Psalms 120:0 ¶ A Song of degrees.
This psalm is the first of fifteen that bear this title. Commentators cannot with certainty explain the significance of this designation for this group of psalms. John Gill offers the following summary: “Some think it refers to the music of them, and that this is the name of the tune to which they were set; or the first word of a song according to which they were sung…or that they were sung with an higher voice, or an ascending note….Others are of opinion that the title of them respects the ascent of persons or places, at what time and where they were sung; either when the Israelites went up to Jerusalem, at the three solemn yearly feasts; or when the Jews came up from Babylon, mention being made in some of these psalms of their being in Babylon, and of their return from their captivity there….But the common opinion of the Jews, and which is embraced by many Christians…is that these are the songs sung by the Levites, on the fifteen steps, by which they went up from the court of the women to the court of the Israelites, or came down them; and on each step sung one of these psalms….”
Psalms 120:1 ¶ In my distress I cried unto the LORD, and he heard me.
The author of this psalm is crying out in prayer to the LORD during a time of great anguish and distress. “He heard me” is a statement that indicates his prayer was answered.
Psalms 120:2 Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue.
The prayer is short and to the point—Save me, O LORD, from the slander being spread about me by those with lying lips and deceitful tongues.
Can’t help but think about these verses from James.
James 3:6–8 “And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell….But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.”
Psalms 120:3 What shall be given unto thee? or what shall be done unto thee, thou false tongue?
Psalms 120:4 Sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals of juniper.
Though referencing the “false tongue,” it is obvious that the psalmist is talking about the person to whom it belongs. What will happen to the liar? He will be painfully punished.
Poole (quoted by Guzik): “‘Coals of juniper, which being kindled burn very fiercely, and retain their heat for a long time. And the psalmist may possibly express it in these words, to show, the suitableness of the punishment to the sin; as thy tongue shoots arrows, (for so calumnies are called, Psalm 57:4 and 64:3) and kindles coals, so thou shalt bring God’s arrows and coals kindled by the fire of his wrath upon thyself.’”
Psalms 120:5 ¶ Woe is me, that I sojourn in Mesech, that I dwell in the tents of Kedar!
Psalms 120:6 My soul hath long dwelt with him that hateth peace.
Psalms 120:7 I am for peace: but when I speak, they are for war.
It seems that the psalmist is far away from home in the land of Mesech, staying among the descendants of Kedar.
Eerdman’s Dictionary: “Ps. 120:5 mentions Meshech in parallelism with Kedar as a far-off, militaristic people. Gen. 10:2 associates Meshech with Tubal and Javan. In Ezekiel they are linked as trading partners with Tyre (Ezek. 27:13), and Meshech and Tubal are incorporated into the kingdom of Magog, ruled by Gog (38:2; 39:1). The kingdom and its king serve as symbols of any future enemies who would attack the Jews back in their homeland.”
The psalmist describes these people as hating peace, and it’s obvious he doesn’t enjoy living among them. There is no explanation why he is there.
Basically, this is how I feel about living in our world today. I am for peace, but they are promoting wickedness all around me. I know I am certainly looking forward to the LORD coming to take us out of this evil world and home to heaven! I can hardly wait until the LORD takes His throne in Jerusalem, and we are able to witness His righteous rule.
Psa. 121:0 A Song of degrees.
Three times each year the men of Israel were to come to the temple and present themselves before the Lord.
Deuteronomy 16:16 “Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the LORD empty….”
Many believe that these fifteen Psalms that are called the songs of degrees (elevation, journey to a higher place, go up) because they were to be sung as they ascended the temple mount.
The author of this Psalm is not identified.
Psa. 121:1 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
Jerusalem was the place that God had specifically designated as His.
2Chronicles 6:6 “But I have chosen Jerusalem, that my name might be there; and have chosen David to be over my people Israel.”
Jerusalem is located in the hill country of Israel. Mount Zion, Mount Moriah, and the Mount of Olives are all familiar names associated with the city of Jerusalem. When the Psalmist was referencing lifting his eyes unto the hills, he was referencing Jerusalem, the place where God had chosen to put His name and the one place designated as His dwelling place on earth.
Joel 3:17 “So shall ye know that I am the LORD your God dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more.”
The Psalmist is not expecting help from the hills; he is expecting help from God.
I sometimes find myself lifting my eyes to the heavens thinking of God’s dwelling place as I talk to Him, but the truth is that God is dwelling in me through the Holy Spirit. I don’t really have to look to a certain place. Still sometimes it helps me to stay aware of how BIG my God really is to look to the heavens.
Psa. 121:2 My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.
The important truth is to recognize that our only true help comes from the LORD, the Creator of heaven and earth. The Hebrew for the word help includes to “surround, protect, aid.” We usually think of help as assisting us in our own efforts. I get more of a picture of complete dependence on God to work through us for our good and His glory.
Courson: “Remembering that the God to whom I pray is the One who made heaven and earth makes my problems shrink to a workable size in light of His power. How great is God’s power? Look at the heavens. The most powerful telescopes we have are said to spot sextillion stars. How big is sextillion? It is a one with twenty-one zeros after it. That’s a lot of stars, gang. And yet Psalm 147:4 tells us that not only did the Lord put each of those stars in place but that He calls each of them by name.”
Psa. 121:3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
The thought in this verse is again dependence on God and His provision and protection. The Psalmist knows that he cannot fall if he is totally dependent upon God. I think it is obvious that the Psalmist is focused on his spiritual walk, not his physical walk. I thought it was interesting that it was important to the Psalmist to know that God never sleeps; He is always aware and vigilant when it comes to the spiritual needs of those who follow Him in faith. Satan and his demons don’t quit for the nighttime. He likes to attack us in our thoughts when he thinks our guard is down. Strong temptation can confront the believer in the hours when he thinks he is hidden and no one can “see” his actions. God is ever present and ever ready to protect and deliver His children.
Psa. 121:4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
The Psalmist now includes thoughts of his nation. He takes comfort in knowing that God has set apart Israel to a special position before Him, and He intends to do everything possible to see that they succeed in their calling. This makes me think of some verses from my recent study of Isaiah.
Isaiah 5:1-4 “Now will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill: And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes. And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard. What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes?”
These are sad verses, but they show that God has done and will do everything possible to enable Israel to succeed.
Psa. 121:5 The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand.
The Hebrew for keeper states to “hedge about, guard, protect, attend to.” The word for shade references a “defense.” The right hand is a reference to one’s strength and power. No matter how powerful the men of Israel might be, they are not invincible without dependence on the LORD, YHWH, the covenant-keeping God of Israel. He is their (and our) source of protection, defense and strength against the enemy.
Courson: “In battle, soldiers would be exposed on their right side because they wielded the sword with their right hand. Here, the psalmist is saying that the Lord is the shield in the area that is vulnerable to attack.”
Psa. 121:6 The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.
As I looked at the Hebrew and thought about this verse, it seems to be another reference to the fact that God never sleeps. His people have nothing to fear from anything they may confront in the day or the night. The enemy cannot find a vulnerable time to attack the man, woman or nation of faith who is dependent upon God.
Psa. 121:7 The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.
This is a hard verse to absorb sometimes when we look at all the “evil” things that happen to people of faith in particular. The key is learning to see through God’s eyes. God is ever protecting His people from harm; He is the One that protects their physical existence. What we forget to focus on is the fact that what may seem harmful from a purely human perspective may not be harmful at all from a spiritual perspective. The worst that can happen to the child of God on earth—death—results in stepping into eternity in the presence of Jesus. God, as our Creator, rightfully determines our days on planet earth.
Psa. 121:8 The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.
This is another statement of God’s providence in the life of the man or woman of faith. They can confidently trust in God for their protection, guidance, and provision for time without end. In His care we have nothing to fear.