Psalm 121:1–2

Context

Psalms 120–134 each bear the superscription "A Song of Ascents" (or "A Song of Degrees"). Many scholars regard these psalms as a collection of songs sung by pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem for the festivals. Psalm 121 is one of them. In verses 1–2 the psalmist asks a question and answers it; in verses 3–8 the psalm declares that God "shall neither slumber nor sleep" and that He guards His people from the sun by day and the moon by night, preserves them from all evil, and preserves their going out and their coming in. Because the subject shifts from "I" to "thee" beginning in verse 3, some interpreters read the remainder as words of blessing spoken by another person, such as a priest or a fellow pilgrim.

Interpretation

The meaning of verse 1 depends on what the "hills" refer to.

• As a symbol of danger: The hills along the pilgrim road were perilous places where robbers and wild beasts lurked. On this reading, the psalmist looks at the hills and asks, "Who will help me on this journey?" and then confesses that the answer is God.
• As the high places of false gods: Many high places devoted to the worship of foreign gods stood on the hills (Jeremiah 3:23). On this reading, the psalm contrasts seeking help from the hills with seeking it from the God who made the hills. The phrase "the LORD, which made heaven and earth" in verse 2 is understood to underscore this contrast.
• As Mount Zion: On this reading, the hills are Mount Zion in Jerusalem, where God dwells—that is, the Temple in Jerusalem—and the psalmist looks toward the Temple with confidence in God's help (Psalms 125:1–2; 87:1).

Debates

Some translations, such as the older King James Version, rendered the latter half of verse 1 as a declarative statement—"unto the hills, from whence cometh my help"—whereas most translations today, like the Korean Revised Version, render it as a question. Read as a question, the verse makes clear that help does not come from the hills themselves.

In the Korean Church

The Korean church has a tradition of "mountain prayer" (sangido), in which believers go up into the mountains to pray, as well as a tradition of prayer retreat centers located in the mountains, and this passage is sometimes cited as though it were a basis for these practices. Others point out, however, that the text directs the reader to look not to the mountains but to the God who made them. Psalm 121 is also the psalm most frequently read at services of departure for travel, moving to a new home, entry into military service, the sending of missionaries overseas, and Holy Land pilgrimages.

Related Passages

• Psalm 121:3–8
• Psalm 124:8
• Psalm 125:1–2
• Jeremiah 3:23
• Isaiah 40:28–31