Ownership of All Things According to Psalm 24:1
Psalm 24:1 declares, "The earth is Yahweh’s, with its fullness; the world, and those who dwell therein" [1]. This verse establishes God's absolute ownership and sovereignty over the entire creation. The psalm as a whole describes the requirements for those who would ascend to the Lord's holy hill, emphasizing purity of heart and action in light of God's universal dominion [9].
The phrase "the earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof" signifies that the entire terrestrial globe, including its land, water, air, and all contents—from marine life to birds, beasts, plants, and minerals—belongs to God [3]. This extends to the "world, and they that dwell therein," encompassing both the habitable world and all its inhabitants, rational and irrational [3]. The Nonconformist commentator Matthew Henry notes that this declaration counters any notion that God's interest is limited to the heavens, asserting His claim over the "small and inconsiderable" earth as well [4].
This concept of divine ownership is foundational. The Lutheran scholars Keil and Delitzsch explain that Yahweh's dominion is not limited like that of pagan deities; rather, His right to sovereignty embraces "the earth and its fulness," meaning everything found upon and within it [5]. The Apostle Paul references this verse in 1 Corinthians 10:26 to argue that Christians may eat whatever is sold in the market without concern for whether it was offered to idols, as all things belong to the Lord [5].
In Jewish tradition, Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki (Rashi) interprets "the land" in some contexts as specifically referring to the land of Israel, emphasizing God's power to grant or remove ownership [6, 7]. However, the broader understanding of Psalm 24:1 is universal, affirming God as the Creator and Ruler of all [2]. This divine ownership implies that human possession of land or resources is derivative, a stewardship rather than absolute ownership, as seen in the context of Leviticus 25:23 regarding the land of Israel [8]. The "fulness" of the earth refers to everything contained within it [9]. This comprehensive ownership underscores God's ultimate authority over all creation and its inhabitants [2].
Sources
- Psalms “The earth is Yahweh’s, with its fullness; the world, and those who dwell therein. -- Psalms 24:1”
- Psalms (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Psalms 24:1: Ps 24 The shepherd of Ps 23, who is also the King of the whole world, takes possession of Zion. 24:1-2 The kingdom belongs to the Creator, the Great King (cp. 22:27). 24:1 The Lord created and now rules the earth and everything in it (see 1 Cor 10:25-26). He sees all its people (Ps 33:14), regardless of their status (49:1-2).”
- Psalms (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Psalms 24:1: The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof,.... The whole universe, all the terraqueous globe, both land and water, and the circumambient air, and all that is therein; the fishes of the sea, the fowls of the air, the beasts of the field, all plants and vegetables that spring out of the earth, and metals and minerals in the bowels of it; all which are the riches of the Lord the earth is full of, Psa 104:24; see Psa 50:10; the world, and they that dwell therein; the habitable world, and the dwellers on it, rational and irrational. These words may be interpreted ”
- Psalms (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Psalms 24:1: Here is, I. God's absolute propriety in this part of the creation where our lot is cast, Psa 24:1. We are not to think that the heavens, even the heavens only, are the Lord's, and the numerous and bright inhabitants of the upper world, and that this earth, being so small and inconsiderable a part of the creation, and at such a distance from the royal palace above, is neglected, and that he claims no interest in it. No, even the earth is his, and this lower world; and, though he has prepared the throne of his glory in the heavens, yet his kingdom rules over all, an”
- Psalms (Lutheran) “Keil & Delitzsch on Psalms 24:1: Jahve, whose throne of grace is now set upon Zion, has not a limited dominion, like the heathen deities: His right to sovereignty embraces the earth and its fulness (Psa 50:12; Psa 89:12), i.e., everything that is to be found upon it and in it. (Note: In Co1 10:26, Paul founds on this verse (cf. Psa 50:12) the doctrine that a Christian (apart from a charitable regard for the weak) may eat whatever is sold in the shambles, without troubling himself to enquire whether it has been offered to idols or not. A Talmudic teacher, B. Berachoth 35a, infers from this pass”
- Sefaria (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki) on Isaiah 1:24: says the Master Who possesses everything, and in Whose power it is to uproot you from your land and to settle others in it.”
- Sefaria (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki) on Psalms 24:1: The land...are the Lord’s The land of Israel.”
- Leviticus (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Leviticus 25:23: 25:23 the land belongs to me: Israel’s ownership of the land was derivative, not absolute—ownership depended on the covenant, in which God himself allotted them the land (Deut 1:8, 39). The ideas of land stewardship and of sharing material resources stem naturally from this concept of God’s ownership.”
- Psalms (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Psalms 24 (introduction): God's supreme sovereignty requires a befitting holiness of life and heart in His worshippers; a sentiment sublimely illustrated by describing His entrance into the sanctuary, by the symbol of His worship--the ark, as requiring the most profound homage to the glory of His Majesty. (Psa 24:1-10) fulness--everything. world--the habitable globe, with they that dwell--forming a parallel expression to the first clause.”