Psalm 120
When I was besieged I called to Yahweh * and he answered me. Yahweh, deliver me * from lying lips * from the treacherous tongue.
How he will give it to you! * How he will double it, * O treacherous tongue!It will be like sharpened arrows of a warrior, * like red-hot charcoal. Woe to me, whether I go as far as Meshech, * or move to the tents of Kedar!
Too close do I live * with the hater of peace.As for me, I spoke peace, * but they, only war.
A gradual canticle.
120:0 This is the 120th Psalm of the Psalter, the 20th of the third part, and the first of the Gradual Psalms. In the preceding Psalm, the Church touched on different merits of her children: beginners, proficient and perfect, so that God may be praised and glorified. Here, consequently, to overcome any doubt that a member of the Church can rise from the deepest level of sin to the highest level of perfection, here she shows fifteen levels of the soul ascending to God. The soul does so by the moving power of God, so that God should be wonderfully and magnificently praised. This is done in the next fifteen Psalms, which all bear the same title. In these Psalms, the speaker is the perfect man, who shows by what steps he rose to the height of perfection, with the helping hand of the Almighty. Because this ascent is recalled with a joyful mind, each Psalm is rightly entitled a "Song of steps", for a song is the mind's rejoicing over eternal things.
1. In my trouble I cried to the Lord: and he heard me.
When I was besieged I called to Yahweh and he answered me.120:1.1.1 The Psalm is divided into two parts: (1) a petition and cry to the Lord to be delivered from misery, (2) the naming of certain impediments to liberty: "Woe to me". In the first, there is (1) a fruitful petition to be delivered from evil, (2) the petitioner's deliberation on how his request can be granted (according to one interpretation) or the Lord's questioning the petitioner: "How he will give it", (3) his answer after deliberation, or the Lord's answer: "It will be like sharpened arrows". In the first there are (1) a fruitful petition to be delivered from evil generally, (2) the specification of the evil he specially wants to be freed from: "Yahweh, deliver me". In the first, there are four [?] points: He hints that his prayer is (1) correct: "to Yahweh", (2) necessary: "When I was besieged", for that is the most important time to cry —Hosea 6:1 In their affliction they shall look for me. That is the time to be heard —Sir 35:24 Welcome is his mercy in time of distress, as rain clouds in time of drought. I called, as did Jonah (2:3) I called to Yahweh from my tribulation. And he answered me. —Is 65:24 Before they call I will answer, while they are yet speaking I will hear.
2. O Lord, deliver my soul from wicked lips, and a deceitful tongue.
Yahweh, deliver me, from lying lips, from the treacherous tongue.120:1.1.2 Here he specifies from which evil he wishes to be delivered: (1) the evil of a tongue openly suggesting evil, (2) the evil of a tongue secretly persuading evil: "from the treacherous tongue". The idea is: I called to the Lord, and not in vain. What did you ask? I called, saying, deliver me, my soul, not my body and my land, because I know —Job 9:24 The earth is given into the hands of the wicked. From whom? From lying lips trying to convince me of evil things. —Sir 12:16 With his lips an enemy speaks sweetly, but in his heart he schemes to plunge you into the abyss. Such lips you will scatter. —Ps 12:3 May Yahweh cut off all pernicious lips, every tongue that twists the truth.
And from the treacherous tongue, secretly scheming evil. —Jer 9:8 Their tongue is a deadly arrow; it speaks deceitfully. —Job 5:21 You shall be hid from the scourge of the tongue. So we should ask to be delivered from evil tongues and lips, those suggesting: (1) avarice, by talk only about earthly things —Is 29:4 Deep from the earth you shall speak, from low in the dust your words shall come. —John 3:31 He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks of the earth. (2) unchastity —Sir 9:8 Through woman's beauty many perish, for lust for it burns like fire. —Job 31:12 That would be a fire which consumes unto Abaddon. (3) detraction —Ps 57:4 Their teeth are spears and arrows, their tongue a sword that is sharp. (4) flattery —Prov 7:27 With much seductive speech she persuades him; with her smooth talk she compels him. —Prov 11:9 With his mouth the godless man would destroy his neighbor.(5) back—talking —Sir 27:13 Cursed be gossips and the double—tongued, for they destroy the peace of many. (6) heretical depravity —2 Tim 2:16 Avoid worldly, idle talk, for their talk creeps like cancer. —Ps 140:3 Viper's venom is under their lips.
3. What shall be given to thee, or what shall be added to thee, to a deceitful tongue?
How he will give it to you! How he will double it, O treacherous tongue!120:1.2 Here is the petitioner's deliberation, as he talks to himself about what remedy to take against this. The idea is: I asked for my soul to be delivered from lying lips and the treacherous tongue. But you, my soul — if the petitioner is speaking to himself, but if it is the voice of God — you, afflicted by wicked lips, what shall be given to you in the first place, and what will you be given afterwards against a deceitful tongue? The idea is: It is difficult to find, and what remedy is found is difficult to use. But the Lord is the supreme doctor, and he finds the medicine. —Sir 51:12 He saved me from evil of every kind. & 51:3 from the scourge of a slanderous tongue, and from lips that went over to falsehood. One remedy is to stop the ears. —Sir 28:24 Hedge your ears with thorns and do not listen to an evil tongue (Vul). Otherwise you can hardly escape, for the tongue is intractable. —James 3:8 No one can tame the tongue, for the tongue is a restless evil.
4. The sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals that lay waste.
It will be like sharpened arrows of a warrior, like red-hot charcoal.120:1.3 Here is the answer after deliberation, or the Lord's reply to a question made to him. Two remedies are proposed: (1) the words of Sacred Scripture, (2) the example of the saints: "like red—hot charcoal". The idea is: I think about what can be given you, my soul, against those evils, or the Lord says, I ask you and I reply: sharpened arrows of a warrior, that is, God's speech, in penetrating citations from Sacred Scripture. —Heb 4:12 The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two—edged sword. These are the arrows referred to in Is 13:18 Their bows will slaughter the young men. —Jer 51:11 Sharpen the arrows, fill the quivers.
Like red—hot charcoal: This is the example of the saints that lay waste to carnal thoughts. Anyone who considers well the example of the saints, how much they endured, not only from wicked lips and tongues, but also from the most cruel persecutors, will find destroyed and wiped out all his anger and impatience at those who detract him and suggest evil. —Ez 10:2 Fill your hands with burning coals from between the Cherubim, for doing is more than knowing, and scatter them over the city, that is, the Church, so that it may be inflamed for doing good. —Tob 6:8 As regards heart and liver of the fish, which runs curious around the world, if you burn them on the coals which are the examples of the saints, the smoke will chase away every demon.
5. Woe is me, that my sojourning is prolonged! I have dwelt with the inhabitants of Cedar: 6. My soul hath been long a sojourner.
Woe to me, whether I go as far as Meshech, or move to the tents of Kedar! Too close do I live120:2.1 After showing that he prayed to be delivered from the misery he was in, he points to the impediments to his going free, (1) first listing them, (2) then discussing one in particular: "with the hater of peace". In the first he mentions three impediments: (1) the prolongation of his exile, (2) his living with the wicked: "or move to the tents of Kedar", (3) the wandering of his mind: "Too close do I live". The idea is: I called, deliberated and found, or the Lord asked and answered. Then, crying and sighing, I said, Woe to me, this misery is impeding from the good, for my sojourning in this misery is prolonged. —Job 10:1 I loathe my life. —Wis 2:1 Short and sorrowful is our life. Such was the groan of the speaker of Rom 7:24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?
Secondly, although my life is prolonged, it would be tolerable if I lived with good people, but I dwelt with the inhabitants of Kedar. Kedar was bad, being one of the sons of Ishmael. If we read "the tents of Kedar", this also stands for evil people. But "Kedar" can also be translated "darkness", giving the idea that I live among people who love the darkness of sin. —John 3:19 Men loved darkness more than light, because their deeds were evil. —Job 30:29 I am a brother of jackals, and a companion of ostriches. —Ez 2:6 Son of man, you sit among scorpions. —Lam 1:3 She dwells among the nations and finds no resting place.
Thirdly, my life has been prolonged among wicked people, and my soul, which should have been occupied with divine things, has instead been wandering around many things, or much occupied with earthly things. —Is 52:4 My people first went down to Egypt to stay there, wandering from God and homeland. —2 Cor 5:6 While we are at home in the body, we are in exile from the Lord.
7. With them that hated peace I was peaceable: when I spoke to them they fought against me without cause.
with the hater of peace. As for me, I spoke peace, but they, only war.120:2.2 Here he shows how he behaved patiently with the evil people he lived with, telling (1) his patience, (2) the vehemence of his patience: "when I spoke". The idea is: I dwelt with the inhabitants of Kedar and also with those that hated peace. Or: My sojourn was long and uncomfortable, because with those who hate peace, namely schismatics and trouble makers, I was peaceful, following Eph 4:3 Eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. —Heb 12:14 Strive for peace with all men, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. —Rom 12:18 If possible, so far as it depends upon you, live peaceably with all. —Mt 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
I was peaceful not only in my speech, but also in my deeds, because they fought me without cause, when I spoke to them, trying to correct them for their bad deeds. —Is 52:4 My people went down to Egypt to sojourn there; Assyria, too, oppressed them for nothing, except that they rebuked Assyria. —Prov 9:7 He who reproves a wicked man incurs injury. —Prov 15:12 A scoffer does not like the one who rebukes him. —Prov 13:1 A scoffer does not listen to a rebuke. Amos 5:10 They hate him who reproves in the gate, and they abhor him who speaks the truth.