What does Psalms Chapter 14 say, and which statements belong to its speaker?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

The psalm asks who may dwell in the Lord’s tabernacle. Its answer joins truthful speech and neighbor conduct with refusal of usury and bribes against the innocent. Its concluding permanence is the psalm’s stated assurance.

Chapter breakdown

The Latin incipit is Domine, quis habitabit. The separate heading describes the conditions of dwelling in heavenly Sion. The psalm for David asks who will dwell in the Lord's tabernacle or rest in His holy hill. It answers with someone walking without blemish and working justice, speaking truth in the heart without deceit on the tongue, doing no evil to a neighbor and taking up no reproach against neighbors.

In that person's sight the malignant is brought to nothing, while those fearing the Lord are glorified. He swears to his neighbor and does not deceive, gives no money upon usury and takes no bribes against the innocent. The closing statement says one doing these things will not be moved forever. The oath criterion does not explicitly say to keep an oath even when it hurts, and the psalm supplies no particular loan, accusation or oath dispute.

The story inside

Opening: The psalm asks who may dwell in the Lord’s tabernacle. Development: Its answer joins truthful speech and neighbor conduct with refusal of usury and bribes against the innocent. Conclusion: Its concluding permanence is the psalm’s stated assurance.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The psalm asks who may dwell in the Lord’s tabernacle.
2
Its answer joins truthful speech and neighbor conduct with refusal of usury and bribes against the innocent.
3
Its concluding permanence is the psalm’s stated assurance.

Test your recall

Which images and requests does the speaker use, and what does the chapter leave unresolved?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 58429–58430
Lord, who shall dwell in thy tabernacle? or who shall rest in thy holy hill?
Lines 58434–58436
He that speaketh truth in his heart, who hath not used deceit in his tongue: Nor hath done evil to his neighbour: nor taken up a reproach against his neighbours.
Lines 58442–58444
He that hath not put out his money to usury, nor taken bribes against the innocent: He that doth these things, shall not be moved for ever.