Bible Commentaries
Psalms 125

Introduction

The protecting grace of God over his own people is illustrated by two images drawn from the natural situation of the metropolis of the church—the people of the Lord is firm like Mount Zion, is surrounded by the protection of the Lord, as Jerusalem is surrounded by mountains:—and the objection drawn from the circumstances of the times, the dominion of the heathen, under which the people of God groaned, is set aside by referring to a better future, Psalms 125:1-3. Upon the ground of the confidence described in the first part, there rises in the second, the prayer that the Lord would do good to the true Israel; and to this there is added the solemn exclusion of the false seed from this future salvation, which, in the concluding words, is yet once more supplicated on behalf of Israel, Psalms 125:4-5.

The formal arrangement becomes obvious only when we consider Psalms 125:1 as the ruling fortress in relation to this and the following Psalm, which is bound up with it, so that the two form one pair; and this relation of the first verse to the two Psalms, is all the more necessary, as, in accordance with the common arrangement, the two figures in Psalms 125:1-2 strike too closely upon each other. We thus obtain, for the main body in our Psalm, four verses in accordance with the four repetitions of the word Jehovah,—four as the signature of what is complete on every side, thus pointing, according to the contents, to the protection of God on every side; comp. the clause, “the Lord is round about his people,” in Psalms 125:2. The four verses fall into two strophes, each of the same length. The four of this Psalm, and the six of the following, which in common with it has the word Jehovah four times, make up the number ten; the two strophes of that Psalm, when added to the two here, give again the number four. The two Psalms before us are bound up with the Davidic Psalms 124, so that the three form one trilogy. They are all intimately connected together as to their contents. The two latter Psalms are as it were the response which was drawn forth by David’s powerful call from the heart of the congregation of God after the captivity.

The main tendency of the Psalm, as is that of Psalms 124 and Psalms 126, is to strengthen and to comfort; next to this, however, to warn. [Note: Calvin: In the meantime, however, least hypocrites should promiscuously apply to themselves what is here said, he discriminates between the true and the false Israelites.] Definite historical relations meet us. The church first sang the Psalm under the oppression of heathen rule, Psalms 125:3, but in her own land; from the natural features of that land the figures of her security and of the divine protection were taken. Struggling with manifold troubles which might have led her to doubt as to the protecting favour of God, she here rises above these in faith; possessing a good kernel, Psalms 125:4, but at the same time a bad shell, Psalms 125:5; numbering not a few externally among her members who through the necessities of the times had wandered from God, and departed from the path of his revealed will.

These circumstances are exactly those which existed after the deliverance from captivity at the time when the building of the temple was interrupted, comp. at Psalms 120, Psalms 126. To what an extent at that time, in consequence especially of disappointed hopes, corruption again sprang up among the Israelites, is seen from the prophecies of Zechariah, of which the Psalm before us may well be considered as a compend in comfort and in threatening; Zechariah, in consequence of these sinners, had occasion given him to announce new serious threatenings of judgment, comp. Zechariah 5 and Zechariah 11, Christol. ii. 12, 59.

In accordance with the title in which the Psalm is termed a pilgrim song, stand the two figures which impress a high sacredness upon the view of Zion and Jerusalem as obtained by the pilgrims, and are intended to open up to them the symbolical import of natural objects.

Verse 1

A Song of the Pilgrimages.

Ver. 1. Those who trust in the Lord are as Mount Zion, which moves not, stands for ever.

The Psalmists labour with great earnestness to find supports for faith in the visible world, which fights so powerfully against it. It is thus that Mount Zion is in the passage before us consecrated to this object; whoever looks at it in its immoveable firmness, will thereby be led to lay to heart the immoveable firmness of the church. As the point of comparison, according to the express interpretation of the Psalmist, is what is common to Zion with other mountains, its immoveable firmness, any other mountain might have been named. The reason why the Psalmist was led to choose Mount Zion, is, that it was the external seat of the church. He compares the firmness of the church itself to that of her external seat, the immoveableness of the spiritual to that of the material Zion. The figure is destroyed by those ancient and modern expositors who understand by Mount Zion itself something spiritual, the church. The church is rather indicated by “those who trust in the Lord;” and their firmness is likened to that of external Zion. In the expression, “those who trust in the Lord,” the emphasis is not laid on the affection of trust, but on the object of the trust, and the meaning is, “those who are protected by the Lord,” “the people of the Lord.” The sitting, like our standing, is in opposition to lying on the ground; this is the sense in all those passages where expositors translate the word by “to be inhabited,” or “habitable.” A sitting city, a sitting country, a sitting house, is one standing upright, not laid on the ground. It is thus that the word here is used of a mountain, which stands in immoveable firmness. That we cannot have recourse with Ewald to the arbitrary sense of “to be inhabited,” is evident, apart from other considerations, from the fact that “to sit for ever,” is marked out by the want of the copula as the negative to which “not to move” is merely the corresponding positive. On “moves not,” comp. Psalms 46:5, where it is said of the city of God, “God is in the midst of her, she shall not move.” Luther has incorrectly referred the not moving and the sitting to those who trust:—they shall not fall, but shall abide for ever, like Mount Zion. Besides the singular the word “to sit” is against this.

Verses 2-3

Ver. 2. The mountains are round about Jerusalem; and the Lord is round about his people from henceforth even for ever. Ver. 3. For the sceptre of wickedness shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous, so that the righteous put not forth the hand to unrighteousness.

On Psalms 125:2, we may comp. the remarks of Robinson on the situation of Jerusalem: “The sacred city lies upon the broad and high mountain range, which is shut in by the two valleys, Jehoshaphat and Hinnom. All the surrounding hills are higher: in the east the Mount of Olives, on the south, the so called hill of evil counsel, which ascends from the valley of Hinnom. On the west, the ground rises gently to the border of the great Wady as described above, while in the north the bend of a ridge which adjoins the Mount of Olives, limits the view to a distance of about a mile and a half.” This outward situation of Jerusalem, the Psalmist views with the eye of a theologian, who always lays to heart the thought of the distresses, the conflicts, and the victories of the church, and sees everywhere in external things images of these, for example, in those loud roaring and powerlessly changing waves of the sea, the figure of worldly power in hostility to the church. Led on by him, the faithful, when they looked at the mountains round about Jerusalem, the external seat of the church, saw in them the spiritual mountains of God’s protection. Zechariah 2:4-5 is parallel. [Note: Luther: “It is much easier to learn than to believe that we who have by us the word of God and believe in it, are surrounded with Divine aid. If we were surrounded by walls of steel and fire, we would feel secure and defy the devil. But the property of faith is not to be proud of what the eye sees, but of what the word reveals: The only thing that is wanting, therefore, is, that we have no spiritual eyes, and that we follow our carnal eyes only.” Berleb.: “This is the best and the most impregnable place of defence; in it thou mayest remain, however long the enemy may lie before it, if thou dust not surrender thyself.”] The idea of the people of God must here be defined from what precedes and follows. It is expressly excluded in Psalms 125:5, but it is those who trust in the Lord, Psalms 125:1, the righteous, Psalms 125:3, the upright and good, Psalms 125:4, therefore the Israelites without guile. The others are, according to the declaration of the law, “rooted out from among the people.” The genuine and righteous separation, between the visible and the invisible church, belonged even to the Old Testament. Impure portions are mingled with the people of God according to outward appearance, which do not really belong to the body, and are not animated by the living principle. These have no part in the promises of the true church.

The Psalmist confirms not the whole of Israel according to the flesh, for the wicked were in Psalms 125:3 the affirmation made in the preceding verse, by removing an apparent objection which might be taken from the cross of the righteous, the sufferings which undeniably visit the people of God, and under which they are at present groaning. These sufferings are not permanent. From the oppression of the world the church shall again rise to the glorious liberty of the children of God. The length of the verse shows that the Psalmist here comes to the great question of the day. That the שבט does not here mean the rod of punishment, but the sceptre, the symbol of dominion (comp. at Psalms 2:9, Psalms 45:6), is clear from the parallel expression for the dominion of the heathen, the throne of wickedness, in Psalms 94:20. There is also mention made of the lot, i.e., the possession; the rod of punishment descends upon the persons. The righteous (compare at Psalms 33:1) are not a particular part of the people, but the whole nation, with the exception of those who are only Israelites in appearance. [Note: Berleb.: “The power of sin shall not always be so great in those who repent and struggle against it.”] The ground which the Psalmist adduces for the divine procedure promised to him is, that God spares the weakness of those who believe, because they might easily, if he were to give constant prosperity to the ungodly world, and constant misery to them, depart from him and be led into apostacy, and might participate in the wickedness of the wicked, saying, “I have in vain purified my heart, and washed my hands in innocency; for I have been plagued continually, and my chastisement has been every morning,” Psalms 73:13-14. The שלח יד with ב is to lay the hand on any one or on any thing, Genesis 37:22, Exodus 22:7, Exodus 22:10. At עולתה we cannot think of revenge taken at their own hands, to which the Israelites in present circumstances had nothing to tempt them; the word refers, as is manifest from the opposition of goodness and righteousness, in Psalms 125:4, to wickedness in its widest extent. [Note: Luther: “Whether the conflict be inward in the spirit, or outward in the flesh, yet the victory shall in the end be ours through Christ, as this very consolatory verse promises. This promise, however, is to both parties incredible, both to us who suffer and to those who persecute us. For what can be so false as it is, if thou askest counsel at thine own understanding. The contrary is the case. Look at Christ, he is not so forsaken on the cross as that the rod and the sceptre of the ungodly are upon him. Thus it has been also with the prophets, apostles, and other martyrs. If we will look now with our eyes we will see many things otherwise than the words represent them to be. Therefore the Holy Ghost brings us to his word and thoughts, and bids us reflect not upon what we suffer and see on earth, but upon what he is purposing in heaven. . . But we must carefully attend to this, that we do not name to God any time for deliverance. God may try us even to the very uttermost. When matters have reached the last extremity, so that nothing is before our eyes but pure despair, then he delivers us, and gives life in death, and makes us blessed in the curse.”]

Verses 4-5

Ver. 4. Do good, O God, to the good, and to those who are upright in heart. Ver. 5. But those who turn aside to their crooked ways the Lord will let them go with evil doers, but may peace be upon Israel.

The prayer in Psalms 125:4 goes forth out of the basis of the confidence, which had been expressed in the first part, and there stands in the background, “the Lord shall do good.” It is thus that the future in Psalms 125:5 is connected with the imperative. The טוב is connected with its verb, in order to point out the intimate connection between the being and the treatment. On ישר , righteous, i.e., to act righteously, compare at Psalms 25:8, Psalms 33:1. The conduct, in conformity to the rule as it was laid down to Israel in the divine law, is here represented as necessary not only in reference to outward actions, but also in reference to the heart, comp. Psalms 7:11. The law demanded from the Israelites the unqualified love of God and of their neighbour, and proclaimed to them, “thou shalt not covet.” Those who in the passage before us appear under the name of the good and the upright in heart, are in Psalms 125:5 named Israel; just as in Psalms 73:1 Israel is identified with those who are of a pure heart. It is here very manifest how unjustly the Psalmists have been charged with looking upon things in a national point of view, how very far removed they are from the Jewish delusion, that the mere fact of outward descent and of circumcision, gives any preference over the heathen,—a delusion which in other forms has been renewed even in the Christian church. The Scriptures everywhere look upon the heart.

The הטה in Psalms 125:5 means properly to cause to turn away the feet or the steps, to turn aside. Thus, Isaiah 30:11, Job 23:11. The עקלקלות is the acc., as it stands with verbs of motion. It occurs only in Judges 5:6, with the ארחות left out in this passage, and denotes there crooked ways, in opposition to the straight running main roads, bye-paths, or private roads. A walk according to the commandments of God is compared to the public roads, and a walk according to the lusts of the unrenewed heart to the bye-ways, comp. Deuteronomy 9:16, “Ye make haste to depart from the way which the Lord hath commanded you,” Malachi 2:8-9. [Note: Lampe “These are emphatically termed their obliquities, because they proceed from the wickedness of their own hearts.”] “He will let them go with” is equivalent to he will let it happen to them as to the evil-doers. They have associated themselves in conduct with evil-doers; God therefore will associate them in punishment with “them, in spite of their freedom from external idolatry, and in spite of their external religion, on the ground of which so many, after the captivity, expected, with unrenewed hearts, to share in the promises of God, and wondered and murmured when their hopes were not gratified. The evil-doers are not the heathen, neither are they the public apostates, in opposition to those who secretly apostatised, but they are the whole class, from which the individuals who really belong to it sought in vain to separate themselves, in reference to God’s dealings, and to prepare for themselves a different lot; comp. at Psalms 26:9, Psalms 28:3. The Israel on whose behalf peace is prayed for at the conclusion, as also in Psalms 128, appearing in consequence of the removal of the sceptre of wickedness, Psalms 125:3, are the pure gold of Israel, which remains after the removal of the dross, to be separated by judgment; comp. Isaiah 57:19, “Peace, peace, saith the Lord, to them that are far off; and to them that are near, and I heal,” with Isaiah 57:21, “There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.”