Bible Commentaries
Psalms 121

Verse 1

Psa 121:1

Psalms 121

PRAISE GOD; THE KEEPER OF HIS PEOPLE;

THE SONG OF A TRAVELER WHOSE GUIDE IS JEHOVAH

Practically all of the psalms in this group are brief, but they are "exquisitely beautiful," as Dummelow phrased it. Spurgeon remarked that, "It is a soldier’s song, as well as a traveler’s hymn.”

Psalms 121:1

"I will lift up mine eyes unto the mountains;

From whence shall my help come?"

"Unto the mountains" is here a reference to Jerusalem. In Ezekiel, we became familiar with this designation of the holy city. This designation of Palestine developed from the contrast, "Between the Mesopotamian plain and `the mountains of Israel.’” "Thus, the `hills’ (or mountains) became synonymous for the holy city.”

The pilgrim singing this song was not thinking of getting "help" from those mountains, but of getting "help" on his journey to them.

Martin Luther translated the second clause, "From whence cometh my help," a translation which Delitzsch rejected in favor of the rendition here.

E.M. Zerr:

Psalms 121:1. Hills and mountains are often used figuratively In the Bible, meaning some prominent place or government. David was using it to mean the government and institution of the Lord. From that holy and exalted situation he expected to get help.

Verse 2

Psa 121:2

Psalms 121:2

"My help cometh from Jehovah,

Who made heaven and earth."

In these first two verses, the poet looks to the mountains of his native land; and, when he longingly asks, `Whence will my help come’? His longing desire itself returns the answer, that his help comes from no other quarter than from Jahve, the Maker of heaven and earth, and whose power reaches the remotest ends of His creation.

E.M. Zerr:

Psalms 121:2. This verse gives the same thought as the preceding one, only it speaks in direct language and names the Lord as the source of all help. The logical thought is that a Being who could make heaven and earth could surely help a human creature.

Verse 3

Psa 121:3

Psalms 121:3

"He will not suffer thy foot to be moved:

He that keepeth thee will not slumber."

"He that keepeth thee." The words "keep," "keeper" and "keepeth" appear six times in these eight verses; and this is the reason for our selection of the first title of the psalm.

E.M. Zerr:

Psalms 121:3. The Psalmist addresses himself in the 2nd person; it is a form of self-assurance. The surety of constant help is due to the fact that the Helper never slumbers on the situation, but Is always alert and ready for the needed action.

Verses 4-5

Psa 121:4-5

Psalms 121:4-5

"Behold, he that keepeth Israel

Will neither slumber nor sleep.

Jehovah is thy keeper:

Jehovah is thy shade."

"Keeper ... Shade." "Such tides of God are virtually promises.” What a consolation there is in the very names which God has applied to himself. He reveals himself as our Sun, Shield, Strong Tower, High Tower, Hiding Place, and our Portion. So it is with Jesus Christ: the Light of the World, the Way, the Truth, the Life, the Resurrection, the Bread of life, Redeemer, etc.

Since God is our keeper, what is there that we should fear? The conclusion is quite natural, as Delitzsch said, "That the life of him who stands under such universal and unbounded protection can suffer no injury.”

E.M. Zerr:

Psalms 121:4. If the care of one servant would require that God should never slumber. then surely the care of all Israel would require as much. There Is not much difference between slumber and sleep, yet there is a slight distinction If the original words are considered. The first means to allow oneself to fall asleep from lack of interest, the second means to go to sleep from physicial drowsiness. The Lord will not fail of his care through either cause.

Psalms 121:5. The Psalmist is still addressing himself in a tone of assurance; he believed the Lord would help him in all of his trials. He then used a figure of speech in the form of a shade which would be a great relief from the scorching heat of the sun.

Verse 6

Psa 121:6

Psalms 121:6

"The sun shall not smite thee by day,

Nor the moon by night."

The simple meaning of this is that the soul under God’s protection is protected alike, "from the dangers of the day and of the night.” God’s protection should not be understood merely as protection from sunstroke and from being moonstruck.

This mention of dangers from the moon at night is doubtless related to the almost "universal superstition,” as Dummelow called it, that moonlight can be dangerous. This writer has no information about such "danger," but it cannot be denied that for countless generations the human family has accepted the proposition that, under certain circumstances, moonlight can be dangerous. Our word lunacy, meaning insanity, comes from the word lunar, `pertaining to the moon.’

There are well-attested traditions that such alleged lunar damage to men is a reality; but we find nothing in our text here which confirms any such thing. There is entirely too much that men do not know to justify the common designation of such ancient traditions as "merely superstition."

E.M. Zerr:

Psalms 121:6. For the undesirable effect of the sun and the relief therefrom, see comments on the preceding verse. There is no actual harm or discomfort that can come from the moon, so the expression is used to complete the sum of protection that may be had from the Lord. In other words, it is an accommodative form of saying to include all extremes. It is somewhat like saying that God will care for one under all circumstances, whether cold or hot, wet or dry, day or night.

Verses 7-8

Psa 121:7-8

Psalms 121:7-8

"Jehovah will keep thee from all evil;

He will keep thy soul.

Jehovah will keep thy going out and thy coming in

From this time forth and forevermore."

"Jehovah will keep thee from all evil" (Psalms 121:7). Here is stated the actual meaning of Psalms 121:6.

"He will keep thy going out ... coming in" (Psalms 121:8). "This is the equivalent of, `The Lord shall preserve thee in all thy ways’ (Psalms 91:11).”

E.M. Zerr:

Psalms 121:7. There is nothing specific in this verse, but a general assurance that the Lord will abundantly care for his own.

Psalms 121:8. This verse is also a general assurance of the care exercised by the Lord. However, the Psalmist uses some more figures of speech to express the completeness of that care. Going out and coming in does not have any technical meaning, but being two opposite terms they denote that the preservation which God provides for his people is thorough in its character and complete in its extent.