What does Psalm 24:6 mean?

David refers to seeking God's face. This means to meet with God in a personal way. We use similar terminology in modern language. When a conversation needs to be personal, we speak of it needing to happen "face to face," or that something needs to be said "to that person's face." This level of direct communication requires closeness and deliberate choice. In Jeremiah 29:13–14 the Lord promises, "You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the LORD." Seeking the Lord, then, is not a casual or haphazard experience but an intense experience, a yearning to know God intimately (Matthew 7:7–8).

Here, David compares those who seek God in worship to the patriarch Jacob, who wrestled with God and would not quit until God blessed him (Genesis 32:22–26). When the match ended, Jacob was blessed, and he called the place where he wrestled with God, Peniel, meaning the face of God (Genesis 32:30).

Because Jesus paid the penalty of our sin, He opened the way to God so by faith we have a personal relationship with God. Paul phrases this in similarly personal terms, saying God speaks to us "in the face of Jesus Christ" (2 Corinthians 4:6). We can get to know God better if we spend quality time with Him.

This verse ends with the term selah, which has an unclear meaning. It might refer to a musical pause, or a declaration similar to the "amen" sometimes shouted when hearing a message.