Lyrics
Verse 1
Lift up your heads, O ye gates;
and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors;
and the King of Glory shall come in.
Verse 2
Who is this King of Glory?
The Lord strong and mighty,
the Lord mighty in battle.
Verse 3
Lift up your heads, O ye gates;
and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors;
and the King of Glory shall come in.
Verse 4
Who is this King of Glory?
The Lord of Hosts,
He is the King of Glory.
Video
Meaning & Inspiration
Michael English sets the second half of Psalm 24 to music in "Lift Up Your Heads, O Ye Gates". The words stay close to the King James text, so the song works as a sung reading of Scripture more than a new composition. Gates and ancient doors are told to rise because the King of Glory is arriving.
The lyric is built as a question and an answer. First the gates are commanded to open. Then comes the question, "Who is this King of Glory?" The reply names the Lord as strong, mighty in battle and Lord of Hosts. The second round repeats the call and gives the fuller title.
The tradition behind the psalm links it with worship processions toward the sanctuary, and Christians often sing it at Advent, Palm Sunday and Ascension. The page keeps the four short sections in order, which makes it simple to follow in a church service or personal devotion.
Related Scripture
- Psalm 24:7-10 The source text of the song, the gates opened for the King of Glory.
- Psalm 24:1-6 The opening of the same psalm, describing who may stand in the holy place.
- Matthew 21:9 The crowd welcomes the coming King on Palm Sunday.
- Revelation 19:11-16 Christ appears as King of kings and Lord of lords, the fullest picture of the King of Glory.