The Book of Psalms

Psalm 121

Psalm CXXI · Vol. II, p. 1069

The great safety of the godly, who put their trust in God's protection.

Margin referencesNotes ↓

^aA song of degrees.

Vol. II, p. 1069

1 I will lift^b up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.¹

A.M. cir. 2983. B.C. cir. 1021.

a Ps.cxx.-cxxxiv. titles.

b Ps.87.1; 76.2; 2.6; 3.4; 9.11; 123.1.

1 Or, Shall I lift up mine eyes to the hills? whence should my help come? Je.3.23.

2 My^c help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.

c Ho.13.9. Ps.124.8; 3.8; 18.32-48.

3 He^d will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.

d 1 Sa.2.9. Pr.3.25,26. De.33.3. Ps.62.2; 37.24. 1 Pe.1.5. Jude 1. Jn.10.28,29.

4 Behold,^e he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.

e Is.27.3. 1 Ki.18.27. Ps.27.1; 32.7,8; 44.23. Ge.28.15. De.32.10.

5 The LORD is thy keeper: ^gthe LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand.²

g Is.25.4; 32.2; 4.6. Ex.13.21. Ps.16.8; 109.31. Ca.3.3.

2 Long exposure to the direct rays of an eastern sun causes intense suffering, and often results in death. The image here is therefore expressive as it is beautiful. The Lord is a shade to his people. He preserves them from the greatest calamities, and defends them from all danger.—P.

6 The^h sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.

h Ps.91.5,10. Is.49.10. Re.7.16. Ge.31.40.

7 Theⁱ LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.

i 2 Ti.4.18. Is.27.3. Job 5.19-23. Ps.94.18,19. Re.21.3,4; 22.3. Jn.17.12,15.

8 The^j LORD shall preserve thy going out, and thy coming in, from this time forth, and even for evermore.

j De.28.6; 33.3. Pr.2.8; 3.6. 1 Sa.2.9. 1 Pe.1.5. Ps.1.3.

Notes

Ver. 1. The margin, Boothroyd, and other high authorities, read this verse as two questions, and this sense seems preferable. C.

Ver. 3. Recollecting first that this, being a promise of the Spirit, must be true—then there will be little difficulty in concluding that such a promise could only be realized in Christ. See also ver. 7, 8. Here the church, by the Spirit, replies to Christ, and ministers to him promises nearly parallel to those in Ps. xci. C.

Reflections.—In every difficulty our eyes ought to be fixed on God, in his temple, his Christ, his heaven, as the author of our help, protection, and deliverance. He is a sure refuge to them who flee to him; and with him nothing is impossible. In him nothing good can be wanting, no direction, no preservation; and in him no troubles can hurt us.