Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place?
Who shall ascend? - i:e., Who shall really and spiritually ascend in worship into His earthly house now, and into His heavenly house hereafter? (cf. Psalms 15:1.) The question served to awaken the worshippers to penetrate more deeply than the outward pomp which attended the ascending of the ark, and to consider seriously and personally what are the inward requisites for true fellowship with such an Almighty Sovereign in His house, here and hereafter.
Who shall stand? - literally, 'arise' or 'rise up' ( quwm (H6965)). 'To, stand' as a minister attending at his sovereign's court is a different word, `aamad (H5975), (Psalms 134:1; Psalms 135:2; 1 Kings 17:1); to "ascend," and to "stand" or 'rise up' in the holy place of Yahweh, was the prerogative of Jesus first, who hath ascended once, "now to appear in the presence of God for us (Hebrews 9:24) By spiritual union with Him; we too shall ascend, and stand or rise up with Him. So Psalms 15:1. As ascend implies the first entrance, so stand implies permanent continuance in the presence God. The same Hebrew is used, Psalms 1:5, "The ungodly shall not stand in the continuance in the presence God. The same Hebrew is used, Psalms 1:5, "The ungodly shall not stand in the judgment."