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Psalms 123:2 King James Version with Strong's Concordance (STRONG)

2 Behold, as the eyes H5869 of servants H5650 look unto the hand H3027 of their masters, H113 and as the eyes H5869 of a maiden H8198 unto the hand H3027 of her mistress; H1404 so our eyes H5869 wait upon the LORD H3068 our God, H430 until that he have mercy H2603 upon us.

Cross Reference

Psalms 40:1-3 STRONG

[[To the chief Musician, H5329 A Psalm H4210 of David.]] H1732 I waited H6960 patiently H6960 for the LORD; H3068 and he inclined H5186 unto me, and heard H8085 my cry. H7775 He brought me up H5927 also out of an horrible H7588 pit, H953 out of the miry H3121 clay, H2916 and set H6965 my feet H7272 upon a rock, H5553 and established H3559 my goings. H838 And he hath put H5414 a new H2319 song H7892 in my mouth, H6310 even praise H8416 unto our God: H430 many H7227 shall see H7200 it, and fear, H3372 and shall trust H982 in the LORD. H3068

Psalms 130:5-6 STRONG

I wait H6960 for the LORD, H3068 my soul H5315 doth wait, H6960 and in his word H1697 do I hope. H3176 My soul H5315 waiteth for the Lord H136 more than they that watch H8104 for the morning: H1242 I say, more than they that watch H8104 for the morning. H1242

Luke 18:1 STRONG

And G1161 he spake G3004 G2532 a parable G3850 unto them G846 G4314 to this end, that men ought G1163 always G3842 to pray, G4336 and G2532 not G3361 to faint; G1573

Genesis 32:26 STRONG

And he said, H559 Let me go, H7971 for the day H7837 breaketh. H5927 And he said, H559 I will not let thee go, H7971 except H518 thou bless H1288 me.

Genesis 49:18 STRONG

I have waited for H6960 thy salvation, H3444 O LORD. H3068

Joshua 9:23 STRONG

Now therefore ye are cursed, H779 and there shall none of you be freed H3772 from being bondmen, H5650 and hewers H2404 of wood H6086 and drawers H7579 of water H4325 for the house H1004 of my God. H430

Joshua 9:27 STRONG

And Joshua H3091 made H5414 them that day H3117 hewers H2404 of wood H6086 and drawers H7579 of water H4325 for the congregation, H5712 and for the altar H4196 of the LORD, H3068 even unto this day, H3117 in the place H4725 which he should choose. H977

Joshua 10:6 STRONG

And the men H582 of Gibeon H1391 sent H7971 unto Joshua H3091 to the camp H4264 to Gilgal, H1537 saying, H559 Slack H7503 not thy hand H3027 from thy servants; H5650 come up H5927 to us quickly, H4120 and save H3467 us, and help H5826 us: for all the kings H4428 of the Amorites H567 that dwell H3427 in the mountains H2022 are gathered together H6908 against us.

Psalms 25:15 STRONG

Mine eyes H5869 are ever H8548 toward the LORD; H3068 for he shall pluck H3318 my feet H7272 out of the net. H7568

Psalms 119:82 STRONG

Mine eyes H5869 fail H3615 for thy word, H565 saying, H559 When wilt thou comfort H5162 me?

Psalms 119:123-125 STRONG

Mine eyes H5869 fail H3615 for thy salvation, H3444 and for the word H565 of thy righteousness. H6664 Deal H6213 with thy servant H5650 according unto thy mercy, H2617 and teach H3925 me thy statutes. H2706 I am thy servant; H5650 give me understanding, H995 that I may know H3045 thy testimonies. H5713

Lamentations 3:25-26 STRONG

The LORD H3068 is good H2896 unto them that wait H6960 for him, to the soul H5315 that seeketh H1875 him. It is good H2896 that a man should both hope H3175 H2342 and quietly wait H1748 for the salvation H8668 of the LORD. H3068

Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Psalms 123

Commentary on Psalms 123 Matthew Henry Commentary


Psalm 123

This psalm was penned at a time then the church of God was brought low and trampled upon; some think it was when the Jews were captives in Babylon, though that was not the only time that they were insulted over by the proud. The psalmist begins as if he spoke for himself only (v. 1), but presently speaks in the name of the church. Here is,

  • I. Their expectation of mercy from God (v. 1, 2).
  • II. Their plea for mercy with God, (v. 3, 4).

In singing it we must have our eye up to God's favour with a holy concern, and then an eye down to men's reproach with a holy contempt.

A song of degrees.

Psa 123:1-4

We have here,

  • I. The solemn profession which God's people make of faith and hope in God, v. 1, 2. Observe,
    • 1. The title here given to God: O thou that dwellest in the heavens. Our Lord Jesus has taught us, in prayer, to have an eye to God as our Father in heaven; not that he is confined there, but there especially he manifests his glory, as the King in his court. Heaven is a place of prospect and a place of power; he that dwells there beholds thence all the calamities of his people and thence can send to save them. Sometimes God seems to have forsaken the earth, and the enemies of God's people ask, Where is now your God? But then they can say with comfort, Our God is in the heavens. O thou that sittest in the heavens (so some), sittest as Judge there; for the Lord has prepared his throne in the heavens, and to that throne injured innocency may appeal.
    • 2. The regard here had to God. The psalmist himself lifted up his eyes to him. The eyes of a good man are ever towards the Lord, Ps. 25:15. In every prayer we lift up our soul, the eye of our soul, to God, especially in trouble, which was the case here. The eyes of the people waited on the Lord, v. 2. We find mercy coming towards a people when the eyes of man, as of all the tribes of Israel, are towards the Lord, Zec. 9:1. The eyes of the body are heaven-ward. Os homini sublime dedit-To man he gave an erect mien, to teach us which way to direct the eyes of the mind. Our eyes wait on the Lord, the eye of desire and prayer, the begging eye, and the eye of dependence, hope, and expectation, the longing eye. Our eyes must wait upon God as the Lord, and our God, until that he have mercy upon us. We desire mercy from him, we hope he will show us mercy, and we will continue our attendance on him till the mercy come. This is illustrated (v. 2) by a similitude: Our eyes are to God as the eyes of a servant, and handmaid, to the hand of their master and mistress. The eyes of a servant are,
      • (1.) To his master's directing hand, expecting that he will appoint him his work, and cut it out for him, and show him how he must do it. Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?
      • (2.) To his supplying hand. Servants look to their master, or their mistress, for their portion of meat in due season, Prov. 31:15. And to God must we look for daily bread, for grace sufficient; from him we must receive it thankfully.
      • (3.) To his assisting hand. If the servant cannot do his work himself, where must he look for help but to his master? And in the strength of the Lord God we must go forth and go on.
      • (4.) To his protecting hand. If the servant meet with opposition in his work, if he be questioned for what he does, if he be wronged and injured, who should bear him out and right him, but his master that set him on work? The people of God, when they are persecuted, may appeal to their Master, We are thine; save us.
      • (5.) To his correcting hand. If the servant has provoked his master to beat him, he does not call for help against his master, but looks at the hand that strikes him, till it shall say, "It is enough; I will not contend for ever.' The people of God were now under his rebukes; and whither should they turn but to him that smote them? Isa. 9:13. To whom should they make supplication but to their Judge? They will not do as Hagar did, who ran away from her mistress when she put some hardships upon her (Gen. 16:6), but they submit themselves to and humble themselves under God's mighty hand.
      • (6.) To his rewarding hand. The servant expects his wages, his well-done, from his master. Hypocrites have their eye to the world's hand; thence they have their reward (Mt. 6:2); but true Christians have their eye to God as their rewarder.
  • II. The humble address which God's people present to him in their calamitous condition (v. 3, 4), wherein,
    • 1. They sue for mercy, not prescribing to God what he shall do for them, nor pleading any merit of their own why he should do it for them, but, Have mercy upon us, O Lord! have mercy upon us. We find little mercy with men; their tender mercies are cruel; there are cruel mockings. But this is our comfort, that with the Lord there is mercy and we need desire no more to relieve us, and make us easy, than the mercy of God. Whatever the troubles of the church are, God's mercy is a sovereign remedy.
    • 2. They set forth their grievances: We are exceedingly filled with contempt. Reproach is the wound, the burden, they complain of. Observe,
      • (1.) Who were reproached: "We, who have our eyes up to thee.' Those who are owned of God are often despised and trampled on by the world. Some translate the words which we render, those that are at ease, and the proud, so as to signify the persons that are scorned and contemned. "Our soul is troubled to see how those that are at peace, and the excellent ones, are scorned and despised.' The saints are a peaceable people and yet are abused (Ps. 35:20), the excellent ones of the earth and yet undervalued, Lam. 4:1, 2.
      • (2.) Who did reproach them. Taking the words as we read them, they were the epicures who lived at ease, carnal sensual people, Job 12:5. The scoffers are such as walk after their own lusts and serve their own bellies, and the proud such as set God himself at defiance and had a high opinion of themselves; they trampled on God's people, thinking they magnified themselves by vilifying them.
      • (3.) To what degree they were reproached: "We are filled, we are surfeited with it. Our soul is exceedingly filled with it.' The enemies thought they could never jeer them enough, nor say enough to make them despicable; and they could not but lay it to heart; it was a sword in their bones, Ps. 42:10. Note,
        • [1.] Scorning and contempt have been, and are, and are likely to be, the lot of God's people in this world. Ishmael mocked Isaac, which is called persecuting him; and so it is now, Gal. 4:29.
        • [2.] In reference to the scorn and contempt of men it is matter of comfort that there is mercy with God, mercy to our good names when they are barbarously used. Hear, O our God! for we are despised.