We now come to some mercifully short, but rather, somewhat puzzling pieces. Psalm 120 is mysteriously titled "A song of ascents." There are 15 so titled. Some scholars think that these were to be sung by worshippers climbing the road to Jerusalem to attend the three Pilgrimage Festivals; others that they were sung by the priests as they climbed the steps to the Temple. But no-one really knows. The singer's situation is also unclear. Meshek and Kedar are historic enemies of Israel (they had a lot of them). Is he in exile? Or have they invaded? What are the lies he's complaining about? One possible explanation that occurs to me is that he is a diplomat, trying to forestall war, but that's just a guess.
Psalm 121 proposes the strange idea that the moon could harm people if God did not protect them. 122 is a paen to Jerusalem. Psalm 123 contains a fairly obvious hypocrisy. While it calls upon the faithful to look upon God as slaves look to their owners, it also complains about the arrogance of the powerful. Of course that's the usual attitude of slave owners -- my slaves are in their rightful place, but I don't get enough respect. That actually says a lot about our current state of politics.
120 A song of ascents.
1 I call on the Lord in my distress,
and he answers me.
2 Save me, Lord,
from lying lips
and from deceitful tongues.
3 What will he do to you,
and what more besides,
you deceitful tongue?
4 He will punish you with a warrior’s sharp arrows,
with burning coals of the broom bush.
5 Woe to me that I dwell in Meshek,
that I live among the tents of Kedar!
6 Too long have I lived
among those who hate peace.
7 I am for peace;
but when I speak, they are for war.
121 A song of ascents.
1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains –
where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot slip –
he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord watches over you –
the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord will keep you from all harm –
he will watch over your life;
8 the Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and for evermore.
122 A song of ascents. Of David.
1 I rejoiced with those who said to me,
‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’
2 Our feet are standing
in your gates, Jerusalem.
3 Jerusalem is built like a city
that is closely compacted together.
4 That is where the tribes go up –
the tribes of the Lord –
to praise the name of the Lord
according to the statute given to Israel.
5 There stand the thrones for judgment,
the thrones of the house of David.
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
‘May those who love you be secure.
7 May there be peace within your walls
and security within your citadels.’
8 For the sake of my family and friends,
I will say, ‘Peace be within you.’
9 For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
I will seek your prosperity.
123 A song of ascents.
1 I lift up my eyes to you,
to you who sit enthroned in heaven.
2 As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master,
as the eyes of a female slave look to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look to the Lord our God,
till he shows us his mercy.
3 Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us,
for we have endured no end of contempt.
4 We have endured no end
of ridicule from the arrogant,
of contempt from the proud.
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