Psalms 123

[ayin jade]

A brief note for those unfamiliar with my bible studies/notes. I look at commentaries for each verse, keep some, discard some and condense them into my study notes. When I post them here, I post each verse and commentary individually within one chapter thread to make it easier to read. I try to avoid long posts. 

 

Psalms 123

Overview 
The godly profess their confidence in God; Psa_123:3, and pray to be delivered from contempt.

This psalm is entitled simply “Song of Degrees.” Nothing is intimated in regard to the authorship of the psalm, or to the occasion on which it was composed. The only circumstance which throws any light on its origin is the statement in Psa_123:4, that the author and his friends - the people of God referred to in the psalm - were exposed to derision and contempt for their attachment to religion, especially the contempt and reproach of those who were in circumstances of ease and affluence, or who were in the more elevated ranks of life.

This psalm is not thought to be written by David, but by some other person in later times; and at a time, as is clear, when the people of God were much exposed to the scorn and contempt of men. Some scholars believe it dates to the time of the captives in Babylon relative to the contempt and cruel usage they received or perhaps of the returned captives when rebuilding the walls of the city, and when they met with scorn and contempt from the Samaritans and the Ammonites; from Sanballat and Tobiah; from the Arabians and the Ashdodites Neh_4:1-8; but there is no evidence for either occasion. 

This sweet psalm, with all its pained sense of the mockers’ gibes and their long duration, has no accent of impatience. Perfect submission, fixed observance, assured confidence that, "till He is gracious," it is best to bear what He sends, befit His servants, and need not hinder their patient cry to Him, nor their telling Him how long and hard their trial has been.

That attitude is the great lesson of this brief and perfect expression of wistful yet unfaltering trust joined with absolute submission. The upward look here is like. but also unlike, that in Psa_121:1-8, in that this is less triumphant, though not less assured, and has an expression of lowly submission in the appealing gaze. Absolute submission to God’s hand, whether it wields a rod or lavishes gifts or points to service, befits those whose highest honor is to be His slaves. They should stand where they can see Him; they should have their gaze fixed upon Him; they should look with patient trust, as well as with eager willingness to start into activity when He indicates His commands.
 

[ayin jade]

Psa 123:1  A Song of degrees. Unto thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens. 

Song of Degrees or Song of Ascent - A title given to 15 psalms (Psalms 120-134). There are several interpretations of what it refers to. One such view suggests they were sung as one went up a set of stairs in the temple, unlikely, as at least four were written before there was a temple with steps. Tourists today often read the 15 psalms as they climb the Southern Steps of the Second Temple. Rabbinic tradition does not associate these stairs with the Songs of Degrees. Another unlikely view is that it refers to the step-like progressive rhythm of their thoughts. Other scholars suppose that the title is a musical term, and that the reference is to something special in the rhythm, which in the East would be called “steps” or “ascents.” Some early church fathers suggested they are traveling songs of the returning exiles, although many of them indicate they are meant for the temple. The prevailing view is that the hymns were sung by pilgrim bands on their way to the three great festivals of the Jewish year. The journey to Jerusalem was called a “going up,” regardless of which direction they came from.

A Song of degrees - Literally, "of ascents." It is one of a series of psalms sung by those on their way to Jerusalem at feast time. The songs prepared the people spiritually before attending the required celebrations.

Lift up mine eyes - In supplication and prayer. The psalmist declares his intention to look to the Lord and not on his circumstances or himself.

Unto thee lift I up mine eyes - Not only the eyes of his body, this being a prayer gesture; similar to Mat 14:19  And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. ; but his mind and understanding, opened by the Spirit of God; particularly faith, by which he looked for and expected help and salvation from the Lord. The phrase is expressive of holy confidence in God, and a comfortable hope of receiving good things from him; as, on the contrary, when persons are ashamed and confounded with a sense of their sins, and the aggravations of them, and of their own unworthiness and vileness; and, on account of the same, almost out of all hope, cannot lift up their eyes to heaven, or their face before God, Ezr 9:6  And said, O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God: for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens. 

O thou that dwellest in the heavens - the seat of angels and glorified saints; and though the Lord is everywhere, and fills heaven and earth with his presence, and cannot be contained any where; yet here is the more visible display of his glory; here he keeps his court; this is his palace, and here his throne is prepared, and on it he sits; and, as the God of grace, sits on a throne of grace, kindly inviting and encouraging his people to come unto him: 

Our Lord Jesus has taught us to look unto God in prayer as our Father in heaven. In every prayer a Christian lifts up his soul to God; especially when in trouble. We desire mercy from him; we hope he will show us mercy, and we will continue waiting on him till it comes. God's people find little mercy with men; but this is their comfort, that with the Lord there is mercy. Scorning and contempt have been, are, and are likely to be, the lot of God's people in this world. It is hard to bear; but the servants of God should not complain if they are treated as his beloved Son was. Let us then, when ready to faint under trials, look unto Jesus, and by faith and prayer cast ourselves upon the mercy of God.
 

[ayin jade]

Psa 123:2  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 look unto the hand of their masters  - That is, we look to God with the same spirit of deference, respect, dependence, and readiness to mark the will of God, which is evinced by servants in regard to their masters, and by maidens in regard to the will of a mistress. Deference, submission, and trust, are all expressed by the figure. 

so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God - look unto Him for direction in His service. Saints are servants, not of sin, nor of satan, nor of men, but of the Lord; and not on the foot of creation only, but of redemption, and are made so by the grace of God; and they are willing to work, and are desirous to know what they should do; they inquire of God; they wait upon Him, in His word and ordinances, for direction; and, being informed, do it with all their might. They look unto Him for strength to assist them therein, being conscious of their own weakness; they apply to Him, and wait upon Him for strength, and do all they do in His name and strength; they look unto Him for protection from all their enemies, which are many and mighty, and are stronger than they; and for food, both temporal and spiritual, and for all the necessaries and comforts both of a corporeal and spiritual life; and likewise for the recompence of reward, the reward of the inheritance, which is of grace, and not of debt. 

Some scholars think that the allusion is to servants, that look to the hand of their masters that correct and chastise them, and bear it patiently; and look to the hand that smites, till it shall have done, and mercy is shown them. 
Heb 12:5  And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: 
Heb 12:6  For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 
Heb 12:7  If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? 
Heb 12:8  But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.  
And thus the saints look to the chastising hand of God, and humble themselves under it, and patiently endure it, till the Lord shall please to remove it from them; and this agrees with the part “until that he have mercy upon us”

Until that he have mercy upon us - The only hope and expectation is to wait on God; for His help and deliverance. God is gracious and merciful; and He has His set time to have mercy on His people: and it becomes them to continue praying to Him, and waiting on Him, until He is pleased to show it to them. This is the attitude in which the earnest prayer in the next verse is offered.
 

[ayin jade]

Psa 123:3  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 upon us - The language of earnest pleading, repeating with emphasis the object of the prayer. The supplicants are represented as urging this petition, feeling that help could come only from God; looking only to him; and watching his countenance, as servants do their master’s.

Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us - Merit is not pleaded; but mercy is asked; whether by the awakened sinner, under first convictions, or by the backsliding professor, for forgiveness of sins, under a sense of them, or as under the correcting: and chastising hand of God for them: and which is repeated, to show the state of their case, which requires mercy, and in haste; and the eagerness of their spirit, and the earnestness of their suit, their prayer being the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man; 

For we are exceedingly filled - The Hebrew word used here means to be saturated; to have the appetite fully satisfied - as applied to one who is hungry or thirsty. Then it comes to mean to be entirely full, and the idea here is, that as much contempt had been thrown upon them as could be; they could experience no more.

for we are exceedingly filled with contempt - by reason of meanness in outward circumstances, the common lot of God's people; and on account of their religion, which wicked men make a jest of; 
 

[ayin jade]

Psa 123:4  Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease, and with the contempt of the proud. 

With the scorning of those that are at ease - The word scorning means derision, mockery. The idea in the Hebrew is derived from stammering, which the word properly means; and then, mockery, as repeating over the words of another, or imitating the voice of one in derision. The phrase “those that are at ease” properly refers to those who are tranquil or quiet; and then it is used of those who are living at ease; those who are living in self-indulgence and luxury, Amo 6:1  Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came! Isa 32:9  Rise up, ye women that are at ease; hear my voice, ye careless daughters; give ear unto my speech.  Here it would seem to refer to those who, in our language, are “in easy circumstances;” the affluent; those who are not compelled to toil: then, the frivolous, the fashionable, those in the upper walks of life. The contempt was aggravated by the fact that it came from that quarter; not from the low, the ignorant, the common, but from those who claimed to be refined, and who were distinguished in the world of gaiety, of rank, and of fashion. 

Those that are at ease – If this psalm is from the time of captivity, the Babylonians, who, having subdued all the people of the neighboring nations, lived at ease, had none to contend with them, and now became luxurious, indolent, and insolent: they were contemptuous and proud.

And with the contempt of the proud - who are proud of their natural abilities; of their wealth and riches, and of their honors and high places: Pro 21:24  Proud and haughty scorner is his name, who dealeth in proud wrath. Generally scorners through their pride, persecute the poor saints with their reproaches, and by other ways; even the saints, who are the quiet in the land, and the excellent in the earth; those precious sons of Zion are disesteemed by the men of the world. 

And with the contempt of the proud - This made the contempt heaped on the psalmist even worse – knowing it came from the proud and arrogant. Pride is both contemptible and contemptuous. Pro 16:5  Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished. Nevertheless, this psalm is filled with the unspoken confidence that the mercy of God will triumph over the contempt of the proud.
 

[believeinHim]

Interesting. Never heard of this spoken in a Christian atmosphere yet. I will have to read Psalm 123 as soon as I get off of here in the next right now basically.

I don't take the middle income, nor the disabled daughters living with the middle income of the land to be the proud or the haughty in this case. I do take myself to be an overspender knowing my circumstances, But I don't take the middle income to be the proud in this scenario. 

this sums up a lot, in a few verses.