Psalms 120: A Cry From Among the Hostile
The first Song of Ascents, a pilgrim's plea for deliverance from lying lips while dwelling far away among those who hate peace.
Psalms 120 (WEB)
1 In my distress, I cried to Yahweh. He answered me.
2 Deliver my soul, Yahweh, from lying lips, from a deceitful tongue.
3 What will be given to you, and what will be done more to you, you deceitful tongue?
4 Sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals of juniper.
5 Woe is me, that I live in Meshech, that I dwell among the tents of Kedar!
6 My soul has had her dwelling too long with him who hates peace.
7 I am for peace, but when I speak, they are for war.
Psalms 120 (KJV)
1 In my distress I cried unto the Lord, and he heard me.
2 Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue.
3 What shall be given unto thee? or what shall be done unto thee, thou false tongue?
4 Sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals of juniper.
5 Woe is me, that I sojourn in Mesech, that I dwell in the tents of Kedar!
6 My soul hath long dwelt with him that hateth peace.
7 I am for peace: but when I speak, they are for war.
Psalms 120 (ASV)
1 In my distress I cried unto Jehovah, And he answered me.
2 Deliver my soul, O Jehovah, from lying lips, Andfrom a deceitful tongue.
3 What shall be given unto thee, and what shall be done more unto thee, Thou deceitful tongue?
4 Sharp arrows of the mighty, With coals of juniper.
5 Woe is me, that I sojourn in Meshech, That I dwell among the tents of Kedar!
6 My soul hath long had her dwelling With him that hateth peace.
7 I amforpeace: But when I speak, they are for war.
Summary
Psalm 120 opens the Songs of Ascents (Psalms 120-134), the collection pilgrims sang as they journeyed up to Jerusalem for the festivals. Fittingly, it begins with the psalmist far from home, in distress, crying to the Lord and being answered. His trouble is the pain of living among deceitful, hostile people: he prays to be delivered from lying lips and a deceitful tongue. He addresses the lying tongue directly, warning that it will face the sharp arrows of the warrior and burning coals. Then comes a lament of exile and alienation: "Woe is me, that I live in Meshech, that I dwell among the tents of Kedar"—distant places that picture being surrounded by people who reject God. The psalm's sharpest ache is its ending: "I am for peace, but when I speak, they are for war." The pilgrim longs for the peace of God's presence while stuck among those bent on conflict. This sets the tone for the upward journey—a soul weary of a hostile world, turning its eyes toward the city of God. For the Christian, it captures the longing of every pilgrim heart for the true peace found in Christ, the Prince of Peace, and the city to come.
Voices
- The pilgrim — The distressed traveler who cries to the Lord, longs for peace, and feels the ache of dwelling among hostile, deceitful people.
- Yahweh (the LORD) — The God who hears the cry of distress and answers, the one to whom the pilgrim turns for deliverance.
- The peace-haters — Those with lying lips and deceitful tongues, dwelling in Meshech and Kedar, who are for war when the psalmist is for peace.
Key Verse
Psalm 120:7 (WEB)
I am for peace, but when I speak, they are for war.
Lessons Learned
- In distress, the first and best response is to cry out to the Lord (Psalm 120:1).
- Deceitful and hostile speech is a real and painful trouble worth bringing to God (Psalm 120:2).
- Living among those who reject God can leave us feeling like exiles longing for home (Psalm 120:5).
- God's people often desire peace in a world bent on conflict (Psalm 120:7).
- The pilgrim's longing for peace points us toward Christ and the city of God.
- Distress drives us to prayer. "In my distress, I cried to Yahweh. He answered me" (Psalm 120:1, WEB). Our troubles are an invitation to call on God.
- God cares about our words and wounds. "Deliver my soul, Yahweh, from lying lips, from a deceitful tongue" (Psalm 120:2, WEB). Even the harm of hostile speech is his concern.
- Believers can feel like exiles. "Woe is me, that I live in Meshech, that I dwell among the tents of Kedar!" (Psalm 120:5, WEB). Longing for home is part of the pilgrim life.
- We are called to peace. "I am for peace, but when I speak, they are for war" (Psalm 120:7, WEB). God's people pursue peace even amid hostility, as Christ teaches (Matthew 5:9).
- Why is crying out to the Lord the right starting point when we are in distress?
- How does deceitful or hostile speech affect us, and what does it mean to bring it to God?
- What does it feel like to "dwell among the tents of Kedar"—to live among people who reject God?
- What does it mean to "be for peace" in a world that is often "for war"?
- Where do you feel most like an exile, and how can you turn that longing into a journey toward God?
- The psalm opens with the pilgrim already crying to God and being answered (120:1). Distress is not a detour from faith but a doorway to prayer. Encourage members to make God their first response, not their last resort.
- Lying lips wound deeply, and the psalmist hands that pain to God (120:2). We need not retaliate or stew; we can bring slander and hostility to the Lord. Help the group entrust hurtful words to God's care.
- Meshech and Kedar picture distant, hostile lands (120:5). The believer often feels alien in a world that does not share God's values. Affirm that this ache is normal for pilgrims and points to a better home.
- Being for peace while others are for war (120:7) means pursuing reconciliation even when it is not returned. Jesus calls peacemakers blessed (Matthew 5:9). Encourage members to be agents of peace in conflict-prone settings.
- This is a personal-application question. Invite members to name where they feel most like exiles and to let that longing draw them upward toward God, as the Songs of Ascents do. As leader, close by pointing to Christ, our peace and our true home.