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The foolish person counts as his own possession that which never actually belongs to him, seemingly ignorant in his greed that “the earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof,” for “God is king of all the earth.” It is the passion of having that gives people a false title of lordship over that which can never belong to them. “The earth,” says the wise preacher, “abides forever,” ministering to every generation, first one, then another, that is born on it. But people, though they are so little even their own masters that they are brought into life without knowing it by their Maker’s will, and before they wish are withdrawn from it, nevertheless in their excessive vanity think that they are its lords; that they, now born, now dying, rule that which remains continually.

"The earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof, the compass of the world, and all they that dwell therein" [Psalm 24:1]; when the Lord, being glorified, is announced for the believing of all nations; and the whole compass of the world becomes His Church.

He is Lord of the whole world. He is its Lord, however, not by wresting authority or by depriving anyone else of lordship but by personally creating it and leading it from nonbeing into being.

All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not. Let no man seek his own, but every man another's wealth. Whatsoever is sold in the shambles, that eat, asking no question for conscience sake: For the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof. [Psalms 24:1] If any of them that believe not bid you to a feast, and ye be disposed to go; whatsoever is set before you, eat, asking no question for conscience sake. But if any man say unto you, This is offered in sacrifice unto idols, eat not for his sake that showed it, and for conscience sake: for the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof: Conscience, I say, not thine own, but of the other: for why is my liberty judged of another man's conscience? For if I by grace be a partaker, why am I evil spoken of for that for which I give thanks? Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God: Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.

Having set forth the tribulation and the divine help, here the Psalmist commends the power of the one who assists. The title is not new in the Hebrew; but in the Latin is added "on the first day of the week." Here it should be known that, as it says in Ex. 20: "Remember to keep holy the sabbath day," etc., this is the third commandment. For in six days God made heaven and earth and all things that are in them, and on the seventh day he rested; and so we too ought to rest on the seventh day out of reverence. Hence all the days of the week are called sabbath, just as the Lord's Day is called the first of the sabbath. Mt. 28: "In the evening of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week." And from then on the whole week is called sabbath. Lk. 18: "I fast twice in the sabbath": hence this Psalm on the first of the sabbath commemorates those things which pertain to the first of the sabbath, that is, to the Lord's Day. On which three things were done: namely, the creation of the world, the production of light, and the resurrection of Christ, as is found in the Gospel, Mt. 28. The Psalmist therefore treats of these things: namely, of the power of the Creator, and the glory of the one rising; and perhaps this Psalm was sung on the first of the sabbath, but it seems to be disjointed. Nevertheless it should be known that in the time of David God was worshipped only in Judea; and David, considering that God is the God of the whole earth, and seeing in the prophetic spirit that it would come to pass that he would be worshipped in the whole world, composed this Psalm: and he treats of this here. This Psalm is therefore divided into three parts. In the first he sets forth his universal dominion; in the second he shows the manner by which men approach God, at "Who shall ascend"; in the third he foretells the future worship of God throughout the whole world, at "Lift up." Concerning the first he does two things. First he shows that God's dominion is universal; second he sets forth the sign or cause, at "For he himself founded it upon the seas." Or thus: in this Psalm he treats of three things. First, of creation; second, of illumination, at "Who shall ascend"; third, of the resurrection, at "Lift up," or of the glorification of the one rising. Concerning the first he does two things. First he sets forth the power of the Creator; second he gives the reason, at "For he himself founded it upon the seas." Now it should be known that the earth can be considered in two ways: either as one element, or as the dwelling place of men: and in both ways it is under divine dominion. In the first way, there were some who did not extend divine providence to corruptible things, but only to the heavens. Job 22: "The clouds are his hiding place; he walks about the poles of heaven, and does not consider our affairs." Ezek. 9: "He has forsaken the earth, and the Lord does not see it." The Psalm says: you lie; because "the earth is the Lord's," namely the element itself over which he has dominion: or the earth, that is, the Church, which is the good earth that produces much fruit. Is. 40: "Who has weighed the mass of the earth with three fingers, and balanced the mountains in a scale and the hills in a balance?" But he adds, "and the fullness thereof." Gen. 1: "The earth was void and empty," etc., because it was not full of trees and other things that pertain to the adornment of the earth, such as plants and herbs. Or, "the fullness of the earth," that is, the fullness of the graces of the Church. And this is Christ, who brought every fullness of graces in himself. Sir. 15: "Your face is full of graces." Jn. 1: "Of his fullness we have all received." In the second way also, "the world is the Lord's," that is, our habitable earth. "And all who dwell therein," that is, all its inhabitants. Ps. 9: "He shall judge the world in equity, and the peoples in justice." Is. 45: "I did not create it (namely the earth) in vain; I formed it to be inhabited." The center is the lowest place in the world, toward which the earth tends by its gravity, and all other things yield to it: and Ps. 103 says: "He founded the earth upon its stability," because it tends there by gravity: and upon nothing, because nothing supports it from below; and Is. 40 says: "He has weighed the mass of the earth with three fingers," by coldness and the continuity of its parts. But because the earth is an element, and from it together with the other elements a compound is formed; and the earth is dry and cold, whence neither from motion nor from flowing is one part continuous with another, it needs moisture to hold it together and make it continuous, and so it is founded or established upon the waters; and because in nearly every part of the earth there is, as it were, a generation of waters, the whole earth can be said to be founded upon the water: for which reason he says, "He himself founded it upon the seas." Or just as a foundation holds a building together, so water holds the earth together, lest it become discontinuous. The discontinuity of the earth also causes the water, which is liquid and heavy, to flow throughout almost the whole earth. Likewise, by the world is designated the Church and all who dwell in it, namely the faithful; and we all belong to Christ: and whether we live or die, we are the Lord's, as the Apostle says in Rom. 14.

This verse teaches about God’s kingdom to come, in which he will reign over all. And in order to make known that as maker and natural Lord he will reign over it, he said [in the next verse], “He is its foundations.”