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Psalm 120 Notes
No author is given for this psalm. It is described as “a song of degrees/ascents”, the first of 15 psalms with this description. These are believed by many to have been sung by the Jewish travelers making their pilgrimages to Jerusalem to worship. It is a plea for relief from baseless slander.
vs. 1-2 – A cry for deliverance from lies.
vs. 3-4 – Foreseeing the wicked’s fate.
vs. 5-6 – The place of the psalmist is among the heathen tribes. Mesech is associated with Gog and Magog (Ezekiel 39:1), placing it in the far north from Israel around Russia. Kedar was a son of Ishmael (Genesis 25:13) who descendants live in Arabia near Israel.
vs. 7 – The desire for peace against the threats of war.
Psalm 121 Notes
No author is given for this psalm, the second “song of degrees/ascents”. It is a song of praise for confidence in the Lord’s care.
vs. 1-2 – Our hope is not in our selves or in man, but in the Lord.
vs. 3-4 – The ever-vigilant God watches over the righteous.
vs. 5-6 – The Lord is our comfort and protection.
vs. 7-8 – The Lord preserves the righteous from the evil way and the evildoer.
Psalm 122 Notes
David is the author of this third “song of degrees/ascents”. It is a song of prayer and praise for Jerusalem.
vs. 1-2 – The pilgrim’s journey to Jerusalem is described.
vs. 3-4 – The purpose of the journey is to gather and worship God.
vs. 5 – The nation is ruled by the house of David, foreshadowing the Messiah’s rule.
vs. 6-7 – A prayer for peace in the city God chose for His people to worship in.
vs. 8-9 – Concern for the wellbeing of others and of the Temple. Someone said that the key to happiness is J-O-Y: Jesus, others, then you. That is reflected in these verses.
Psalm 123 Notes
No author is given for this psalm, the fourth “song of degrees/ascents”. It is a prayer for expected deliverance.
vs. 1-2 – The attention of the psalmist is fastened on the Lord in expectation of Him moving on his behalf.
vs. 3-4 – A prayer for relief from those that despise the righteous.
Psalm 124 Notes
David is the author of this fifth “song of degrees/ascents”. It is a psalm of thankfulness for deliverance.
vs. 1-2 – The only reason the righteous may stand against the wicked is because of the Lord.
vs. 3-5 – The wicked are pictured as a raging flood that threatens to drown the righteous.
vs. 6-8 – Praise to God for delivering the righteous.
Psalm 125 Notes
No author is given for this psalm, the sixth “song of degrees/ascents”. It expressed confidence in the Lord’s protection.
vs. 1-2 – The protection of the Lord for the righteous.
vs. 3 – The promise that the wicked will not rule because it would drive the righteous to sin. It does not mean that there are never any troubles for the righteous, but rather that they will surely pass in God’s timing.
vs. 4-5 – A prayer for peace and blessing on the righteous.
Psalm 126 Notes
No author is given for this psalm, the seventh “song of degrees/ascents”. It is a song of praise for the God who delivers the righteous.
vs. 1-2 – Recalling the awe at being delivered by God. This is specifically written to describe the return from the Babylonian Captivity but is applicable in other situations as well.
vs. 3 – The joy of seeing the Lord move on behalf of the righteous.
vs. 4 – A prayer to relive the deliverance already experienced but from a present difficulty. The “streams in the south” refer to the seasonal streams called wadis in southern Judah. These are dry for much of the year but flow vigorously in the rainy seasons.
vs. 5-6 – A description of the deliverance God provides. These wonderful promises show that God can turn our turmoil into triumph.
Psalm 127 Notes
David appears to be the author of this psalm that is dedicated to Solomon. It is the eighth “song of degrees/ascents”. It describes the blessing of the Lord, especially through children.
vs. 1-2 – It is vain to trust in anything or anyone other than the Lord. The mention of a house being built likely refers to Solomon’s construction of the Temple.
vs. 3 – Just as we saw a house established by the Lord in vs. 1, so is the family established by Him.
vs. 4-5 – The blessings of family.
Psalm 128 Notes
No author is given for this psalm, the ninth “song of degrees/ascents”. It is song of thanksgiving for the blessings of family.
vs. 1-3 – The blessings from the Lord on the righteous who labor and raise their families.
vs. 4-6 – The blessings from the Lord of long life and a steadfast nation.
Psalm 129 Notes
No author is given for this psalm, the tenth “song of degrees/ascents”. It is an imprecatory psalm against the wicked oppressor.
vs. 1-3 – The long history of oppression is recalled. It is vividly compared to a plow digging into a person’s back. This could possibly be an allusion to being whipped and lashed.
vs. 4 – The Lord will repay the wicked for their evil treatment of the righteous.
vs. 5-8 – The fate of the wicked is compared to grass that briefly sprouted from the flat roofs but soon died due to lack of nutrients. They are worthless as there is not value in their harvest. There is no joy in their demise.
Psalm 130 Notes
No author is given for this psalm, the eleventh “song of degrees/ascents”. It is a prayer of hope in the Lord for deliverance.
vs. 1-2 – The desperate cry for deliverance.
vs. 3-4 – The Lord’s forgiveness allows men to call on Him and to fear Him.
vs. 5-6 – The patient, expectant waiting for the Lord to move.
vs. 7-8 – The confidence in the character and promises of God that He will redeem His people from their afflictions.
Psalm 131 Notes
David is the author of this twelfth “song of degrees/ascents”. It
vs. 1 – The psalmist humbles themselves before the Lord and trusts in Him to care for the matters beyond his control.
vs. 2 – The psalmist compares his trust in the Lord to that of a child in their mother’s care.
vs. 3 – A call for Israel to join in the psalmist’s confidence and trust in the Lord.
Psalm 132 Notes
No author is given for this psalm, the thirteenth “song of degrees/ascents”.
vs. 1 – A prayer for God to remember David and how He chose and exalted Him from his trials.
vs. 2-5 – This recalls David’s desire to bring the Ark to Jerusalem and build the Temple there.
vs. 6-8 – This recalls the Ark being brought to Jerusalem. Ephratah refers to the territory where the Ark was rumored to be (compare to I Samuel 1:1, 17:12 for examples of places with this name). The “fields of the wood” refers to Kirjath-Jearim (“the city of forests”) where the Ark stayed in I Samuel 7:1-2)
vs. 9-17 – A call for God to bless the priests, place, and prince where the Ark would stay.
vs. 18 – David and his house are exalted by God and their enemies put to shame.
Closing Thoughts
God sees and notes our tears (Psalm 56:8). He can turn them in to joy (Psalm 126:5). One day, he will wipe them all away (Revelation 21:4).
Hymn for Today
Our hymn today is “He that Goeth Forth with Weeping”, written by Thomas Hastings in 1836.
He that goeth forth with weeping,
Bearing precious seed in love,
Never tiring, never sleeping,
Findeth mercy from above.
Soft descend the dews of heaven,
Bright the rays celestial shine;
Precious fruits will thus be given
Through an influence all divine.
Sow thy seed; be never weary;
Let no fears thy soul annoy;
Be the prospect ne’er so dreary,
Thou shalt reap the fruits of joy.
Lo! the scene of verdure brightening,
See the rising grain appear:
Look again; the fields are whitening,
For the harvest time is near.