Psalm 122 is a Song of Zion hymn. It has led to some reflection on gladness, peace, and security. Dahood sees the possibility of it coming from the northern kingdom. This psalm may be a reflection on the joy of being in Jerusalem after the joyful time there. The pilgrims have returned home. The affection for holy Jerusalem is a characteristic of Jewish piety. It is an ode to Jerusalem. It describes the ritual of ascending to Jerusalem. Its nostalgic perspective for the past may suggest a post-exilic composition. The language of the psalm emphasizes that Jerusalem is the city of peace.
The superscription, in addition to saying it is a song of ascents, says it is of David, as do 124, 131, and 133.
The Psalm opens with gladness. 1 I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house (bayit, depending on the context, bayit can mean house, palace, temple, dynasty or even clan, family, or nation) of the Lord (Yahweh)!”
Gladness in going to the temple is noteworthy because you must wonder if this is the honest emotion of the heart and mind in many for whom “church” has become something of an obligation.
I offer an old joke concerning a conversation overheard on a Sunday morning. “Jason.” No answer. “Jason, honey, it’s time to get up, get cleaned up and go to church!” “I don’t want to go to church!” “Well, honey, that may be, but there’s isn’t much time. You’ve got to get up now so we can get off to church.” “I don’t want to! They don’t like me down there.”“Jason, honey, that’s the silliest thing I’ve heard. Now for the last time, get up and go to church!” “Give me two good reasons why I have to go to church.” “Okay, first, you’re 52 years old. Second, you’re the pastor! So put on your big-boy pants, and let’s go to church!”
Have we lost the “glad” part of worship? How do we express gladness? Can we tell if a person is glad? Such gladness arises from deep within us as we anticipate an encounter with God and our encounter with others who worship with us. Studies have repeatedly underscored the value of the physical, emotional, and psychological health of churchgoers compared to non-churchgoers. One study by Pew Research has found that people who practice a religion are happier and more engaged in their communities than the rest of the population.[1] That sounds like “glad.” The bayit YHWH here and in the last verse can refer to either the temple or its predecessor, the tabernacle (as in Joshua 6:24 and I Samuel 1:24). Both tabernacle and temple are strongly associated with Jerusalem from the time of King David and beyond. After David had conquered Jerusalem from the Jebusites, he established it as his capital city, located between the northern and southern tribes of Israel. He later moved the Ark of the Covenant there (II Samuel 6:15 ff.). Thus, he shrewdly used both geography and religion to help unify the northern and southern tribes of Israel and solidify his rule.
Further, 2 Our feet are standing within your (noting the direct address) gates, O Jerusalem. 3 Jerusalem—built as a city that is bound firmly together, which can refer both to the compactness of the old city and to the essential unity of fellowship which God can bring within his holy place. Thus, it is good and pleasant when kindred live together in unity (Psalm 133:1). For some, it refers to the time of Nehemiah and the rebuilt city in the 400s BC. We then learn that 4 To it the tribes go up (etymologically related to “ascents,” the nature of the song of ascent finds some affirmation here), the tribes of the Lord, the repetition poetically lets us know the importance. Further, this going up of the tribes was as was decreed for Israel, paralleling Deuteronomistic theology, which asserts that it is only at Jerusalem where certain religious festivals/observances are to take place. The tribes are to bring their offerings and tithes to the place the Lord will choose for them and the place the name of the Lord will dwell (Deuteronomy 12:5-28). The focus of such pilgrimage is the festivals of unleavened bread, booths, and weeks (Deuteronomy 16:16, which in context refer to Jerusalem). This theological position took a dim view of the local sacred high places with their pillars and sacred poles, at which they eventually fashioned idols of false gods, which in turn made them a false people, all in contradiction of the statutes of the Lord (II Kings 17:9-12). The reason they make this ascent is to give thanks to (to praise/to confess before) the name of the Lord. If we think of the tone here as nostalgic for the past, this would be an indication of a post-exilic composition. 5 For there the thrones for judgment were set up, which can refer to the majestic throne of David and his dynasty, a significant function of the king, or it can mean the place at the city gates where they settled court cases and where they rendered justice, the thrones of the house (bayit) of David. The “bayit Dawid” refers to his dynasty. David/his dynastic descendants, Jerusalem, and Israelite religion have an inextricable link in this psalm and many other places. Jesus of Nazareth was a legal descendant of King David. The pilgrims offer a simple prayer for the city.
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem (shalom yerushalaim, with some scholars suggesting sh-l-m etymologically part of the place name Jerusalem. It certainly is a euphonious verse, whether the suggested etymology is accurate or not. A loose phonetic transliteration would be: Sha-’a-lu shuh-lom yuh-ru-shah-laim: yish-lah-yu ’o-ha-vah-yik). That Hebrew root sh-l-m behind the noun shalom and the verb shalem (pronounced “shah-LAME”) encompasses multiple meanings. It often means a respite from warfare. But it also can mean well-being, prosperity, success, wholeness, good health, completeness, internal integrity/intactness, repaying or reconciling with someone. Note the direct address to Jerusalem in the concluding phrases. Further, the repetition of the Hebrew root sh-l-m gives a sense of urgency, comprising heartfelt prayer for blessings.
“May they prosper (shalah, the state of being in quietness or at ease) who love you. Jeremiah 29:7 had urged the exiles to seek the welfare of the city to which they were exiled, while this passage reverses that advice. The “you” in this sentence, of course, is Jerusalem. The writer hopes that there will be many people who will love the city of God, and he wishes for prosperity for those who do. His thinking is a sign of the high regard he has for this city — a city that is central to the plan that God has for his people. It is a touching thought. The “you” has value and is dear to the one who wishes such prosperity. It expresses a desire that all people will have a network of those who love and care for them, and that these people, in so doing, will prosper. No one can be certain what type of prosperity the writer has in mind. But clearly, when we are among those who love others, a certain inner prosperity, inner health and inner well-being is sure to ensue. And the love we offer will surely bless and uplift the “you” of our affections and support.
7 Peace (shalom) be within your walls. The psalmist expresses an aspiration for the well-being of a community. The walls refer to the walls of the city. The hope is that peace may come to the neighborhoods and communities who live within these walls.
Today, we live and work in more than one community. We have the community defined by the streets and lanes of our neighborhood. We also have the community in our workplace. And we also have our spiritual community that we find in our church. It is entirely fitting that we join with the psalmist in aspiring for peace within these walls as well. Of course, expressing such an aspiration implies that peace is not always within these walls. Economic and ethnic strife too often divide our neighborhoods. Our office relationships are likewise too often a source of tension rather than blessing. It is sad to say, even in the church community, discord and griping are more common than love and charity.
Forgive we now each other’s faults
as we our faults confess;
And let us love each other well
in Christian holiness.
Let strife among us be unknown,
let all contention cease
Be God’s the glory that we seek,
be ours God’s holy peace.[2]
We can be grateful to those who devote so much time and energy into promoting peace within the walls of neighborhoods, cities, workplaces, and churches.
And security (shalah, the state of being in quietness or at ease) within your towers.” The focus shifts from the larger area of the walls to specific points along the walls, namely the towers. The hope is that these towers will provide protection for weary pilgrims as well as for the citizens within the walls. The towers are symbols of security and safety. He expresses the hope that Jerusalem and its pilgrims and inhabitants will be safe. It is important that peace is first brokered between warring parties. Without peace there can be no safety.
Do we need a safe place? If your view of “safe” is freedom from anyone who expresses an opinion contrary to you, the answer is no. If you do not feel “safe” when people who different from you in ethnic background or color of skin, you are part of the reason the community does not feel safe. If you are not comfortable when someone promotes their favorite political candidate, economic system, or their faith, you are part of the problem. In another sense, of course, we need to be sure that our places are safe. Schools need to be safe for our children. People need to be safe in churches. We need to be safe in our own homes from abuse and danger. It becomes a deep tragedy when couples no longer provide that safe place for each other in a marriage. Such a tragedy is of a deeply personal nature, affecting the ability of either person to serve God in the world. The tragedy multiplies when parents do not provide a safe space for their children. Further, some of us more than others need our own space — a serenity space. We need a place where — even if it is only for 20-30 minutes — we can shut out the world, and we can spend some time knowing who we are and who we have become. Sometimes, these “towers” become especially important. They are towers of hope and peace, places where we are safe and can recharge.
8 For the sake of my relatives and friends I will say, “Peace (shalom) be within you.” Within verses 6-8, the poet twice uses shalom and shalah in Hebrew poetic parallelism. Each one accompanies or enables the other to happen. The psalmist prays that the walls of Jerusalem and its towers (or citadels/fortified palaces) will offer peace and protection to those who have completed their perilous pilgrimages. God wants us to have peace. Peace is a huge theme in the Bible. For Christians, of course, Jesus is the Prince of Peace, and his peace rests upon us. Jesus talks about the peace he wants to leave with us. The apostle Paul prays that the “peace of God which passes all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:8). After our own perilous pilgrimages, we will be at home with him as part of the new Jerusalem (Revelation 3:12; 21:1 ff.).
Such a prayer of aspiration for others recognizes that peace is often not within us. Something else, such as anger, bitterness, ingratitude, pettiness, a longstanding grudge, a lust for something or someone we cannot have, or dissatisfaction, is often within us. Too often, behind the walls of our personal lives, the reality is that our inner turmoil bears no resemblance to peace. Our relationships might be fraught with tension, uncertainty, discord and perhaps even abuse. It is also possible that many people are likely to confess that within the walls of their hearts, the emotional turbulence is terrifying.
9 For the sake of the house (bayit) of the Lord our God, I will seek your good (tob, being in a favorable/pleasant situation, its prosperity, its well-being), forming an inclusion with verse 1 that serves to emphasize this point. The prayer is personal and powerful, asking God to bring peace and security for the sake of the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the glorious presence of the Lord.
A Christian could ponder the incarnational verse John 1:14: “[The Word — ο λογος] became flesh and lived among us” (NRSV )” or “… made his home [or dwelling] among us” (NLT, CEB, NIV, NAB). The italicized words translate σκηνοω, a NT Greek verb which is associated with “tabernacle,” via σκηνη (tent), the LXX / Septuagint Greek translation of the Hebrew word mishkan (tabernacle). So, God’s incarnate Son “tabernacled with us” — pitched his sacred tent among us, “and we have seen his glory….” (remember the multiple Hebrew Bible / OT associations of God’s holy tabernacle/temple with God’s presence and glory).
In the centuries since the writing of Psalm 122, multiple peoples have fervently prayed for the peace of Jerusalem. Jerusalem is a beloved, sacred place for Jews, Christians, and Muslims. But it does not appear it has been a place of peace very often. Babylonians destroyed the city and temple in 586 B.C. and by the Romans in A.D. 70. Jesus wept in deep lamentation over Jerusalem and its upcoming destruction in Luke 19:41-44, saying (v. 42), “If you, even you, had only recognized on this day the things that make for peace!” Antiochus IV (Epiphanses) of Syria desecrated the temple in 167 B.C. and General Pompey of Rome in 63 B.C. Rome banned Jews from Jerusalem after the Bar Kokhba r, c. A.D. 132-136. Control of Jerusalem went back and forth between Muslims and Christians during the period of the Crusades (A.D. 1096-1291). There continues to be strife in Jerusalem between Jews and Muslims, including over the Temple Mount/The Noble Sanctuary. Internecine conflicts arise between varied Christians groups at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Yes, continue to pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
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