Psalm 121:3–8

Context

Psalm 121 is one of the fifteen "Songs of Degrees" (Songs of Ascents) that span Psalms 120–134. These are commonly understood as songs sung by pilgrims going up to the Temple in Jerusalem. In verses 1–2 the speaker appears in the first person ("I"), lifting up his eyes to the hills and confessing that his help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. From verse 3 onward, the address shifts to the second person ("thee"), taking the form of someone offering assurance to the speaker. In verses 3–8 the word "keep" (Hebrew shamar) occurs six times, and it serves as the key word of the entire psalm.

Interpretation

• As a song for the pilgrim road: Several commentators take the slippery slope where the foot might be moved, the scorching sun by day, and the dangers of travel by night as actual conditions of the pilgrimage route. Some explain that the reference to the moon smiting "by night" reflects the ancient belief that the moon could cause illness.
• As an antiphonal blessing: One view regards the psalm as antiphonal (sung in alternating parts), with a priest or fellow traveler responding in verses 3–8 to the confession of verses 1–2. It is also read alongside the priestly blessing of Numbers 6:22–27, which contains the same word "keep."
• The God who does not sleep: Some interpreters read verse 4, "he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep," as a contrast with pagan gods, much like Elijah's mockery of a sleeping Baal (1 Kings 18:27).
• Keeping the whole of life: The phrase "thy going out and thy coming in" in verse 8 is interpreted as an idiom for leaving home and returning, that is, for daily life and the whole course of one's life. Protestant preaching reads this passage as a text about God's providence and protection.

Questions Concerning Application

Some ask whether the promise in verse 7 to preserve "from all evil" means that believers will not experience suffering. Many commentators and preachers read it not as a promise that there will be no suffering, but as an assurance that God preserves life even in the midst of suffering. For this reason, using the verse as a guarantee of safety and success is sometimes criticized as an application in the manner of prosperity theology. The Hebrew word nephesh, which the Korean Revised Version and the New Korean Revised Version render as "soul," denotes life or the whole person, and the New Korean Standard Version translates it as "life."

In the Reformed tradition, this passage is sometimes read in connection with the perseverance of the saints (the doctrine that true believers are preserved in faith to the end). The Wesleyan tradition, while affirming God's protection, also emphasizes the believer's faith and response, and therefore generally does not derive unconditional preservation from this passage.

In the Korean Church

The passage is frequently read at pastoral visitation services held in the homes of families facing a move, the opening of a business, school enrollment, military enlistment, or departure abroad. Verse 8 in particular is widely used as a word of blessing for the New Year or for a new beginning. Several gospel songs with lyrics drawn from this psalm are also sung.

Related Passages

• Psalm 121:1–2
• Numbers 6:24–26
• Psalm 124:8
• Psalm 125:1–2
• John 10:27–29