to act with others.
The short version: Be honest, live a life of integrity, and do not seek my own advancement at the expense of others.
Verse 2: “He who walks blamelessly and does what is right…”
The Lord commands us to be holy in 1 Peter 1:15: …but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct.
So it is not just ‘a good idea’ to be holy and blameless in my daily life and my interactions with others, it is a command of Scripture.
Verse 5: This is a promise from the Lord. If I live a life of integrity and good character, I will not be moved. I love the Amplified which states ‘He who does these things will never be shaken.’
Though the world around me is in chaos and upheaval and an ‘earthquake’ of sorts, I will not be shaken because the Lord God has told me how to stand firm in Him. Amen.

Lord, I don’t want to be a person that takes advantage of others. Help me look at others with compassion. Please convict me in the places where I am not living a holy life. Give me a pure and honest heart that seeks to glorify you in all things. Thank you for your Holy Spirit that leads and guides me. Amen.

Please share your thoughts in the comments!

I would love to ponder and discuss this with you. ❤ What are your insights in this passage? What is the Lord nudging you to do (or not do)?

Lauren Hill

Lauren Hill is a Christian mom to 5, ages 19 to 7. She homeschools her children in the classical education tradition and is currently in her 15th year of homeschool. She creates engaging worksheets and hands-on printable activities for Preschool and Elementary age children to supplement their daily studies.

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