Psalm 120 explained: Tired of Lies and Fighting

A cry for help (vv. 1-2)

The Hebrew can be read as a past answer remembered or as God answering now, which is why translations differ; either way, the plea is for rescue from people who lie and deceive. In Hebrew this psalm opens a group of fifteen (Psalms 120 to 134) titled 'songs of ascents,' which many scholars think pilgrims sang on the way up to Jerusalem.

What awaits a lying tongue (vv. 3-4)

The singer asks what will happen to the lying tongue, and the answer is a picture of a warrior's sharp arrows and coals from the broom bush, which were known for burning very hot and long. Many read this as the punishment God will send, but the Hebrew does not clearly say who acts, and some take it as a description of how cruel and lasting lying words themselves are.

Living among enemies of peace (vv. 5-7)

Meshek was a people far to the north, and Kedar a tribe of the Arabian desert to the east, so naming both is probably a way of saying 'I live among hostile strangers' rather than a real address. The singer wants peace, but every time they speak, the others only want to fight.

Key verse: Psalm 120:7

Something to think about

When someone keeps twisting your words or seems to want conflict, is wanting peace enough, or is there a point where something else has to happen?