This psalm is part of the group of psalms known as “Songs of Ascent.” Songs of Ascent were in all likelihood sung as pilgrims went to Jerusalem. Thus, as faithful Israelites went to Jerusalem to keep the feasts, they would sing these Songs of Ascent. Their singing these hymns as they went to Jerusalem will play an important part in interpreting the psalm.

P SALM 121

A N A SSURANCE OF H ELP vv 1-2

God was often referred to as Israel’s helper. “May He send you help from the sanctuary, And strengthen you out of Zion” (Ps 20:2). “O Israel, trust in the L ORD ; He is their help and their shield” (Ps 115:9). Just as the Lord was the helper of ancient Israel, He will be our helper in this age. “We may boldly say: ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?’” (Heb 13:6). We do not go through this life alone, but our God is our help!

The One who helps us is the One who made heaven and earth. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen 1:1). God’s power and majesty are evident in Creation.

A N A SSURANCE OF W AKEFULNESS vv 3-4

The assurance that God would not allow their feet to be moved would have been especially relevant for these Jews.

God neither slumbers nor sleeps. In Mesopotamian literature, a sleeping god was one who was unresponsive to the cries and prayers of his people. God hears whenever we pray to Him. “Evening and morning and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud, And He shall hear my voice” (Ps 55:17). “Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed” (Mk 1:35). “Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God” (Lk 6:12).

A N A SSURANCE OF P ROTECTION vv 5-8

The Hebrew word for “keeper” comes from a verb which means “to hedge about,” “to guard,” and “to protect.” Thus, as a keeper, the Lord is One who puts protective walls around us to guard and to protect us. He would protect them from the sun, which was quite important in the Ancient Near East. The Lord’s being at someone’s right hand was a sign of protection. “I have set the L ORD always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved” (Ps 16:8). “The Lord is at Your right hand; He shall execute kings in the day of His wrath” (Ps 110:5).

The Lord also promises protection from the moon. In antiquity, it was believed that too much exposure to the moon was quite dangerous to one’s health. Words such as “lunatic” (from the Latin for moon) and “moonstruck” speak of the prevalence of this idea until recent times.

“Evil” in this context should probably be understood as sorrow and distress, particularly death. Thus, the Lord promises to protect the Israelites on the way to Jerusalem and back.

“Your going out and your coming in” was language used of armies going out to battle and coming back home, and it was used for one’s going and coming in the normal course of life. “From this time forth, and even forevermore” obviously refers to the duration of one’s life. Thus, God promises to protect His people during the course of their lives. Will He protect you during the course of your life?