1 > In my distress, I cried to Yahweh. He answered me.
He said, "I called because of my affliction to Yahweh. He answered me. Out of the belly of Sheol I cried. You heard my voice.
In my distress I called on Yahweh, And cried to my God. He heard my voice out of his temple, My cry before him came into his ears.
> Unless Yahweh builds the house, They labor in vain who build it. Unless Yahweh watches over the city, The watchman guards it in vain.
Being in agony he prayed more earnestly. His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down on the ground.
Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of Yahweh, and spread it before Yahweh. Hezekiah prayed to Yahweh, saying, Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, who sits [above] the cherubim, you are the God, even you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth. Turn your ear, Yahweh, and hear; open your eyes, Yahweh, and behold; and hear all the words of Sennacherib, who has sent to defy the living God. Of a truth, Yahweh, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the countries, and their land, and have cast their gods into the fire: for they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone; therefore they have destroyed them. Now therefore, Yahweh our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you are Yahweh, even you only.
They said to him, Thus says Hezekiah, This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and of rejection; for the children have come to the birth, and there is no strength to bring forth. It may be Yahweh your God will hear the words of Rabshakeh, whom the king of Assyria his master has sent to defy the living God, and will rebuke the words which Yahweh your God has heard. Therefore lift up your prayer for the remnant that is left.
> Look! Praise Yahweh, all you servants of Yahweh, Who stand by night in Yahweh's house!
> Yahweh, my heart isn't haughty, nor my eyes lofty; Nor do I concern myself with great matters, Or things too wonderful for me.
> Many times they have afflicted me from my youth up. Let Israel now say,
> Blessed is everyone who fears Yahweh, Who walks in his ways.
> Those who trust in Yahweh are as Mount Zion, Which can't be moved, but remains forever.
> If it had not been Yahweh who was on our side, Let Israel now say,
> I was glad when they said to me, "Let's go to Yahweh's house!"
> I will lift up my eyes to the hills. Where does my help come from?
The cords of death surrounded me, The pains of Sheol got a hold of me. I found trouble and sorrow. Then called I on the name of Yahweh: "Yahweh, I beg you, deliver my soul."
Then they cried to Yahweh in their trouble, And he saved them out of their distresses.
Call on me in the day of trouble. I will deliver you, and you will honor me."
You, Yahweh, when you favored me, made my mountain to stand strong. But when you hid your face, I was troubled. I cried to you, Yahweh. To Yahweh I made supplication:
Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall, and prayed to Yahweh, and said, Remember now, Yahweh, I beg you, how I have walked before you in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in your sight. Hezekiah wept sore. Then came the word of Yahweh to Isaiah, saying, Go, and tell Hezekiah, Thus says Yahweh, the God of David your father, I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears: behold, I will add to your days fifteen years.
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!