Commentaries

Mizmor 024, Verse 010

מִ֤י ה֣וּא זֶה֮ מֶ֤לֶךְ הַכָּ֫ב֥וֹד יְהֹוָ֥ה צְבָא֑וֹת ה֤וּא מֶ֖לֶךְ הַכָּב֣וֹד סֶֽלָה

Mi hu zeh melech hakkovod adonai tzevo'os hu melech hakkovod seloh

Who is the King of Glory? The LORD of Hosts, He is the King of glory! Selah.

RADAK

1.
Who is the King of Glory?
In this verse he does not mention mighty in battle, and the reason is, according to our interpretation, because after the Ark had once rested in the House of Eternity, it should not go out again to battle; therefore the reply is according to the change of meaning.
The Lord of Hosts, He is the King of Glory. Selah:
Because He appeared in His glory in the House of Eternity. And so Solomon says: "The Lord said that He would dwell in the thick darkness" (Melachim I - I Kings 8:12; Divrei Hayamim II - II Chronicles 6:1):
And he says Lord of Hosts, because all the hosts of Israel were coming into this House and offered sacrifice only in it.
And according to the interpretation of the learned Rabbi Abraham ben Ezra, (the Psalmist) mentions mighty in battle in the first instance because, while the Glory dwelt among Israel, they should dwell in peace and have no war and not fear an enemy, because the Glory would fight for His holy ones.
And he does not mention mighty in battle in the second instance because of (the passage) (Yeshayahu - Isaiah 2:4; Michah - Micah 4:3) "and they shall beat their swords into plowshares" and the land shall rest from all war.
And the reason for Lord of Hosts is because the men of the generation shall be as the angels of the Name (i.e. God), for the Lord is called so because of the host of heaven.

Rabbi HIRSCH

1.
It is not "Who is ...", as in Verse 8, but "Who, then, is the King of Glory"
What character does He assume as He enters into the portals of human society which have now opened of their own accord?
At this time He no longer appears as "invincible and strong" or as "mighty in battle”
Now the struggle for the acknowledgement of God, a fight that went on throughout history, is over and done. Therefore it is as "LORD of Hosts", as the LORD of the world, ruling not only nature but also looking upon all the world of man as “His hosts” that He passes through the opened portals. He Himself has formed all His creatures, He commands them, leads and guides them in His ways of mercy in which He brings them all to their goal of lasting salvation.
Thus, as "LORD of Hosts", He now enters to dwell in the midst of mankind, now and forevermore!

WORDS