Psalms 120

Psalms 120:1

An EasyEnglish Translation with Notes (about 1200 word vocabulary) on Psalms 107 to 150

www.easyenglish.info Gordon Churchyard Words in boxes are from the Bible. Words in brackets, , are not in the *Hebrew Bible.

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Psalms For Climbing; Psalms 120-134 Jesus said, “We will go up to Jerusalem” (Luke 18:31). The Story of Psalms 120-134 These 15 psalms are called “Songs of Ascent” in many Bibles. “Ascent” means “going up”. This translation calls it “climbing”. But what are we climbing? Bible students give us 4 answers:

        One line in the psalm “climbs” on the line in front of it. This means that it repeats the line. Read the start of Psalm 124 for an example.

        There were 15 steps from where the women stood to where the men stood outside the *temple. The *temple was God’s house in Jerusalem. As the men climbed the steps, they sang one psalm on each step. This is why most of the psalms for climbing are short.

        Jerusalem was on the top of a hill called “Zion”. The *Jews often went to Jerusalem to worship God at the *temple. “Worship” means “Tell God how *wonderful that he is. And tell him that you love him”. The *Jews sang these psalms for climbing as they went up to Jerusalem.

        Hezekiah was a king of the *Jews. He was so ill that he thought he would soon die. He prayed for a longer life. God made the clock “climb” back 10 degrees. This was about an hour. It was a sign that Hezekiah would live another 15 years. Hezekiah made a book of 15 psalms, 10 of them new, the other 5 by David and Solomon. The story is in Isaiah chapter 38.

We do not know which of these is the true answer. It may be something else! Perhaps answers 3 and 4 are the true answers.

Who wrote the psalms for climbing? Some are by David, and one or two are by Solomon. Solomon was David’s son. The other psalms for climbing may be by Hezekiah or one of his friends like Isaiah; or by Ezra or Nehemiah. Ezra and Nehemiah were leaders of the *Jews 500 years after Solomon built the *temple, or 250 years after Hezekiah was king. This was when the *Jews made the Book of Psalms. The psalms for climbing were part of this Book of Psalms. Psalms 120      (This is) a song for climbing.

v1      I cried to the *LORD in my trouble      and he answered me.

v2      *LORD, save me from lips that tell *lies.      And save me from a false *tongue.

v3      What will he do to you        and what else will happen to you, you false *tongue?

v4      The sharp *arrows of a soldier (will hurt you),        like wood that is burning.

v5      It is bad for me to live in Mesech,        with a home among the *tents of Kedar.

v6      I have lived too long with the people that hate *peace.

v7      I want *peace, but when I say this they want war. What Psalms 120 means The *LORD has given help to the *psalmist (verse 1), so he prays for help again (verse 2). The *psalmist wrote the psalm. Lies are words that are not true. A false *tongue tells lies. The *tongue is the part of our mouth that talks. And it tastes things. Verse 4 tells us that God will *punish (or hurt because they did wrong) some people. They are the people that live near the *psalmist. Arrows are sharp sticks that a bow shoots. Mesech and Kedar were places where bad people lived. A *tent is a small house that people make out of animal skins. People could move it easily. The *psalmist wanted to live in *peace. *Peace is when there is no war. But the people of Mesech and Kedar wanted war!

The word *LORD is a special Bible word. It is one of God’s many names. It is his *covenant name. A *covenant is when two people (or groups of people) agree. Here, God agreed to love his people and send them help. His people agreed to love and obey God. *LORD is “Yahweh” in Hebrew. Hebrew is the language that the *psalmist spoke. There is another word “*Lord”. This means “master” or “someone with authority”. Often it is a name for God, but not in this psalm. Something to do Some people want *peace. But they have to live in places where most people want war. Pray for those people.

© 1999-2002, Wycliffe Associates (UK)

This publication is written in EasyEnglish Level A (1200 words).

December 2002

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