4 Sharp arrows of the mighty, With coals of juniper.
Your arrows are sharp. The nations fall under you, with arrows in the heart of the king's enemies.
Lying lips are an abomination to Yahweh, But those who do the truth are his delight.
But for the cowardly, unbelieving, sinners, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers,{The word for "sorcerers" here also includes users of potions and drugs.} idolaters, and all liars, their part is in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death."
So the tongue is also a little member, and boasts great things. See how a small fire can spread to a large forest! And the tongue is a fire. The world of iniquity among our members is the tongue, which defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature, and is set on fire by Gehenna.{Gehenna is a name that describes a burning Hell with rotting bodies and unclean things in it} For every kind of animal, bird, creeping thing, and thing in the sea, is tamed, and has been tamed by mankind. But nobody can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
A false witness shall not be unpunished. He who utters lies shall perish.
Death and life are in the power of the tongue; Those who love it will eat its fruit.
The words of a gossip are like dainty morsels: They go down into a person's innermost parts.
I will heap evils on them; I will spend my arrows on them: [They shall be] wasted with hunger, and devoured with burning heat Bitter destruction; The teeth of animals will I send on them, With the poison of crawling things of the dust.
Wicked people earn deceitful wages, But one who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward.
With his mouth the godless man destroys his neighbor, But the righteous will be delivered through knowledge.
As for the head of those who surround me, Let the mischief of their own lips cover them. Let burning coals fall on them. Let them be thrown into the fire, Into miry pits, from where they never rise. An evil speaker won't be established in the earth. Evil will hunt the violent man to overthrow him.
My soul is among lions. I lie among those who are set on fire, Even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, And their tongue a sharp sword.
God will likewise destroy you forever. He will take you up, and pluck you out of your tent, And root you out of the land of the living. Selah.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Psalms 120
Commentary on Psalms 120 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
PSALM 120
Ps 120:1-7. This is the first of fifteen Psalms (Psalms 120-134) entitled "A Song of Degrees" (Ps 121:1—literally, "A song for the degrees"), or ascents. It seems most probable they were designed for the use of the people when going up (compare 1Ki 12:27, 28) to Jerusalem on the festival occasions (De 16:16), three times a year. David appears as the author of four, Solomon of one (Ps 127:1), and the other ten are anonymous, probably composed after the captivity. In this Psalm the writer acknowledges God's mercy, prays for relief from a malicious foe, whose punishment he anticipates, and then repeats his complaint.
2, 3. Slander and deceit charged on his foes implies his innocence.
tongue—as in Ps 52:2, 4.
4. Sharp arrows of the mighty—destructive inflictions.
coals of juniper—which retain heat long. This verse may be read as a description of the wicked, but better as their punishment, in reply to the question of Ps 120:3.
5. A residence in these remote lands pictures his miserable condition.
6, 7. While those who surrounded him were maliciously hostile, he was disposed to peace. This Psalm may well begin such a series as this, as a contrast to the promised joys of God's worship.