Psalm 123:3 kjv
Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us: for we are exceedingly filled with contempt.
Psalm 123:3 nkjv
Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy on us! For we are exceedingly filled with contempt.
Psalm 123:3 niv
Have mercy on us, LORD, have mercy on us, for we have endured no end of contempt.
Psalm 123:3 esv
Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us, for we have had more than enough of contempt.
Psalm 123:3 nlt
Have mercy on us, LORD, have mercy,
for we have had our fill of contempt.
Psalm 123 3 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Psa 6:2 | Have mercy upon me, O LORD; for I am weak: O LORD, heal me; for my bones... | Plea for mercy due to weakness |
| Psa 51:1 | Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy steadfast love; according to... | Plea for mercy based on God's character |
| Psa 79:4 | We are become a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and derision to them... | Shared experience of being scorned by neighbors |
| Psa 44:13 | Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and a derision... | Reproach and derision from enemies |
| Psa 69:9-10 | For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them... | Bearing reproach for God's sake |
| Neh 1:11 | ...O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer... | Community prayer for mercy |
| Dan 9:9 | To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgiveness, though we have rebelled. | God's inherent mercies even for sin |
| Lam 3:30 | Let him give his cheek to him that smiteth him; he is full with reproach. | Being overwhelmed with reproach |
| Luke 18:13 | ...God be merciful to me a sinner. | Personal cry for mercy |
| Exod 34:6-7 | The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding... | Description of God's merciful character |
| Psa 86:15 | But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, long-suffering... | God's abounding mercy and compassion |
| Psa 103:8 | The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. | God's characteristic mercy |
| Tit 3:5 | Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy... | Salvation by God's mercy |
| Psa 25:15 | Mine eyes are ever toward the LORD; for he shall pluck my feet out of the net. | Eyes lifted in continuous dependence |
| Psa 121:1-2 | I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help... | Lifting eyes to God for help |
| Isa 45:22 | Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God... | Call to look to God for salvation |
| 2 Tim 3:12 | Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. | Righteous facing suffering/persecution |
| Matt 5:11-12 | Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall... | Enduring reproach for Christ's name |
| Heb 12:3 | Consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself... | Christ enduring hostility |
| Rom 15:3 | For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches... | Christ bearing reproach for us |
| Psa 3:4 | I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. | God hears prayers in distress |
| Psa 6:9 | The LORD hath heard my supplication; the LORD will receive my prayer. | Confidence in God hearing prayer |
Psalm 123 verses
Psalm 123 3 Meaning
Psalm 123:3 is a heartfelt, urgent double plea for divine mercy. The supplicants express that they have been utterly saturated and overwhelmed by scorn and derision from others. This profound feeling of being "exceedingly filled with contempt" underscores the depth of their humiliation and distress, making God's compassionate intervention their sole hope.
Psalm 123 3 Context
Psalm 123 is a "Song of Ascents," likely sung by pilgrims journeying to Jerusalem or by the exiles returning from Babylon, reflecting a collective experience. The chapter opens with the psalmist(s) lifting their eyes to the Lord, comparing their dependence to servants watching their master's hand for instruction and provision (v. 1-2). This verse (v. 3) then directly states the profound reason for their intense plea: they are experiencing an overwhelming deluge of contempt and scorn from "those who are at ease" and "the proud" (v. 4). It is a prayer born from sustained humiliation, indicating a period of waiting, weakness, or subjugation where the people of God felt ridiculed for their faith and dependence on the unseen God.
Psalm 123 3 Word analysis
- Have mercy (Hebrew: חָנֵּֽנוּ - ḥānnēnū): This is a powerful imperative verb, a plea for grace and favor. It means "to show favor," "to be gracious," or "to have pity." Its repetition ("Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us") amplifies the earnestness, desperation, and insistence of the prayer, indicating an overwhelming need and deep reliance on God's compassion.
- upon us (Hebrew: עָלֵ֨ינוּ - ʿālēnū): The plural "us" emphasizes that this is a communal prayer, representing the shared experience of an entire people or group facing collective humiliation.
- O LORD (Hebrew: יְהוָ֣ה - YHWH, Yahweh): Directly addressing God by His covenant name, indicating a personal relationship and trust in His steadfast love and redemptive power, the very God who reveals His character as "merciful and gracious" (Exod 34:6). This is an appeal to His character and His promises to His people.
- for (Hebrew: כִּֽי - kī): This conjunction indicates the reason or basis for the preceding plea. It introduces the urgent justification for why divine mercy is desperately needed.
- we are exceedingly filled (Hebrew: שָׂבַ֥עְנוּ עַד־לָּרֹ֗ב - śāḇaʿnū ʿaḏ-lārrōḇ):
- filled (שָׂבַע - śāḇaʿ): While often meaning to be satisfied or satiated with food or good things, here it is used metaphorically in a negative sense. It conveys being completely full or gorged with something undesirable, indicating a deep, almost sickening saturation.
- exceedingly (עַד־לָּרֹ֗ב - ʿaḏ-lārrōḇ): Literally "until much" or "to abundance." This intensifies "filled," implying they are filled to overflowing, beyond endurance, to the maximum degree. It communicates a state of being utterly overwhelmed, where the contempt has permeated every aspect of their experience.
- with contempt (Hebrew: בּ֥וּז - būz): This word signifies scorn, derision, despite, or humiliation. It implies being treated as worthless, laughed at, or mocked. The source of this contempt is further elaborated in verse 4, originating from "those who are at ease" and "the proud."
- Words-group Analysis:
- "Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us": This repeated invocation underscores profound desperation and unwavering dependence on God alone. It's a double petition reflecting deep distress and the absolute certainty that only divine compassion can alleviate their suffering. It reflects both a desperate plea and a confident appeal to God's known attribute of mercy.
- "for we are exceedingly filled with contempt": This phrase functions as the critical justification for the mercy plea. It vividly describes the intense suffering and humiliation experienced, portraying it not as a fleeting incident but as an overwhelming, sustained condition that has saturated their very being. The contrast is between being filled with negative human derision and the desire to be filled with God's positive grace and favor.
Psalm 123 3 Bonus section
The "Songs of Ascents" (Psalms 120-134) often reflect the journey and experiences of pilgrims to Jerusalem, or the collective longing of the exiled for restoration. This specific psalm highlights a crucial aspect of such journeys or experiences: not just physical challenges but also profound emotional and spiritual ones, particularly from external opposition. The "contempt" here is not just an insult but an active mockery of their very identity and faith in the God they are going to worship. The intense language "exceedingly filled" suggests a state beyond normal endurance, necessitating divine intervention rather than just human effort. This demonstrates that faith often involves persevering under scorn and humiliation, trusting that God's mercy will ultimately reverse human judgment and restore dignity. It underscores that humility before God is paramount when suffering external derision.
Psalm 123 3 Commentary
Psalm 123:3 captures a raw cry from a community submerged in the bitter waters of scorn. The doubled plea for mercy ("Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us") reveals the extremity of their suffering and the profound earnestness of their prayer, signaling that human solutions have failed. Their situation is dire, not merely touching the surface but "exceedingly filled with contempt," suggesting that derision and humiliation have permeated their existence to an unbearable degree. This state implies constant mockery from those "at ease" and "the proud" (as elaborated in v. 4), perhaps wealthy oppressors, scoffing neighbors, or simply those oblivious to their plight. Despite their degraded status in human eyes, the petitioners do not wallow in despair but lift their eyes and voices to YHWH, acknowledging Him as their ultimate source of hope and vindication. This verse is a powerful lesson in how to respond to sustained contempt: not with retaliation or despair, but with persistent, humble, and collective appeals to God's compassionate nature. For practical usage, this verse provides a template for prayer when facing social exclusion, mockery for one's faith, or persistent disrespect, directing the heart from horizontal hurts to vertical help.