Psalm 120 meaning explained in AI Summary

Psalm 120 is the first of the "Songs of Ascents," a collection of 15 psalms (120-134) traditionally believed to have been sung by pilgrims journeying to Jerusalem for festivals.

Here's a summary of Psalm 120:

Theme: The pain of living among deceitful and hostile people, and a longing for peace.

Key Points:

• Cry for help (v. 1-2): The psalmist cries out to God from a place of distress, feeling trapped among liars and deceivers.
• Description of the wicked (v. 3-4): The psalmist describes their adversaries as having deceitful tongues and venomous words, highlighting the pain caused by their lies and aggression.
• Longing for peace (v. 5-7): The psalmist expresses weariness from living among such people and yearns for peace, contrasting their own desire for harmony with the warmongering nature of their neighbors.

Overall Message:

Psalm 120 paints a vivid picture of the pain and isolation caused by living among deceitful and hostile people. It's a lament, a cry for help, and a longing for peace in the midst of conflict. The psalm reminds us that even when surrounded by hostility, we can turn to God for refuge and strength. It also highlights the importance of striving for peace, even when surrounded by those who choose conflict.

Psalm 120 bible study ai commentary

Psalm 120 is a lament from an individual surrounded by deceit and hostility, expressing deep distress and a longing for peace. As the first of the "Songs of Ascents," it sets the stage for a spiritual pilgrimage, beginning with a cry to be delivered from a fallen world and a desire to move toward the presence of God. It is a prayer for deliverance from the pain of slander and the weariness of dwelling among those who hate peace, trusting in God's past faithfulness and future justice.

Psalm 120 Context

This psalm is the first of fifteen psalms (120-134) titled "A Song of Ascents" (Hebrew: Shir HaMa'alot). This collection was likely sung by Hebrew pilgrims as they traveled "up" to Jerusalem for the three annual feasts. This context frames Psalm 120 as the starting point of a journey. The pilgrim is spiritually and emotionally "down" in a place of conflict and falsehood, personified by Meshech and Kedar. The psalm is a cry of departure, leaving behind the strife of the world to seek the peace (shalom) and presence of God found in Jerusalem.

Psalm 120:1

A Song of Ascents. In my distress I cried to the LORD, and he answered me.

In-depth-analysis

• A Confident Start: The psalm begins with a testimony of past deliverance, not just a present cry. This establishes the foundation of the psalmist's faith: God has a track record of answering him in times of trouble.
• Distress: The Hebrew word for "distress" (ṣārāh) implies a narrow, tight place, a feeling of being hemmed in with no way out. The psalmist feels constricted by his hostile environment.
• The Act of Crying: This is not a silent wish but an audible, fervent appeal. It establishes a personal and active relationship with God. The past tense "he answered me" fuels the present appeal.

Bible references

• Psalm 18:6: 'In my distress I called upon the LORD... my cry came to his ears.' (A similar testimony of crying out and being heard).
• Jonah 2:2: 'I called out to the LORD, out of my distress, and he answered me.' (A cry from the ultimate "tight place," the belly of the fish).
• Psalm 34:6: 'This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him and saved him out of all his troubles.' (God's specific attention to the cry of the afflicted).

Cross references

Psa 4:1 (Answer in distress); Psa 3:4 (Crying to the Lord); Psa 50:15 (Call in trouble); Lam 3:55-56 (God hearing from the pit).

Psalm 120:2

Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips and from a deceitful tongue.

In-depth-analysis

• Specific Attack: The nature of the distress is specified: it is an attack of words. This is not physical warfare but a war of falsehood, slander, and malicious gossip.
• Soul's Affliction: The attack is aimed at the "soul" (nefesh), meaning his very life and being. Slander threatens one's reputation, community standing, and inner peace.
• Word Analysis:
  • Lying Lips (sefat-sheqer): Lips of falsehood, referring to outright untruths.
  • Deceitful Tongue (lashon remiyyah): A tongue of treachery or fraud. This suggests not just lies, but cunning and crafty words meant to entrap and harm.

Bible references

• Psalm 52:2: 'Your tongue plots destruction, like a sharp razor, you worker of deceit.' (The tongue as a weapon of destruction).
• Proverbs 6:16-17: 'There are six things that the LORD hates... haughty eyes, a lying tongue...' (Slander is an abomination to God).
• James 3:8: 'but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.' (The NT affirmation of the tongue's destructive power).

Cross references

Psa 5:9 (Destructive throat); Psa 31:18 (Lying lips silenced); Psa 140:1-3 (Deliverance from evil words); Jer 9:3-5 (A people accustomed to deceit).

Psalm 120:3–4

What shall be given to you, and what more shall be done to you, you deceitful tongue? A warrior’s sharp arrows, with glowing coals of the broom tree!

In-depth-analysis

• Rhetorical Justice: The psalmist addresses the deceitful tongue directly, asking a rhetorical question about its just punishment. The question implies that no ordinary punishment is sufficient.
• Two-Fold Judgment: The punishment is swift and piercing (arrows) as well as long-lasting and intensely hot (coals). This divine retribution perfectly fits the crime of slander.
  • Warrior's Sharp Arrows: Slanderous words are often compared to arrows (Psa 64:3). The punishment is God, the divine warrior, shooting back with swift, unavoidable judgment.
  • Coals of the Broom Tree: The broom tree (Hebrew: retem) was known for making charcoal that burned extremely hot and for a very long time. This symbolizes a judgment that is not fleeting but enduring and intense. The tongue that sets fires (James 3:6) will itself be consumed by a holy fire.

Polemics

The judgment imagery follows the principle of lex talionis (an eye for an eye). The slanderer 'shoots' destructive words (arrows) and 'burns' reputations with fiery speech; therefore, they will be judged by God's arrows and consuming fire. This isn't just vengeance but divine, symmetrical justice against the weapon of the wicked.

Bible references

• Psalm 64:3, 7: 'who whet their tongues like a sword, who aim bitter words like arrows... But God will shoot his arrow at them.' (God turns the weapon of the wicked back on them).
• Psalm 140:10: 'Let burning coals fall upon them! Let them be cast into fire.' (A parallel imprecation calling for fiery judgment).
• Proverbs 26:21: 'As charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife.' (Connects divisive words directly to fire).

Cross references

Deu 32:23-24 (God's arrows of judgment); Psa 7:12-13 (God preparing His weapons); Psa 11:2 (The wicked aiming arrows); Jas 3:6 (The tongue as a fire).

Psalm 120:5

Woe is me, that I sojourn in Meshech, that I dwell among the tents of Kedar!

In-depth-analysis

• Metaphorical Exile: The psalmist is not literally in both Meshech (a remote northern region near the Black Sea) and Kedar (a nomadic Arab tribe in the desert). These are used metaphorically.
  • Meshech: Associated with Japheth's descendants (Gen 10:2) and seen as a distant, barbarous, and warlike people (Ezek 38:2).
  • Kedar: Descendants of Ishmael (Gen 25:13), known as archers and nomads (Isa 21:16-17), but also depicted as living in conflict.
• The Alien Feeling: Together, they represent the ultimate 'ends of the earth' from a Judean perspective. He feels like a foreigner living among savage, godless, and hostile cultures. His very identity as a peace-seeker makes him an alien in a world of strife.

Bible references

• 1 Peter 2:11: 'Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.' (The Christian's identity as a temporary resident in a hostile world).
• Hebrews 11:13: 'These all died in faith... having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.' (The faithful of old viewed their earthly life as a pilgrimage).
• Philippians 3:20: 'But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior.' (The believer's true home is not on earth).

Cross references

Gen 10:2 (Meshech origin); Gen 25:13 (Kedar origin); Isa 60:7 (Kedar's flocks); Jer 49:28-29 (Kedar's doom).

Psalm 120:6–7

Too long has my soul had its dwelling with one who hates peace. I am for peace, but when I speak, they are for war.

In-depth-analysis

• Exhaustion: "Too long" expresses deep weariness and emotional fatigue. The psalmist is worn down by the constant, grinding presence of conflict.
• Hater of Peace: The enemy is not just someone who gets into arguments, but one whose very nature "hates peace" (sone’ shalom). Peace is fundamentally repellent to them.
• Stark Contrast: Verse 7 provides the ultimate summary of the conflict.
  • "I am for peace": This is an emphatic statement. In Hebrew, it is literally 'ani-shalom' ("I peace"). The psalmist does not just want peace; he embodies it. His very being is peaceful.
  • "They are for war": In contrast, any attempt he makes at reconciliation or communication ("when I speak") is immediately interpreted as a call to arms. His overtures of peace are met with preparations for battle.

Polemics

The phrase "I am peace" ('ani-shalom') finds its ultimate fulfillment in the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ (Isa 9:6). Jesus came to a hostile world, speaking words of life and peace, but his very presence provoked aggression, leading to the cross (John 15:18-25). The psalmist’s cry is a pre-echo of the experience of the ultimate Peacemaker in a world that loves war.

Bible references

• Romans 12:18: 'If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.' (The Christian mandate to pursue peace, acknowledging it may not be reciprocated).
• Matthew 5:9: 'Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.' (The value God places on making peace, even when it is difficult).
• Psalm 55:20-21: 'My companion stretched out his hand against his friends... His words were softer than oil, yet they were drawn swords.' (A similar description of deceitful people who speak peace but intend war).

Cross references

Psa 28:3 (Speak peace but evil in heart); Psa 35:20 (Do not speak peace); John 16:33 (Peace in Christ, tribulation in world).

Psalm chapter 120 analysis

• The Pilgrim's Starting Point: Psalm 120 is perfectly placed as the first Song of Ascents. The spiritual journey to God must begin with a clear-eyed assessment of the sin-filled, hostile world and a deep dissatisfaction with it. Before one can ascend to Jerusalem, one must recognize they are living in Meshech.
• From Falsehood to Truth: The core conflict of the psalm is between the "deceitful tongue" and the psalmist's prayer to the God of truth. The pilgrimage to Jerusalem is therefore not just a physical journey, but a spiritual movement away from a world of lies toward the place of God's Word and truth.
• The Christological Dimension: The psalmist's identity as "'ani-shalom'" ("I am peace") in a world that responds with war is a powerful foreshadowing of Christ's ministry. He was the embodiment of peace, yet His words and presence provoked hostility from a world steeped in darkness. The Christian experience of being a "sojourner and exile" who desires peace but faces opposition finds its model and comfort in Christ.

Psalm 120 summary

This psalm is a personal lament that marks the start of a pilgrimage. The psalmist, afflicted by slander and weary of living among violent, deceitful people (symbolized by Meshech and Kedar), cries out to God for deliverance. Recalling God's past faithfulness, he trusts in divine justice to punish the "deceitful tongue." The psalm culminates in a poignant declaration of his own identity as a peacemaker in a world that responds to his desire for peace with an insatiable appetite for war.