Psalms 122:1-9

Psalms 107:150

Gordon Churchyard

Psalms 122

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 Psalms 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 122

(This is) a song for climbing by David.

v1 It made me very happy when they said to me,
"We will go into the house of the *LORD".

v2 (Now) our feet are standing inside your gates, Jerusalem!

v3 Jerusalem is a city with buildings that fit near together.

v4 The *tribes go up there, the *tribes of the *LORD.
They go there to thank the *LORD. All Israel will see it.

v5 The *thrones of the house of David are there.
Also, they sit there to *judge the people.

v6 Pray for the *peace of Jerusalem.
(Pray that) the people that love (Jerusalem) will be safe.

v7 "I pray that there will be *peace inside your walls.
And I pray that it will be safe inside your big houses".

v8 Because of my brothers and friends I will pray,
"I want *peace inside you."

v9 Because of the house of the *LORD our God,
I will hope for good things for you.

What Psalms 122 means

"The house of the *LORD", (verse 1), was a *tent when David was alive. A *tent is a small house that people made from animal skins. Later, they built a stone *temple or house. They kept the ark in it. Read about the ark in Psalms 132 in this set of psalms. Read the notes in Psalms 120 for what "the *LORD" means.

"*Tribes" are very large families. There were 12 *tribes of Israel. "Thrones" are special seats that kings and leaders sit on. "They", in verse 5, means the people that David told to *judge the people with problems. "*Judge" means "decide who is right and who is wrong". In Hebrew, the language that the *Jews spoke, "*peace" means "no war". But it meant more than this. It also meant that you had good health. And it meant that you were rich.

Something to do

Pray that Jerusalem will have *peace.
Hebrew ~ the language that the Jews spoke; they wrote the Psalms in Hebrew.
temple ~ a place where people meet to worship God.
Jew ~ a person who is born from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their children; a person who has the faith of the Jews, called Judaism.
faith ~ belief in someone or something; in the Psalms, belief in God.
wonderful ~ great and surprising.
Lord ~ a name for God; it means he has authority, or "master"; It is the word "Adonai" in Hebrew. Look also at LORD below.
LORD ~ a special name for God that his people use. It is the covenant name of God. In Hebrew it is Yahweh or Jehovah. Look after Psalm 25 in Book 1 of the Psalms of David for more about the names of God.
lord ~ someone with authority.
LORD ~ the covenant name for God (in a covenant you agree with someone).
Hebrew ~ the language that the Jews spoke; they wrote the Psalms in Hebrew.
covenant ~ two people have agreed what each should do (here, God and his people). Look in Psalm 120 about the covenant.
Yahweh ~ the covenant name for God. Most Bibles translate it LORD with 4 capital letters. It means something like "I am" or "always alive".
Jehovah ~ how some languages say Yahweh, one of the names of God in Hebrew.
tribe ~ a large group of people from the same family.
throne ~ a special seat that a king sits on.
judge ~ a judge says who is right and who is wrong; or, to say who is right and who is wrong.
peace ~ when we are friends with God and with other people; or when we have no trouble in our minds; when there is no war and everybody is happy.
tent ~ a home or building made from animal skins.
tribe ~ a large group of people from the same family.
judge ~ a judge says who is right and who is wrong; or, to say who is right and who is wrong.