Psalms 24:5

"He shall receive a blessing from Jehovah,

And righteousness from the God of his salvation.

This is the generation of them that seek after him

That seek thy face, even Jacob. (Selah)"

"He shall receive a blessing ... and righteousness" (Psalms 24:5). Again we have a statement that requires the application of this passage to the Christ. The only righteousness that this world ever achieved was that which was wrought by Jesus Christ our Lord. Of the totality of mankind, other than Christ, it is stated, "That there is none righteous, no not one."

Furthermore, the promise of "righteousness" to be received by men here from "Jehovah" is a reference to those who become servants of Jesus Christ whose "righteousness" becomes the possession of mortals when they are baptized "into Christ," thereby becoming partakers of his "righteousness."

"This is the generation" (Psalms 24:6). "The meaning of `generation' in this passages is `breed' or `circle' of people."[16] It appears to be a reference to the `kind of people' who seek to know God.

"That seek thy face, even Jacob" (Psalms 24:6). The Septuagint (LXX) renders this place even the God of Jacob; and to this writer it appears to make better sense than our own version. Dahood supported the LXX here, and a number of other scholars also accept the change. However, Leupold supported our version, affirming that, "It is a perfectly valid and satisfactory rendition, and requires no such emendation as the insertion of the word `God' and translating it, `O God of Jacob.' It is unthinkable that the word `God' could have been carelessly dropped by a scribe out of the sacred text."[17]

We feel compelled to accept our American Standard Version as correct in this. What the psalm is saying is that the generation then seeking the face of God were doing so in the same manner that the patriarch Jacob had done when he wrestled with the Lord at Peniel.