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Psalms 120

Chapter Text

A Prayer for Deliverance

Summary

Psalm 120 is the first of the fifteen Songs of Ascents, psalms sung by pilgrims journeying up to Jerusalem for the great festivals. The psalmist cries to the Lord in distress over lying lips and a deceitful tongue, asking what judgment shall be given to such a tongue.

He laments that he dwells among hostile peoples in Mesech and Kedar, among those who hate peace. The psalm closes with the plaintive cry: I am for peace, but when I speak, they are for war.

Meaning

This psalm introduces the pilgrim's journey by capturing the motivation for seeking God's presence: the weariness of dwelling among the deceitful and hostile. The journey to Zion begins with the recognition that the present situation is intolerable.

The references to Mesech and Kedar are likely metaphorical, representing any environment characterized by falsehood and aggression. The psalmist's longing for peace amid a culture of war resonates with all who seek to live faithfully in an antagonistic world.

The psalm teaches that the pain of living among those who reject truth and peace is itself a divine prod toward worship, driving the believer to seek the community of God's people and the sanctuary of His presence.

Background

This psalm begins the collection of Songs of Ascents (Psalms 120-134), pilgrim songs sung during the journey to Jerusalem. The ascents may refer to the physical climb to the hilltop city or to the steps in the temple courts.

The fifteen psalms in this collection cover a range of themes: trust, community, protection, blessing, and the joy of dwelling together in God's presence.

Chapter Outline

  1. vv. 1Cry of distress answered
  2. vv. 2Plea for deliverance from deceit
  3. vv. 3-4Judgment on the false tongue
  4. vv. 5-6Lament of exile among the hostile
  5. vv. 7A man of peace among warmongers

Key Verses

“In my distress I cried unto the LORD, and he heard me.”— 120:1

The opening confession sets the tone for the entire Songs of Degrees collection: the LORD hears the cry of the afflicted. It is a verse often memorized as a foundational testimony of answered prayer.

“I am for peace: but when I speak, they are for war.”— 120:7

This poignant lament captures the believer's experience of being surrounded by hostility despite seeking peace. It anticipates the Beatitude blessing on peacemakers and reflects the righteous sufferer's plight throughout Scripture.

People & Places

Places

  • Mesech — A distant northern people descended from Japheth, used here symbolically for a barbarous, hostile land far from Jerusalem.
  • Kedar — A nomadic Arabian tribe descended from Ishmael, whose tents represent a wild, uncivilized dwelling place far from God's covenant people.

Devotional

There are seasons when we feel surrounded by sharp tongues and quarrelsome hearts, longing for peace yet meeting only conflict. Psalm 120 gives voice to that ache without pretending it away. The psalmist's first move is not retaliation but prayer — he cries to the LORD and is heard.

When others choose war, we are still called to be for peace. That stance may feel lonely, even exilic, like dwelling in Mesech. Yet the God who heard the psalmist hears us still, and our distress becomes the doorway to deeper trust.

Literary Style

Hebrew lament poetry and the first of the fifteen Songs of Degrees (Psalms 120–134), traditionally sung by pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem. Features vivid metaphor (arrows, juniper coals), rhetorical question, and the parallelism characteristic of psalmic verse.