1 In my distress I cried unto the LORD, and he heard me.
2 Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue.
3 What shall be given unto thee? or what shall be done unto thee, thou false tongue?
4 Sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals of juniper.
5 Woe is me, that I sojourn in Mesech, that I dwell in the tents of Kedar!
6 My soul hath long dwelt with him that hateth peace.
7 I am for peace: but when I speak, they are for war.
1 [[A Song H7892 of degrees.]] H4609 In my distress H6869 I cried H7121 unto the LORD, H3068 and he heard H6030 me.
2 Deliver H5337 my soul, H5315 O LORD, H3068 from lying H8267 lips, H8193 and from a deceitful H7423 tongue. H3956
3 What shall be given H5414 unto thee? or what shall be done H3254 unto thee, thou false H7423 tongue? H3956
4 Sharp H8150 arrows H2671 of the mighty, H1368 with coals H1513 of juniper. H7574
5 Woe H190 is me, that I sojourn H1481 in Mesech, H4902 that I dwell H7931 in the tents H168 of Kedar! H6938
6 My soul H5315 hath long H7227 dwelt H7931 with him that hateth H8130 peace. H7965
7 I am for peace: H7965 but when I speak, H1696 they are for war. H4421
1 In my distress I cried unto Jehovah, And he answered me.
2 Deliver my soul, O Jehovah, from lying lips, `And' from a deceitful tongue.
3 What shall be given unto thee, and what shall be done more unto thee, Thou deceitful tongue?
4 Sharp arrows of the mighty, With coals of juniper.
5 Woe is me, that I sojourn in Meshech, That I dwell among the tents of Kedar!
6 My soul hath long had her dwelling With him that hateth peace.
7 I am `for' peace: But when I speak, they are for war. Psalm 121 A Song of Ascents.
1 A Song of the Ascents. Unto Jehovah in my distress I have called, And He answereth me.
2 O Jehovah, deliver my soul from a lying lip, From a deceitful tongue!
3 What doth He give to thee? And what doth He add to thee? O deceitful tongue!
4 Sharp arrows of a mighty one, with broom-coals.
5 Wo to me, for I have inhabited Mesech, I have dwelt with tents of Kedar.
6 Too much hath my soul dwelt with him who is hating peace.
7 I `am' peace, and when I speak they `are' for war!
1 {A Song of degrees.} In my trouble I called unto Jehovah, and he answered me.
2 Jehovah, deliver my soul from the lying lip, from the deceitful tongue.
3 What shall be given unto thee, what shall be added unto thee, thou deceitful tongue?
4 Sharp arrows of a mighty one, with burning coals of broom-wood.
5 Woe is me, that I sojourn in Meshech, that I dwell among the tents of Kedar!
6 My soul hath long dwelt with them that hate peace.
7 I [am for] peace; but when I speak, *they* [are] for war.
1 > In my distress, I cried to Yahweh. He answered me.
2 Deliver my soul, Yahweh, from lying lips, From a deceitful tongue.
3 What will be given to you, and what will be done more to you, You deceitful tongue?
4 Sharp arrows of the mighty, With coals of juniper.
5 Woe is me, that I live in Meshech, That I dwell among the tents of Kedar!
6 My soul has had her dwelling too long With him who hates peace.
7 I am for peace, But when I speak, they are for war.
1 <A Song of the going up.> In my trouble my cry went up to the Lord, and he gave me an answer.
2 O Lord, be the saviour of my soul from false lips, and from the tongue of deceit.
3 What punishment will he give you? what more will he do to you, you false tongue?
4 Sharp arrows of the strong, and burning fire.
5 Sorrow is mine because I am strange in Meshech, and living in the tents of Kedar.
6 My soul has long been living with the haters of peace.
7 I am for peace: but when I say so, they are for war.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Psalms 120
Commentary on Psalms 120 Matthew Henry Commentary
Psalm 120
This psalm is the first of those fifteen which are here put together under the title of "songs of degrees.' It is well that it is not material what the meaning of that title should be, for nothing is offered towards the explication of it, no, not by the Jewish writers themselves, but what is conjectural. These psalms do not seem to be composed all by the same hand, much less all at the same time. Four of them are expressly ascribed to David, and one is said to be designed for Solomon, and perhaps penned by him; yet 126 and 129 seem to be of a much later date. Some of them are calculated for the closet (as 120 and 130), some for the family (as 127 and 128), some for the public assembly (as 122 and 134), and some occasional, as 124, and 132. So that it should seem, they had not this title from the author, but from the publisher. Some conjecture that they are so called from their singular excellency (as the song of songs, so the song of degrees, is a most excellent song, in the highest degree), others from the tune they were set to, or the musical instruments they were sung to, or the raising of the voice in singing them. Some think they were sung on the fifteen steps or stairs, by which they went up from the outward court of the temple to the inner, others at so many stages of the people's journey, when they returned out of captivity. I shall only observe,
This psalm is supposed to have been penned by David upon occasion of Doeg's accusing him and the priests to Saul, because it is like 52, which was penned upon that occasion, and because the psalmist complains of his being driven out of the congregation of the Lord and his being forced among barbarous people.
In singing this psalm we may comfort ourselves in reference to the scourge of the tongue, when at any time we fall unjustly under the lash of it, that better than we have smarted from it.
A song of degrees.
Psa 120:1-4
Here is,
Psa 120:5-7
The psalmist here complains of the bad neighbourhood into which he was driven; and some apply the two foregoing verses to this: "What shall the deceitful tongue give, what shall it do to those that lie open to it? What shall a man get by living among such malicious deceitful men? Nothing but sharp arrows and coals of juniper,' all the mischiefs of a false and spiteful tongue, Ps. 57:4. Woe is me, says David, that I am forced to dwell among such, that I sojourn in Mesech and Kedar. Not that David dwelt in the country of Mesech or Kedar; we never find him so far off from his own native country; but he dwelt among rude and barbarous people, like the inhabitants of Mesech and Kedar: as, when we would describe an ill neighbourhood, we say, We dwell among Turks and heathens. This made him cry out, Woe is me!