This is the gate of Yahweh; the righteous will enter into it.
Parallel Translations
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This is the gate of Yahweh; the righteous will enter into it.
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This gate of the LORD, into which the righteous shall enter.
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This is the gate of the LORD; the righteous shall enter into it.
Examined in Scripture Analysis
Contradictions (1)
Questions where the Bible appears to say two different things, with the passages on each side set together.
Cross-references (7)
Passages linked to Psalms 118:20 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Revelation 21:24-27 The nations will walk in its light. The kings of the earth bring the glory and honor of the nations into it. Its gates will in no way be shut by day (for there will be no night there), and they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it so that they may enter. There will in no way enter into it anything profane, or one who causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
- Isaiah 26:2 Open the gates, that the righteous nation may enter: the one which keeps faith.
- Psalms 24:7 Lift up your heads, you gates! Be lifted up, you everlasting doors, and the King of glory will come in.
- Psalms 24:3-4 Who may ascend to Yahweh’s hill? Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart; who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood, and has not sworn deceitfully.
- Psalms 24:9 Lift up your heads, you gates; yes, lift them up, you everlasting doors, and the King of glory will come in.
- Isaiah 35:8-10 A highway will be there, a road, and it will be called “The Holy Way”. The unclean shall not pass over it, but it will be for those who walk in the Way. Wicked fools shall not go there. No lion will be there, nor will any ravenous animal go up on it. They will not be found there; but the redeemed will walk there. Then Yahweh’s ransomed ones will return, and come with singing to Zion; and everlasting joy will be on their heads. They will obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.”
- Revelation 22:14-15 Blessed are those who do his commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter in by the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs, the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (11 sources)
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John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Psa 118:20 This gate of the LORD, into which…
Psa 118:20 This gate of the LORD, into which the righteous shall enter.
Ver. 20. This gate of the Lord] Some make the former verse the request of the people, and this to be God’s answer thereunto. Others make that to be David’s speech to the Levites, and this their answer: q.d. This beautiful gate is fit to be opened to the Lord alone; if others enter, they must be righteous ones only, and that to praise him.
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Into which the righteous shall enter] sc. With God’s good leave and liking. Others may haply thrust into the Church, but then God will say, Friend, how camest thou in hither? who required these things at your hands? who sent for you? O generation of vipers, who hath forewarned you to flee from the wrath to come? "The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination: how much more, when he bringeth it with a wicked mind?" Pro 21:27.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain These may be the words either,
These may be the words either,
1. Of the Levites, the porters returning this answer to the foregoing question: This is the gate of the Lord which thou seekest, and which shall be opened to thee according to thy desire, and thy just privilege, for then art one of those righteous ones to whom this of right belongs. Or,
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2. Of David himself, who stands as it were pausing and contemplating before he makes his entrance: This, this is that holy and blessed gate, which I so long and earnestly thirsted for in my banishment, and which is now very beautiful in my sight, into which I will enter, and all other righteous persons by my example and encouragement. But as David was a type of Christ and the temple of heaven, so this place hath a further prospect than David, and relates to Christ’s ascending into heaven, and opening the gates of that blessed temple, both for himself, and for all righteous men or believers.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain This is the Lord's doing,.... This stone is from…
This is the Lord's doing,.... This stone is from the Lord, Gen 49:24; it is of his choosing, appointing, and laying: the rejection of it by the builders is through his permission and will; they did no other things than what his hand and counsel determined should be done, Act 2:23; and the exaltation of it, or the making it the head of the corner, was of him; he highly exalted him at his right hand, above every name, creature, and thing;
it is marvellous in our eyes; the stone itself is wonderful to look at, for its beauty, strength, and usefulness; the wisdom, love, care, and power of God, in laying it, are astonishing; the distinguishing grace of God in selecting some stones out of the common quarry, making them lively stones, and building them on this foundation stone, is exceeding marvellous: and so are both the rejection and exaltation of it; that so precious a stone should be refused, and, when treated with so much neglect and contempt, should be exalted. The Targum is,
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"from the Lord was this, said the builders; this is marvellous in our sight, said the sons of Jesse.''
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain The righteous - As David was a type of…
The righteous - As David was a type of Christ and the temple of heaven, so this place hath a farther prospect than David, and relates to Christ's ascending into heaven, and opening the gates of that blessed temple, both for himself and for all believers.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 20. This gate of the Lord] Supposed to…
Verse 20. This gate of the Lord] Supposed to be the answer of the Levites to the request of the king.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain Psa 118:20. This is the gate of the Lord…
Psa 118:20. This is the gate of the Lord — These may be considered as the words of the Levites, the porters, returning this answer to the foregoing demand. This is the gate of the Lord, which thou seekest, and which shall be opened to thee, according to thy desire and thy just privilege; for thou art one of those righteous ones to whom this of right belongs.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain This gate of the Lord - This gate dedicated…
This gate of the Lord - This gate dedicated to the service of the Lord; that belongs to the house of the Lord.
Into which the righteous shall enter - Through which the righteous pass. That is, It is for such persons, and all who come with a purpose to serve and worship God should be permitted to pass through them; I claim the privilege, therefore, of so passing through these gates into the house of God, for I come to praise him. All who are truly righteous, all who desire to worship God, all who wish and purpose to be holy, have a right thus to enter the house of God - to be recognized as his friends - to be permitted to join in all the devotions of his people; all such will have a right to enter the temple above. None have a right to exclude them here; none in heaven will be disposed to exclude them there.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 20-27. These verses contain the response (Delitzsch) of the…
20-27. These verses contain the response (Delitzsch) of the singers within the court, who receive the festal procession.
The stone—A proverbial expression, denoting that that which was despised and cast away as worthless has become the symbol of honour and strength. It may point to the dispirited ones, (Ezr_3:12,) or, more certainly, to the contempt with which the nations had regarded Israel, who had now risen to honour; but, most of all, to Christ. See Mat_21:42; Act_4:11; 1Pe_2:4; 1Pe_2:7; Isa_28:16. Psa_118:22; Psa_118:25-26, are Messianic prophecies, to which the Holy Spirit had exalted the perceptions of the poet through the typical light of Israel’s history.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 20. This is the gate that belongs to Jehovah;
20. This is the gate that belongs to Jehovah;
The righteous may enter into it.
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The emphasis is on righteous. Those who would enter must be righteous like Him Who dwells there. Cp. Psa_15:1 ff.; Psa_24:3 ff.; Isa_26:2.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain This gate of the Lord, into which the righteous…
This gate of the Lord, into which the righteous shall enter; rather, this is the gate of the Lord: the righteous and they alone shall enter by it. "This verse seems to stand apart a solo, chanted by a voice out of the temple gate" (Kay). Though sinners doubtless sometimes entered, (2Ki_11:13 2Ch_26:16-20 Joh_2:14) none but the righteous had any right to enter.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Charles H. Spurgeon 1885 · Public Domain Ver. 20. This gate of the LORD, into which…
Ver. 20. This gate of the LORD, into which the righteous shall enter. Psalmist loves the house of God so well that he admires the very gate thereof, and pauses beneath its arch to express his affection for it. He loved it because it was the gate of the Lord, he loved it because it was the gate of righteousness, because so many godly people had already entered it, and because in all future ages such persons will continue to pass through its portals. If the gate of the Lord's house on earth is so pleasant to us, how greatly shall we rejoice when we pass that gate of pearl, to which none but the righteous shall ever approach, but through which all the just shall in due time enter to eternal felicity. The Lord Jesus has passed that way, and not only set the gate wide open, but secured an entrance for all those who are made righteous in his righteousness: all the righteous must and shall enter there, whoever may oppose them. Under another aspect our Lord is himself that gate, and through him, as the new and living Way, all the righteous delight to approach unto the Lord. Whenever we draw near to praise the Lord we must come by this gate; acceptable praise never climbs over the wall, or enters by any other way, but comes to God in Christ Jesus; as it is written, "no man cometh unto the Father but by me." Blessed, for ever blessed, be this wondrous gate of the person of our Lord.
Psalms 118:21*
Charles H. Spurgeon's The Treasury of David (1869–1885) — public domain. Psalms only. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.