Bible Commentaries
Psalms 123

Verse 1

« A Song of degrees. » Unto thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens.

Unto thee lift I up mine eyes — Praying by them rather than by words, mine afflictions having swollen my heart too big for my mouth. See Trapp on " Psalms 121:1 "

Verse 2

Behold, as the eyes of servants [look] unto the hand of their masters, [and] as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes [wait] upon the LORD our God, until that he have mercy upon us.

Behold, as the eyes of servants — For direction, defence, maintenance, mercy in time of correction, help when the service is too hard, …; so do our eyes wait upon the Lord our God, viz. for direction and benediction.

Verse 3

Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us: for we are exceedingly filled with contempt.

Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy — This is preces fundere, coelum tundere, misericordiam extorquere, as Tertullian hath it; to wring mercy out of God’s holy hands, by our utmost importunity.

For we are exceedingly filled with contempt — We are made the very scum and scorn of our proud imperious enemies. This the nature of man is very impatient of, and can hardly brook; for there is none so mean but holdeth himself worthy of some regard; and a reproachful scorn showeth an utter disrespect, which issueth from the very superfluity of malice.

Verse 4

Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease, [and] with the contempt of the proud.

Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease — And therehence insolent and unsufferable, for κορος υβριν τικτει , ease breedeth forgetfulness, yea, it maketh men scornful and wrongful to others.