Deeper Commentary

 

Psa 120:1

A Song of Ascents-
Or 'degrees'. Hezekiah’s response to being granted another 15 years of life was to edit and produce the Songs of Degrees, so named after the degrees of the sundial. Four of the 15 Psalms were by David, one by Solomon; and the other 10 it seems Hezekiah wrote himself but left anonymous. These ten Psalms would reflect the ten degrees by which the sun-dial went backwards. The point to note is that Hezekiah taught others in an anonymous way in response to the grace he had received. True preaching reflects a certain artless selflessness. These songs of ascents were presumably also intended to be sung by the exiles as they returned to Zion, and then every time they went up to Jerusalem to keep a feast. But there is no evidence this happened. For they didn't return in the kind of faith implied in these Psalms. The plural "ascents" would then be an intensive plural referring to the one great ascent, to Zion. Much of the language of these Psalms is typical of David's language when under persecution by Saul. But the Psalm was reapplied to Hezekiah, and then to the exiles on their return from Babylon, and then by extension to all God's people on their journey zionwards.

In my distress, I cried to Yahweh. He answered me-
This is typical of David's language when under persecution by Saul. But the Psalm was reapplied to Hezekiah's cry for healing, and then to the exiles on their return from Babylon, and then by extension to all God's people on their journey zionwards.

Psa 120:2

Deliver my soul, Yahweh, from lying lips, from a deceitful tongue-
David would have been referring to Saul and later to Doeg and Ahithophel (the same words are used about the deceitful tongue of Doeg in Ps. 52:2); Hezekiah would have had in mind the lies pouring from the lips of Rabshakeh outside the walls of Jerusalem. The returning exiles singing this may have had in view the false accusations of Haman. David's intolerance of "deceitful" persons (Ps. 52:2; 101:7; 120:3) must be compared with the fact that he himself was only counted as not deceitful by grace; for he was very deceitful regarding Uriah.

Psa 120:3

What will be given to you, and what will be done more to you, you deceitful tongue?-
David was to later plot the destruction of Uriah by his words; and when he repented of this in Ps. 32:2, he says that lack of deceit / guile (s.w.) is only possible through imputed righteousness. David's intolerance of "deceitful" persons (Ps. 52:2; 101:7; 120:3) must be compared with the fact that he himself was only counted as not deceitful by grace; for he was very deceitful regarding Uriah. But the Psalm has application to Hezekiah's desire for the tongue of Rabshakeh to be destroyed, and the exiles likewise had a whole array of possible people to sing this about, the likes of Sanballat and Haman. We note that the tongue is personified as a person; for we are our words, and by them we reflect who we really are and shall therefore be judged by them, as the Lord Jesus taught.

Psa 120:4

Sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals of juniper-
In the Hezekiah context, this was fulfilled by the destruction of the Assyrians outside the walls of Jerusalem. It was done by a single Angel, perhaps "the mighty [one]" in view. "Coals of juniper" were used to make charcoal; the idea is 'the hottest fire'. However the grammar and flow of the argument may mean that this verse describes the "deceitful tongue" of :3; and indeed James says that the tongue is as a fire (James 3:6). It was God's tongue which was as a devouring fire upon the Assyrians of Hezekiah's time (Is. 30:27); so we have the picture of the fiery tongue being its own condemnation, in fire from Yahweh. In the context of David, he had lamented that the outlaws with whom he lived and the house of Saul had tongues as sharp arrows (Ps. 57:4; 64:3).

Psa 120:5

Woe is me, that I live in Meshech, that I dwell among the tents of Kedar-
Kedar was the second son of Ishmael (Gen. 25:13), one of the wild roaming tribes whose hand was against every man (Gen. 16:13). Perhaps there was a time when fleeing from Saul when David had to live amongst them, and he longs to be back in Zion. Or perhaps he simply means that he has to live among hostile and barbarous people, who are characterized as the wild Kedar and Meshech. The tribe of Meshech was known to David, as a neighbouring people who hated peace (:6). It can therefore scarcely refer to Moscow, as some insist.

Psa 120:6

My soul has had her dwelling too long with him who hates peace-
The individual who hated peace was likened to the war like (:7) and aggressive wild tribes of Kedar and Meshech. The "him" becomes "they" in :7, so perhaps the peace hater is a personification of the various groups opposed to those using the Psalm in whatever context.

Psa 120:7

I am for peace, but when I speak, they are for war-
This could apply to how Hezekiah sought to make peace with the Assyrians. But he gave them the gold of the temple for that peace treaty which they broke; but here he appears to whitewash that lack of faith as his love for peace. We can understand the initial reference to David, who truly sought to live at peace with Saul. And perhaps it has application to the returned exiles and their conflicts with the local Samaritans.