Useful Bible Studies > Songs of Ascent Commentary

Psalm 120

· To get the maximum benefit from this study, please open your Bible and read Psalm 120 first.

In this first song, the poet is starting a journey. He does not say where he intends to end his journey. But it is clear that his journey begins in a foreign country. The journey will end among God’s people, the *Jewish people in Israel. And the poet does not intend to return.

That was not the usual experience, of course, for the people who travelled to Jerusalem for the sacred holidays. They were travelling for a short journey, perhaps for a few days or for a week. And afterwards, they would return home immediately.

But this poet had no desire to return to that foreign country. He had prayed that God would help him to leave that place. He considered that, by this journey, God was answering that prayer. In other words, God was doing the thing that the poet had asked him to do. For the poet, this was not just a holiday. He considered that God was rescuing him by this journey.

And the poet needed God to rescue him, because he had lived among cruel people. They were people who told lies. They were people who wanted to start wars. They even used the poet’s own words against him.

The poet says that he had lived abroad for too long. He mentioned two foreign countries: Meshech and Kedar. Those countries were not especially near Israel. We do not know much about them. We do not know why the poet was there. And we do not know why he delayed his return to Israel.

Perhaps he was a prisoner or a slave, so he could not return. Perhaps he was a trader, and he felt unable to return, because of his business.

The poet knows that he has been living among evil people. He has heard their evil words; he has seen their wicked actions. He knows that God will punish them severely.

But God has saved the poet from them. God has allowed the poet to leave that place. He is going to the place where God’s people live.

Next part: Some lessons from Psalm 120

See the word list for explanation of words with a *

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