The New John Gill Exposition of the Entire Bible Psalms 121:1
I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills…
Not to the hills
and mountains in Judea, looking about to see if the inhabitants of
them, or any bodies of men, appeared upon them to his help in distress;
rather to the hills of Moriah and Zion, where the ark of God, the
symbol of his presence, was, and to whom he looked for assistance and
deliverance: or to heaven, the holy hill of the Lord, and to him that
dwelleth there; see (Psalms 3:2) (123:1) . The lifting up of the eyes is a
prayer gesture, (John 11:41) (17:1) ; and is expressive of boldness and
confidence in prayer, and of hope and expectation of help and
salvation, (Job 11:15) (Ezekiel 18:6) ; when, on the contrary, persons abashed
and ashamed, hopeless and helpless, cannot look up, or lift up their
eyes or face to God, (Ezra 9:6) (Psalms 40:12) (Luke 18:13) . Some read the words,
"I will lift up mine eyes upon the hills" F6; standing there and
looking up to the heavens, and God in the heavens; who is the most High
over all the earth, higher than the highest, and above all gods. Others
render them interrogatively, "shall I lift up mine eyes to the hills?"
FOOTNOTES:
F7 to the idols worshipped on hills and mountains, and pray unto
them, and expect help from them? No, I will not; salvation is not to be
had from them, (Jeremiah 3:23) ; or to the kings of the nations, as R. Obadiah
interprets it; and to powerful kingdoms and states he was in alliance
with, comparable to mountains and hills, (Psalms 46:2) (Zechariah 4:7) ? No, I will
not; "it is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in
princes", (Psalms 118:9) . And so the following clause may be read,
from whence shall my help come?
F8 not from hills and mountains; not
from men, for vain is the help of man; not from kings and princes, the
great men of the earth, nor from the most powerful nations; but from
the Lord, as in (Psalms 121:2) , which may be an answer to this.
F6 (Myrhh la) "super montes", Vatablus, Amama; so Kimchi.
F7 (ynye ava) "attollerem oculos meos ad illos montes?" Junius &
Tremellius; "attollamne"… Piscator; so Gejerus and Ainsworth.
F8 So Musculus, Cocceius, Gejerus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator,
Michaelis.
|
Copyright Statement
The New John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible Modernised and adapted for the computer by Larry Pierce of Online Bible. All Rightes Reserved, Larry Pierce, Winterbourne, Ontario.
A printed copy of this work can be ordered from: The Baptist Standard Bearer, 1 Iron Oaks Dr, Paris, AR, 72855
Bibliography Information
Gill, John. "Commentary on Psalm 121:1". "The New John Gill Exposition of the Entire Bible". <http://www.studylight.org/com/geb/view.cgi?book=ps&chapter=121&verse=001>. 1999.
|
|
Printer friendly version
HOME 
TOP
