Psalm 120:1

Prayer for Deliverance from Enemies

A song of ascents.

1 In my distress I called to Yahweh, and he answered me.

Psalm 120:1 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 120:1

In my distress I cried unto the Lord
Being at a distance from his own country, or, however, from the house of God; persecuted by men, under the lash of their tongues; reproached, abused, and belied by them: in this his case and circumstances, he betook himself by prayer to the Lord, and importuned help and deliverance of him, knowing that none could help him as he; see ( Psalms 18:6 ) ;

and he heard me;
answered him, and delivered him. The petition he put up follows, which shows his case, and his particular distress.

Psalm 120:1 In-Context

1 In my distress I called to Yahweh, and he answered me.

2 "Deliver my life, O Yahweh, from lying lips, from a deceitful tongue."

3 What shall be given to you, and what more shall be done to you, deceitful tongue?

4 [The] sharpened arrows of a warrior, with burning charcoals from broom trees.

5 Woe to me, that I sojourn in Meshech, [that] I dwell among the tents of Kedar.

Footnotes

• [a] The Hebrew Bible counts the superscription as the first verse of the psalm