Psalms 120

Psalm 120 is the first of the Songs of Ascents, serving as a desperate prayer for deliverance from the slander and hostility of deceitful neighbors. It transitions from a personal cry for help to a contemplation of the judgment awaiting those who sow falsehood.

• The Psalmist recounts his past distress and the faithful response of God to his call (v. 1).
• He petitions for deliverance from the specific threats of lying lips and a deceitful tongue (v. 2).
• He addresses the malicious tongue directly, rhetorically describing the inescapable judgment that will come upon it (vv. 3-4).
• He laments his forced dwelling among hostile and war-loving people, contrasting his own desire for peace with their aggressive nature (vv. 5-7).

• The mention of Meshech (far north) and Kedar (southeastern/Bedouin regions) as symbols of hostile, foreign territories.
• The contrast between peace (shalom) and war (milchamah).
• The imagery of sharp arrows and glowing coals as instruments of judgment.
• The repeated reference to the tongue and speech as the source of the conflict.

This psalm establishes the starting point of the Songs of Ascents (Psalms 120-134), depicting the believer as someone living in an alien, hostile environment who must look to God for deliverance while journeying toward Him. It serves as a stark reminder that the godly are often targets of those who hate peace.

The believer's commitment to peace often invites the hostility of a deceitful world, but God is the faithful answer to that distress.

The text moves from personal historical distress to a declaration of God's justice upon the wicked, ending in a profound lament regarding the reality of social alienation.

• God hears the cry of the one in distress (v. 1).

• The tongue that practices deceit will eventually face the sharp and enduring judgment of God (vv. 3-4).

• Meshech (H4902) was located in the far north (often associated with the region of modern Turkey/Caucasus), and Kedar (H6938) refers to the Bedouin tribes of the southern or eastern deserts. Mentioning both suggests the Psalmist feels exiled or alienated across the breadth of the known world.

• In the ancient Near East, the tongue was frequently metaphorized as a weapon. The imagery of 'coals of juniper' (retem) refers to a wood known for retaining intense heat for a long time, symbolizing the enduring and biting nature of God's judgment against liars.

• This is the first of the Songs of Ascents (Psalms 120–134), traditionally sung by pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem. This position at the beginning emphasizes that the journey to God begins in a place of deep distress and isolation from the world.

• Matthew Henry observes that David, in his distress, prefigures Christ, who was also hated without a cause and surrounded by those who 'spoke' war against Him. While some emphasize this typological connection, others prioritize the literal historical reading of a believer suffering under the tongue of the wicked.

• The emphasis on the danger of the 'tongue' links this psalm to Wisdom literature (e.g., Proverbs 12:22; 18:21), which frequently warns against the lethal power of speech.

• Distress (H6869, tsarah) literally means 'tightness' or 'straits,' a physical metaphor for mental or spiritual anguish.
• Soul (H5315, nephesh) here signifies the entirety of the person's being or life, not merely an immaterial spirit.
• Shalom (H7965, peace) is more than the absence of conflict; it signifies wholeness, well-being, and alignment with God's order.

• The Psalmist does not take revenge; he cries to the Lord (v. 1) and leaves the judgment to the Lord (v. 4).
• The Psalmist identifies himself as one who *is for* peace, positioning his identity by what he desires, even when the world opposes it.

• Scholars debate whether Meshech and Kedar refer to specific literal historical enemies of the author or if they are poetic metonyms for 'any and all hostile places' far from home.