1Un Salmo de David. ¿Quién puede entrar en tu santuario, Señor? ¿Quién puede venir a tu presencia en tu santo monte?
2Aquellos que viven sin falta y hacen lo correcto. Aquellos que dicen la verdad con sinceridad.
3Aquellos que no calumnian, que no tratan mal a su prójimo, ni hablan mal de las personas que conocen.
4Ellos rechazan a las personas que el Señor rechaza y honran a los que siguen al Señor. Guardan y cumplen sus promesas, incluso cuando es difícil hacerlo. Ellos no cambian su manera de pensar.
5Prestan su dinero sin cobrar intereses. No aceptan sobornos para testificar en contra de los inocentes. Los que actúan así jamás caerán.
📖 Chapter study
Summary
David asks who may dwell in God's tabernacle and answers with a list of qualities: integrity, truth, justice in dealing with one's neighbor, and financial honesty.
Explanation
This short psalm functions as an 'entrance liturgy' — likely recited by pilgrims as they arrived at the temple, asking what is required to draw near to God. The answer speaks not of rituals or sacrifices, but of character: truthfulness, integrity in speech, care for one's neighbor, and refusal to exploit others financially (usury). It is a reminder that true worship is bound up with everyday ethics, not separate from it — seeking God's presence is pointless while harming one's neighbor in business or in words.
Fun facts
- Psalms like this one (called 'entrance liturgies') had a parallel in ancient Egypt, where lists of virtues required to enter temples also existed — but here the emphasis is on social ethics, not magical rituals.
- The prohibition of 'usury' (lending at exploitative interest to one's own people) appears repeatedly in the Law of Moses (Exodus 22:25, Leviticus 25:36) as protection for the poorest members of the community.