Carefully Examining the Text

A Song of Ascents, of David

It is attributed to David. “It is not against high position that is divinely given, but it does model a critical attitude toward pure blind ambition” Longman, 433. 

“This personal prayer (vss. 1-2) has a lesson in it that needs to be shared by the nation (vs. 3)” Miller, 411. “This simple, concise, and affecting expression of humility shows no signs of cultic or public function,and is a good illustration of how the psalm as a poetic form of spiritual expressions often stands outside the generic categories that scholars have constructed” Alden, 457.

131:1 O LORD, my heart is not proud- The word proud is used of Uzziah in II Chron. 26:16, Hezekiah in II Chron. 32:25, the king of Tyre in Ezek. 28:2, 17.

nor my eyes haughty- Pss. 18:27; 101:5; Prov. 6:17; 30:13 “It would be easy to make this verse an excuse to avoid the challenges of life. But the sin rejected in 1a is pride, while the sin of 1b is presumption. By the first of these, one undervalues other people; by the second, one overestimates and overreaches oneself, forgetting, e.g. Deut. 29:29” Kidner, 447.

Nor do I involve myself in great matters- Jer. 45:5

or in things too difficult for me- Deut. 17:8; 30:11 “These two words are used in Pss. 86:10; 136:4; and 145:5-6 to describe the works of God in the world. The psalmist has not sought to do or take credit for Godlike acts in the world” NICOT, 931.

131:2 Surely, I have composed and quieted my soul-  Composed is used in II Sam. 22:34; Ps. 18:33 of God making his feet sure and in Isaiah 28:25 of leveling ground. The verb quieted is used in Ps. 37:7 and translated rest.

My soul is like a weaned child within me- A child not weaned “is fussy and restless” Longman, 433. But here “he was content without that which used to seem indispensable. A mature believer leaves the clamor of proud ambition and rests in the Lord” B.K, 887

131:3 O Israel, hope in the LORD- 130:5, 7 To hope in the LORD “is the antithesis of pride” B.K., 887. “We do not know, but its call to hope in the Lord links it with 130 and makes it the testimony of a sinner forgiven: humbled by the mercy of God, at peace within because at peace above” Motyer, 575.

From this time forth and forever- 113:2; 121:8; 125:2

Jesus and Psalm 131
“This demure little psalm anticipates the object lesson of Matt. 18:1-4” Kidner, 447. “It is freedom from the nagging of self-seeking” Kidner, 448. “The OT is not alone in making a child the model of humble faith in God” Allen, 199. 

Matt. 19:13-15; Mark 10:13-16; Luke 18:15-17 If we do not enter the kingdom as a child we do not enter it at all. 

“In Philippians 2 we are shown the constructive answer to the first of these tempations, in the honor of being a servant; and in Philippians 3, I Cor. 2, the answer to the second, not by stifling adventurousness but by rightly directing it” Kidner, 447. This psalm “embodies the lessons of both Philippians 2:3ff. (‘Do nothing from selfishness or conceit’) as 4:11ff. (‘I have learned…to be content’)” Kidner, 448.

John 4:34 If we make His ambition ours then we free ourselves from many problems

The word used for in vs. 1 in the LXX for heart being proud is exalted and it is used of Christ on the cross in John 3:14; 8:28; 12:32.
It is also used in Matt. 23:12; Luke 14:11; 18:14.

Psalm 130 A Song of Ascents “In Christian tradition the psalm became one of the seven penitential psalms, the others being Ps. 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 143” Allen, 195. “This psalm, of course, is a penitential psalm, focusing not on the evil of Israel’s enemies, as does Psalm 129, but on the wrongs Israel has done” Alter, 455.

130:1 Out of the depths- Ps. 30:1; 71:20; Isa. 51:10; Ezek. 27:34; Jonah 2:2-6 This is “a figure of speech suggesting his insurmountable difficulty, even to the point of death:…The exact problem is not specified” B.K, 886.

I have cried to You, O LORD- Ps. 17:6; 86:7. Is the I used of the author individually or the people collectively? “In v. 1, the psalm-singer addresses God by the divine name YHWH: in v. 2, the psalmist uses the more generic Lord (adonay). The pattern (divine name followed by generic name) is repeated in vv. 3-4 and in vv. 5-6. Only in vv. 7-8 is the divine name YHWH used twice” NICOT, 927. 

130:2 Lord, hear my voice!- Ps. 4:1; 64:1;102:2; 119:149; 141:1 .
Let your ear be attentive- II Chron. 6:40; 7:15; Neh. 1:6, 11 “What is clear in all such passages is that self-help is no answer to the depths of distress, however useful it may be in the shallows of self-pity” Kidner, 446. 

To the voice of my supplications- Ps. 28:2; 140:6 “The Hebrew word translated supplications comes from the same root as those render ‘grace’ and ‘be gracious’” Miller, 411.  

130:3 If You, LORD, should mark iniquities- Iniquities “is the primary word used to describe human sin and guilt in the prophetic writings” NICOT, 928. The word iniquities will reappear in vs. 8. “If He should deal with us exactly as we are; if He should overlook nothing, forgive nothing, we could have no hope” Barnes, 259.  

O Lord, who can stand?- Ezra 9:15; Ps. 76:7; Amos 7:2; Nah. 1:6; Mal. 3:2; Rev. 6:17. This is “an adaptation of the question of the entrance liturgy ( ‘who shall stand’ 24:3; 15:1)” Allen, 192.

Compare the thought of I Kings 8:46; Psalm 143:2; Prov. 20:9; Rom. 3:9-20, 23.
130:4 But there is forgiveness with You- Exod. 34:7; Neh. 9:17; Dan. 9:9. “He derives comfort from the known character of Yahweh as a God who forgives (cf. 86:5, 15): this divine quality transcends man’s sinfulness” Allen, 195.

That I may be feared- Jer. 33:8-9 “Forgiveness increases the sinner’s reverent awe of and trust in Yahweh (cf. I Kings 8:38-40)” Allen, 192.

130:5 I wait for the LORD, my soul does wait- Ps. 25:3, 5; 27:14; 33:20; 37:34; 40:1; 52:9; 62:1, 5; Isa. 8:17; 26:8 Notice the shift from 2nd person (vss. 1-4) to 3rd person (verses 5-8).  

And in His word do I hope- Ps. 119:74, 81, 114, 147 The word hope appears in both vs. 5 & vs. 7.  

130:6 My soul waits for the LORD- A similar phrase is used in Judges 5:9 with “my heart goes out to the commanders” Allen, 192.. 

More than the watchman for the morning- “He compared his weight to that of a city’s watchman looking for the first rays of dawn, for then they would be relieved of their duties by other guards” B.K., 886. 

Indeed, more than the watchmen for the morning- The verb waits is missing in the Hebrew text but it added in some translations like the NIV because it is implied- VanGemeren, 802. 

130:7 O Israel, hope in the LORD- 131:3 “The psalmist’s faith and hope impel him…to encourage others to be faithful and hopeful (Pss. 22:22-23; 27:14; 31:23-24; 32:8-11; 34:3, 5, 8-14; 51:13-14; 131:3)” McCann, 1206. “The morning will dawn; the light will break in the east; deliverance and joy will come” Barnes, 260. 

Psalm 129 A Song of Ascents

129:1-2 Introductory summary; 129:3 Their intense need; 129:4 Praise to God

129:5-8 Request for judgment upon the foes

“The psalm divide into two sections: verses 1-4 (statement of suffering) and verses 5-8 (prayer for vindication against the enemies causing the suffering)” Transforming Word, 498. 

129:1 Many times they have persecuted me- The word many times in vss. 1-2 is used in 120:6; 123:4. In the NRSV is translated greatly. “A comparison of the NIV with the NRSV shows that the adverb at the beginning of vv. 1-2 can be construed to indicate either the frequency of the opposition or its severity” McCann, 1203. 

“The religious community is encouraged by a cultic precentor to take upon their own lips a testimony to Yahweh’s repeated aid” Allen, 190. “The first-person language makes this initially sound like an individual complaint, but as the references to ‘the haters of Zion’ in verse 5 indicates, the first person is speaking on behalf of the nation” Alter, 453. “The communal lament differs from most laments in that it mourns an extended period rather than a single event” Transforming Word, 498. 

from my youth up- Jer. 2:2; 22:21; Ezek. 16:22; Hos. 2:15; 11:1 Israel’s youth was a time of devotion (Jer. 2:2) and joy (Hos. 2:15), but also a time of disobedience (Jer. 22:21), yet God loved them and showed them mercy anyway (Ezek. 16:22; Hos. 11:1).

Let Israel now say- 118:2; 124:1 “In the subsequent interpretation in terms of ‘Israel’ this religious truth received even wider warrant: it could trace back to the Exodus (cf. Hos. 11:1) the history of God’s saving grace over against the oppressor’s plowlike scourge (cf. Isa. 1:5-7; 51:23)” Allen, 190. 

“National memoirs may be written from the standpoint of achievement and attainment, of from the viewpoint of suffering and survival. While secular nations usually choose the former, it is singular that Israel glorifies God as her protector and preserver” Miller, 409. 

129:2 Many times they have persecuted me from my youth up- Ps. 88:15 The repetition fixes their thoughts on the severity of their troubles- Barnes, 255. 

Yet they have not prevailed against me- Jer. 1:19; 15:20; 20:11; Matt. 16:18; II Cor. 4:8-9. This does not promise God’s people will not suffer, but it does promise that wickedness will not ultimately prevail. 

129:3 The plowers plowed upon my back- Micah 3:12; Isaiah 51:23 The plow would pass over the field, tear up the sod, pierce deep and produce long rows- Barnes, 256. “This agricultural image for laceration and torment, is vivid enough in itself, leads to the agricultural simile of the curse in verses 6-8” Alter, 453. “The imagery of plowing furrows describes the extreme suffering that the enemies inflicted on Israel” B.K, 886. The words for plowers and wicked are very similar in Hebrew and a Hebrew manuscript from Qumran has wicked- Allen, 187.

They lengthened their furrows

129:4 The LORD is righteous- Ps. 119:137 In permitting this, the LORD is righteous. “Deliverance from such suffering is attributed to the righteous LORD” B.K., 886. The LORD’s righteousness is demonstrated in the judgment upon Israel’s enemies. “The mystery of the continual resilience of God’s city and people is thereby explained. V. 4 triumphantly amplifies (v. 2b), after (v. 3) has grimly developed (v. 2a). To use J.B. Philips paraphrase of II Cor. 4:9, the capital and community were often knocked down, but never knocked out. They revived and survived as a testimony to a long history of God’

Psalm 128 A Song of Ascents

“The quiet blessings of an ordered life are traced from the centre outwards in this psalm, as the eye travels from the godly man to his family and finally to Israel. Here is simple piety with its proper fruit of stability and peace: Kidner, 443. 

How are Psalms 127 and 128 linked?

1.The word blessed- 127:5; 128:1-2

2. eat/eating in 127:2; 128:2

3. Behold in 127:3; 128:4

4. son/sons in 127:3, 4; 128:3, 6

5. fruit in 127:3; 128:3 McCann, 1200; Allen, 184-185.

“Both sections of Psalm 128 display the same movement from third person (vv. 1, 4) to direct address (vv. 2-3, 5-6)” McCann, 1200.

Both are viewed as wisdom psalms. These provide instruction in daily living in the manner of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Job.

128:1  Both this verse and vs. 4 emphasize fearing the LORD. Fearing the LORD is highlighted in Job 28:28; Psalm 111:10; Prov. 1:9; 9:10; Ecclesiastes 12:13. “To fear the Lord means fundamentally to recognize God’s sovereignty and so to entrust life and future to God (see Pss. 2:11; 25:14; 31:19; 33:18; 34:9, 11; 60:4; 112:1; 115:11, 13; 118:4)” McCann, 1201. It means to walk in integrity- Ps. 26:1. Notice how universal these promises are- everyone.

128:2 When you shall eat of the fruit of your hands- The generalized statement of vs. 1 is personalized in vs. 2 with you. 

128:3 Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine- Contrast Gen. 30:1-2; I Sam. 1:5-6; Luke 1:25 “Fruitful vine and olive shoot are fit similes of prolific fruit bearing” Miller, 408. “The vine was a symbol not only of fruitfulness (here explicitly so) but of sexual charm (Song of Solomon 7:8) and of festivity (Judges 9:13)” Kidner, 443.

128:5 The LORD will bless you from Zion- Pss. 14:7; 20:2. The godly man’s concern extends beyond his own family to all the nation. The temple mount is the source of blessing for all- Ezek. 47:1-12. Zion is a key theme in the Songs of Ascents- Pss. 122:1-2, 6-9; 125:1-2; 126:1; 129:5; 132:31; 134:3. 

Blessing a key theme in these psalms- 129:8; 132:15; 133:3; 134:3.

128:6 Indeed, may you see your children’s children- This is actually your son’s sons. This implies a long life- Gen. 48:11; Prov. 17:6

Peace be upon Israel!- Pss. 122:6-8; 125:5; 134:3. The wordplay between Jerusalem in vs. 5 and peace in vs. 6.

“The simple philosophy of the psalm, though presented in seemingly absolute terms, receives qualification even in the OT and certainly in the NT (cf. Job; Habakkuk 3:17-18; Rom. 8:35-39). But for many it must have proved a good working principle of life; such categorical promises of material endowment are not absent from the NT (Matt. 6:33; II Cor. 9:6-12; Phil 4:19) despite a shift to a less earthly emphasis” Allen, 186,

Psalm 128 and Jesus

128:3 “The imagery of vine and olive tree are reminiscent of the years of David and Solomon (I Kings 4:25) and the blessings associated with the Messianic era (Micah 4:4; Zech. 3:10). To sit under one’s vine and fig tree was an expression of a state of tranquility, peace, and prosperity” VanGemeren, 796. 

128:3 Jesus is the ultimate vine who causes us to bear fruit- John 15:1-8

128:5 The LORD bless you from Zion- Isaiah 2:2-4; Micah 4:1-3

128:6 Peace be upon Israel- Jesus is our peace- Eph. 2:14-17

“The psalm is ascribed to Solomon, and has perhaps a concealed signature in the expression his beloved (2), which is the word from which Jedidiah, his personal name from God, was formed (II Sam. 12:25)” Kidner, 440. Solomon carried on many building activities (I Kings 3:1-2; 7:1-11; 8:13; 9:1). This psalm has more of the characteristics of a wisdom psalms than other types. “A wisdom psalm ... ‘provides instruction in right living and right faith” NICOT, 917. “In Jewish practice the psalm is recited as a part of thanksgiving as a part of a thanksgiving service after children” VanGemeren, 793 

127:1 Unless the LORD builds the house- “The Hebrew bayit equally means ‘house’ and ‘home.’ The emphasis in the second half of the psalm on progeny suggests that both sense of the word are in play here” Alter, 449.  “House could refer to a literal dwelling house (Gen. 19:10), a household (Gen. 7:1), the temple, or the king’s palace (I Kings 9:1), or the nation as a whole (Amos 3:1, 13; 7:10)” Miller, 407. See NICOT, 918, for even more possibilities for the word house. 

They labor in vain who build it- Prov. 14:23 uses this word for labor and says in all labor there is a profit. The word for in vain is used three times in vss. 1-2. It is translated vain in the command not to take God’s name in vain in Exodus 20:7; Deut. 5:11. It is translated false in warnings against false reports in Exodus 23:1; Deut. 5:20. It refers to worthless idols in Jer. 18:15; Jonah 2:8 and the false messages of false prophets in Ezekiel 13:6, 7, 8, 9, 23.

Unless the LORD guards the city- Num. 6:24; Pss. 25:20; 34:20; 86:2; 97:10; 116:6; 121:3-5, 7-8.

127:2 For He gives to His beloved even in His sleep
The NIV has He grants sleep to those He loves. “This could signify the blessing God gives, or taken adverbially the time or way to which He gives it” Kidner, 442. 

127:3 Behold, children are a gift of the LORD- Gen. 33:5; Deut. 7:13. The word children here and in vs. 4 is literally sons. “The martial imagery of the rest of the poem argues for the masculine sense of the term” Alter, 450. “The patriarchs of Israel and their wives recognized that children are gifts from God (Gen. 29:31-35; 30:1-6, 17-23; I Sam. 1:5-6, 11, 19-20) How much better our society would be if we recognized as much!” Miller, 407. The word sons vss. 3, 4 in Hebrew is very similar to the word for builders in vs. 1- McCann, 1198. 

The fruit of the womb is a reward- “It is not untypical of God’s gifts that first they are liabilities, or at least responsibilities, before they become obvious assets” Kidner, 442. Gen. 15:1 God is our ultimate reward.

127:4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior- The word for warrior “is often used to describe military figures…II Sam. 23:8 names David’s ‘mighty men’ and in II Kings 24:16, the king of Babylon took captive all of the gibborim of Jerusalem, 7000” NICOT, 919. 

So are the children of one’s youth- “. One might recall David’s original power base was in part a kind of family militia, led by three nephews” Alter, 450. “Sons provide sufficient strength to enable the family to defend itself against marauders” Miller, 407.

127:5 How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them- “The larger the family, the greater the defense against the enemy” Miller, 407. “Children confer real advantage on a person in the battle of life. Indeed, the more the better” Longman, 426. 

A Song of Ascents

“The community prayer is strikingly similar to the longer Psalm 85…Verses 1-3 reflect upon a past deliverance, probably return from Babylonian captivity. Verses 4-6 plead for the further restoration from present problems” Miller, 405. “The psalm starts out like a thanksgiving song, celebrating the restoration of the community’s fortunes, but the second part leads us to understand that it is lament of the community” Longman, 423. 

126:1 When the LORD brought back the captive ones of Zion- The phrase brought back the captive ones might also be rendered ‘turned the captivity of’ (cf. the KJV and NASB).
This clause, with slight variations, is frequently used by the psalmists (14:7 and 53:6; 85:1; 126:1, 4) and the prophets (Jer. 29:14; 30:3, 18; 31:23; 32:44; 33:7, 11, 26; 48:47; 49:6, 39; Lam. 2:14;  Ezek. 16:53; 29:14; 39:25; Hos. 6:11; Joel 3:1; Amos 9:14; Zeph. 2:7; 3:20)” Miller, 405. Deut. 30:3; Job 42:10.

126:2 And our tongue with joyful shouting- The word translated joyful shouting is used only 33 times in the OT and three are in this short Psalm- 126:2, 5, 6.

126:3 The LORD has done great things for us- Notice the transition from for them in vs. 2 and for us in vs. 3.

126:4 Restore our captivity, O LORD- “Verse 1 rejoices that Yahweh has ‘restored’ His people and verse 4 petitions that He restore them yet more fully” Isaiah 62:6-7. “It seems odd that the psalmist would first state that the community’s fortune had been restored and then ask God to restore their fortunes, as he does in this stanza. But one only has to remember the return from Babylonian captivity for an example of these two are in tension” Longman, 424. “The early rapture of Ezra 1-6 and the erosion of enthusiasm by the harsh facts of life illustrate this psalm” Motyer, 574. 

126:4-6 “The two images of renewal (4b, 5-6) are not only striking; they are complementary. The first of them is all suddenness, a sheer gift from heaven; the second is slow and arduous, with man allotted a crucial part to play in it” Kidner, 439. The great things of verse 2 have become a day of small things (Zech. 4:10).

Jesus and Psalm 126
“Psalm 126 reminds us that that we live in the hope of God’s help, always remembering what God has done in the past (vv.1-3) and always anticipating what God will do in the future (vv. 4-6; see Isaiah 43:19; 65:17; Rev. 21:5)” McCann, 1195. 

126:1-2 “Surprised by joy, they were scarcely able to believe their eyes- it was all too good to be true (cf. Lk. 24:41; Acts 12:9)” Laymen, 689. John 16:20-22

“Matching this is the other picture of revival, in terms of farming at its most heart-breaking: all its joys hard-won (cf. II Cor. 9:6) and long-awaited (Gal. 6:7-10; James 5:7f.)” Kidner, 440. “There will be songs of joy but only when the toilsome task of sowing has been done and the crop has matured for harvest. That is where we find ourselves in God’s perfect plan of things (cf. Phil. 1:9-11; Jas. 5:7-8; Rev. 14:14-16)” Motyer, 574. John 12:23-24

Matthew 5:4 God will comfort our mourning. “The early church was urged to turn away from suffering to glory, with a conviction that the God who had begun a good work could faithfully bring it to completion (II Cor. 4:17-18; Phil. 1:6; I Thess. 5:24). 

This psalm “makes a proper distinction between the fate of righteous and the fate of the wicked, a favorite theme in Israel’s wisdom poetry (cf. Ps. 1; Prov. 1-9). Those blessed are those who trust in the LORD (vs. 1), the righteous (vs. 3), the good (vs. 4a), those who are upright in heart (vs. 4b). Wicked kings (vs. 3a) and people (vs. 5) must be eliminated so that the righteous will not be encouraged to do wrong (vs. 4)” Miller, 404.

125:1 Are as Mount Zion, which cannot be moved but abides forever- Ps.68:15-16 The verb moved is translated shaken in Ps. 13:4; 15:5; 16:8; 21:7; 55:22; 62:2, 6; 82:5; 112:6 or slips in Ps. 17:5; 38:16; 46:2; 94:18 or moved in Ps. 46:5; 93:1; 96:10. “The same word is translated in Ps. 121:3 as stumble”- NICOT, 911. “Mountains are often symbolic of stability and endurance, particularly in contrast to the waters of chaos (Ps. 46). And here, the psalmist names the most important mountain of all, Zion, the location of the temple” Longman, 422. “He draws upon the traditional picture of impregnable Zion (cf. Ps. 46; 48; 76; Isa. 28:16)” Laymen’s, 689

125:2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem- “The second (simile) compares the LORD Himself and the mountains that surround Jerusalem” Broyles, 455. “Mount Zion is not the highest peak in the mountain range around Jerusalem. To the east lies the Mount of Olives, to its north Mount Scopas, to the west and the south are other hills, all of which are higher than Mount Zion” VanGemeren, 788. The same word for surrounds is used in both parts of the verse. “The mountains offered security to Jerusalem and became a symbol of divine protection” Miller, 404. 

So the LORD surrounds His people- “God is ‘around’ and present with His people (Ps. 34:7; Zech. 2:1-5)” VanGemeren, 788.
 
125:3 “Prophets constantly rebuked Israelite leaders for adversely influencing the nation through their own wickedness (cf Is. 1:21-31; Jer. 5:1-6; 6:13-15; Hos. 4:4-10). The psalmists acknowledged the principle also (cf. 72:1-4; 78:67-72; 101:1-8)” Miller, 404. Neh. 9:36-37 depicts foreign rule over Jerusalem but may describe the situation the people were in. The word for scepter can mean rod and “the sense of punishing force may be the more relevant one here” Alter, 446.

125:4 Do good, O LORD, to those who are good- Ps. 18:20-27 This petition is the only place in the psalm where God is directly addressed. “It seems deliberately nonspecific and so leaves the particular means to Yahweh’s discretion” Broyles, 456. This also contains a warning to the congregation listening that they must do good. 

125:5 But as for those who turn aside to their crooked ways- This contrasts with those who will not be moved in vs. 1. “Nationality or ethnicity does not guarantee Yahweh’s favor-one must maintain a relationship to Yahweh and a moral heart” Broyles, 456. The ‘evildoers’ are apostates who have turned to ‘crooked ways’ (vs. 5), i.e. paths that twist and turn away from the main road (cf. Judges 5:6)” VanGemeren, 789.

Peace be upon Israel- Ps. 120:6,7; 122:6-8; 125:5; 128:6- “Israel is equated with those who trust, the righteous, the good and the upright” Laymen’s, 689. Numbers 6:26; Israel stands for all God’s faithful people- Galatians 6:16; Rom. 2:29; John 1:47.

Psalm 124

The verses of the Psalm describe Israel’s trouble- vs. 3-5- deliverance- vs. 1-2, 6b, 7- praise- vs. 6a, 8. The psalm shows us “how serious the threat was, and how little confidence David placed in his own power to survive it” Kidner, 436.

124:1 Had it not been the LORD who was on our side- 118:6; vs. 1-2 provide the protasis, the ifs clause to a conditional sentence, to the stanza and vs. 3-5 the apodosis, the then clause of the conditional sentence- Miller, 402. The word if actually begins both vss. 1 and 2 (Gen. 31:42; Deut. 32:37; I Sam. 25:34; II Kings 3:14; Psalm 94:17; 106:23; 119:92; 124:1, 2; Isaiah 1:9). 

Let Israel now say- 118:2-4; 129:1. This “indicates that this psalm aims to encourage the congregation to give voice to their gratitude” Broyles, 453.

124:2 Had it not been the LORD who was on our side- This psalm has “abundant use of incremental repetition” Alter, 443. “To dwell on what might have been is often an unrealistic, fruitless exercise. Here it is used to good effect” Laymen, 688. “His presence has protected Israel from destruction on many occasions” VanGemeren, 785.

When men rose up against us- Ps. 2:1-3 

124:3 Then they would have swallowed us alive- Swallowed is used in Num. 16:30; Ps. 55:15; Prov. 1:12; Isaiah 5:14; Jer. 51:34; Jonah 1:17.

124:4 Then the waters would have engulfed us- Verses 4-5 “are an especially effective use of the emphatic structure of incremental repetition. Verse 4 displays semantic parallelism with verbal repetition in its two halves (waters/ torrent, swept us us/ come up past our necks” Alter, 444. Psalms 18:4-5; 42:7; 69:1-2, 15; 88:3-7; Isaiah 8:7-8; 43:2; Lam. 3:54; Jonah 2:3, 5 

124:5 Then the raging waters would have swept over our soul- Psalm 74:12-15; 89:9-10; 93:3-4 The LORD’s sovereignty over the raging waters.

124:6 Who has not given us to be torn by their teeth- The enemy is compared to 3. “A hungry lion that would have seized them as prey (vs.6)” Willis, 64-65. 

124:7 Our soul has escaped as a bird out of the snare of the trapper- Ps. 91:3 

The snare is broken, and we have escaped- 119:110; 140:5 

124:8 Our help is in the name of the LORD- Ps. 20:7 The name of the LORD in I Sam. 17:45; Ps. 118:10, 11, 12; Prov. 18:10. 

Who made heaven and earth- 115:15; 121:2; 134:3; 146:6 I Peter 4:19

Psalm 124 and Jesus
124:1 The LORD is for us- Romans 8:31-39.

124:3 The word swallowed as used in the LXX is used in I Peter 5:8 of Satan going about as a roaring lion seeking who he can devour (or swallow, same word). Death and Satan may be great monsters seeking to swallow us, but Jesus swallows up death- I Cor. 15:54; II Cor. 5:4. 

124:6 Blessed in the LXX is the same word used in Eph. 1:3; I Peter 1:3 which Blessed God for the great salvation He accomplished in Christ. 

124:7 The word translated escaped in the LXX is used in Col. 1:13; I Thess. 1:10; II Tim. 4:17-18 to speak of salvation in Christ. 

124:8 The word help is used in Hebrews 4:16 of how we seek help for Jesus. 

124:8 The name of Jesus is the name on which we must call- Acts 2:21, 38; 4:12.

124:8 Jesus is Maker of heaven and earth- John 1:1-3, 10.

Psalm 123 A Song of Ascents
“Verses 1-2 are written in the tone of a psalm of trust, but 3-4 are in the form of a community lament.

123:1 To You I lift up my eyes- 121:1; Lifting up eyes can indicate arrogance- II Kings 19:22; Ps. 131:1 but here they are lifted up to God and not against Him. 

“To phrase ‘to You’ is in the emphatic position, suggesting the psalmist’s complete orientation to God” McCann, 1187.

O You who are enthroned in the heavens- Pss. 2:4; 11:4; 115:3, 16; 135:15 “His faithful love and wisdom are equally beyond our calculating (Ps. 36:5; Is. 55:9)” Kidner, 435. “The Lord whose heavenly throne (1) speaks of His endless resources as well as His worldwide sovereignty” Motyer, 573.

123:2 Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master- “The eye symbolizes longing, need, expectancy” Motyer, 573.“They await some provision for their own benefit.

As the eyes of the maid to the hand of her mistress- “Everyone in this community, man and woman, looks urgently to God for a sign of grace” Alter, 441.  

So our eyes look to the LORD our God- “God’s people are in the position of ‘servants’ (see Pss. 34:22; 69:35-46; 113:1; 116:16)” McCann, 1187. This shows their humility before God. Israel looks for the good hand of the LORD- Ezra 7:6, 9, 28; 8:18, 22, 31. “The simile certainly emphasizes the psalmist’s utter dependence on God, like that of slaves on their master” Longman, 419. 

“The repetition of ‘eyes’ which occurs in each of the four poetic lines in vv. 1-2, is another instance of the steplike pattern that characterizes the Songs of Ascents (see Pss. 120:5-7; 121:1-4, 7-8; 122:2-5)” McCann, 1187. 

Until He shall be gracious to us- This is another example of the steplike parallel pattern (climactic parallelism).

123:3 Be gracious to us- Pss. 4:1; 6:2; 9:13; 25:16; 26:11; 27:7.

For we are greatly filled with contempt- We are not told who gives the scorn, the actual things said, nor the reason for it. “Superlatives are used here and in vs. 4 to indicate the overabundance of scorn and contempt they have received” Miller, 402. 

123:4 Our soul is greatly filled with the scoffing of those who are at ease- Lam. 3:30ff., 33.

And with the contempt of the proud- Proud are enemies of the psalmists in Pss. 94:2; 140:5. There is a strong contrast in the Psalm. It begins with “to You” and ends with “the arrogant”- VanGemeren, 783. 

Jesus and Psalm 123

123:2, 3 Lord- The term used in the LXX is κυριος and it is used of Jesus in many NT passages including Matt. 7:21, 21, 22, 22; Luke 6:46, 46. The word is used over 700 times in the NT and many of them are of Jesus. He is LORD and we are utterly dependent upon Him for salvation and all blessings. 

123:2 Servant- in the LXX is the term δουλος and it is used of the NT writers in Rom. 1:1; James 1:1; II Peter 1:1; and Jude 1. It is used of all Christians in Romans 6:16-23. It is used of Jesus in Philippians 2:7. Jesus, who is addressed as Lord, is also a servant. The LORD became a servant to show us mercy. We are totally dependent upon His mercy for salvation.  

123:2, 3 Have mercy upon us- The word used was addressed to Jesus in Matt. 9:27; 15:22; 17:15; 20:30-31; Mark 10:47-48; Luke 17:13; 18:39. As these begged for Jesus to have mercy upon them, we are beggars who fall before Him totally dependent upon His mercy.

When God takes flesh in the person of Christ, Jesus, who was God became a servant- John 13:1-17; Phil. 2:5-8. 

Psalm 122 A Song of Ascents, of David

The phrase “of David” is omitted in most mss. of the LXX and the Vulgate- Miller, 399. 

“The psalm gives more evidence of having been written as a pilgrim psalm than any among the Psalms of Ascents (120-134), with the possible exception of the last one” Miller, 399. 

Psalms of Zion are Pss. 46, 48, 76, 84, 87, 132.

122:1-2 Journey to Jerusalem
122:1 I was glad when they said to me- “The idea did not originate with him, but he joined with a group of pilgrims to go to the city” Longman, 416.  Vss. 1, 8-9 use first person singular words.

“We hear the voice of an individual singer who is part of a larger group of pilgrims going up to Jerusalem” NICOT, 899. The words I was glad or I rejoiced set “the tone for the remainder of the psalm” NICOT, 900. 

 ‘Let us go to the house of the LORD’- Isaiah 2:3; Micah 4:3; Ps. 84:10; Jer. 31:6; Zech. 8:21. 

“The verbal phrase is not a cohortative but an imperfect and should be rendered ‘we will go’” VanGemeren, 775.  

122:2 Our feet are standing within Your gates, O Jerusalem- Notice that the I shifts to our. “At last Jerusalem and the house of the LORD come into sight, and we have arrived” Kidner, 433. The city is personified and addressed in the second person” Longman, 416.

The OT believer rightly regarded Jerusalem as the center of the whole earth- Ps. 48:2; Ezek. 5:5.

122:3-5 He celebrates the city
122:3 Jerusalem, that is built as a city compact together- Ps. 48:1-2, 13; 147:2. “The word ‘Jerusalem’ ends (v. 2) and begins v. 3” McCann, 1184. 

“True brotherhood was realized at this center of the community” Allen, 159. The word translated compact is used in Ex. 26:3, 3, 6, 9, 11; 36:10, 10, 13, 16, 18 for the curtains of the tabernacle joined together. The word compact is also used of military alliances- II Chron. 20:35, 36, 37; Dan. 11:6, 23.

122:4 To which the tribes go up- Ex. 23:17; Deut. 16:16; Ps. 48:9; 84:5- “Go up is the technical verb for pilgrimage” Alter, 439 and it is also used for going up the temple mount- Ps. 24:3.

122:5 For there thrones were set for judgment- Deut. 17:8; II Sam. 8:15; 15:1-6; I Kings 3:16-28; 10:9; II Chron. 19:8; Ps. 72:1-4; 89:29; Isaiah 2:4; 9:7; 11:2-5; 16:5; Jer. 21:10-11 Kings were to administer just and right judgment. “Other songs of Zion show the integral connection between the city and the king (Pss. 84:9; 132, esp. vss. 11-12)” Broyles, 451.

122:6-9 He prays for the peace of the city
122:6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem- Jer. 15:5 There is a wordplay between peace and Jerusalem- Heb. 7:2. Peace is the key word in vss. 6-8 and continues the stairstep parallelism of this psalm. 

“It was customary to offer greetings of peace on entering a home or community (cf. I Sam. 25:6; Matt. 10:12-13)” Allen, 159.

May they prosper who love you- “The ‘your’ is feminine singular in the Hebrew, clearly addressing Jerusalem” Alter, 440. Contrast 129:5. . 

122:7 May peace be within Your walls- 125:5; 128:6. The word within is used in both portions of this verse and is the Hebrew preposition ב.

Compare Pss. 48:13. 

122:8 For the sake of my brothers and my friends- He is motivated to pray this prayer because of his love for his fellow-man. 

122:9 For the sake of the house of the LORD our God- This prayer is also motivated by his love for God.