Psalm 125

Psalm 125

A Song of Ascents.

¹ Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,

which cannot be moved, but abides forever.

² As the mountains surround Jerusalem,

so the Lord surrounds his people,

from this time on and forevermore.

³ For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest

on the land allotted to the righteous,

so that the righteous might not stretch out

their hands to do wrong.

⁴ Do good, O Lord, to those who are good,

and to those who are upright in their hearts.

⁵ But those who turn aside to their own crooked ways

the Lord will lead away with evildoers.

Peace be upon Israel! 

Psalm 125 is a communal lament. The psalm has a warning to maintain trust in God and establish it afresh wherever it is on the decline or in danger. The threat is to the whole community. It focuses upon the safety and security of the people of the Lord. The superscription describes it as A Song of Ascents. The people of the Lord would have sung or employed this song on special occasions such as Passover, Pentecost, Tabernacles and other feasts that came later. Pilgrims particularly loved this song as they came upon the city. 

Verses 1-3 are an affirmation of trust. ¹ Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which nothing can move, but abides forever. Such persons are firmly rooted in the promises of God. ² As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds the people of the Lord, from this time on and forevermore. Jerusalem itself was situated on high ground, and the Zion mentioned here refers to one portion of the city that is itself imposing and virtually impregnable as a fortress, towering over valleys on three sides. The city is also more than 1,000 feet above the Dead Sea only 13 miles away. So going to Jerusalem from Jericho, the Jordan Valley or the Dead Sea involved a very steep climb. Intended as an image of security, it had been such since the time of King David, so by now several centuries. The problem raised by this analogy to Jerusalem and Mount Zion is that from the perspective of our time, it was, in fact, not a safe and secure place for the people of the Lord. The Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, and Romans, defeated the people of the Lord in Jerusalem. If their security in the Lord is “like” the security the accident of geography gave to Jerusalem and Mount Zion, then the people will have no safety and security. Another way to think of this analogy is that placing trust in security deriving from this earth will fail, no matter how enduring it appears. ³ For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest, and thus shall not remain long, since the Lord will root it out, on the land allotted to the righteous, so that the righteous might not stretch out their hands to do wrong. Verses 4-5 are the supplication that the Lord do good to those who are good and upright in heart. It prays for the preservation of those of traditional faith. They have the protection of the Lord. It invites a discussion of the character of the people of the Lord. ⁴ Do good, O Lord, to those who are good, and to those who are upright in their hearts. Who is a good person? Who is one with a good reputation? ⁵ However, those who turn aside to their own crooked ways the Lord will lead away with evildoers. Those who abandon the Lord, the Lord will also abandon. Then, in a prayer for salvation, Peace be upon Israel!