Psalm 15 is part of a liturgy of temple entrance (see the Introduction for a fuller discussion of this momentous rite of passage). It shares with Psalm 24:3–6 and Isaiah 33:14b–16 the threefold pattern of a question of who may sojourn on Yahweh’s holy hill (v. 1), a reply consisting of the qualifications for worshipers (vv. 2–5a) and a promise (v. 5b).

15:1 A literal translation of verse 1, “Who may sojourn (Hb. gwr) in your tent (Hb. ʾohel); who may camp (Hb. škn) on your holy hill?” makes plain that the liturgist is inquiring not about taking up permanent residence as a priest or Levite but about making a pilgrimage (see on Ps. 61, esp. v. 4). The reference to Yahweh’s “tent” need not imply pre-temple origins for the psalm. This term continued to be used well after Solomon (see on 27:4–…