Psalm 122

Psalm 122 belongs to Book Five of the Psalms (Psalms 107–150). It is the third of the fifteen Songs of Ascents (Psalms 120–134), and its superscription identifies it as a psalm of David. It follows Psalm 121, which sings of the LORD who keeps the traveler on the way; in Psalm 122 the pilgrim has arrived in Jerusalem and sings of the city and the temple.

Structure

• Verses 1–2: The pilgrim, who rejoiced on hearing the call "Let us go into the house of the LORD," now stands within the gates of Jerusalem.
• Verses 3–5: The psalmist praises Jerusalem as a city compactly built. The tribes of the LORD go up there to give thanks according to the testimony of Israel, and there stand the thrones of judgment, the thrones of the house of David.
• Verses 6–9: The psalmist urges prayer for the peace of Jerusalem. He then prays for peace and prosperity within the city and seeks blessing for the sake of his brethren and companions and for the sake of the house of God.

Key Verses

• Psalm 122:1: "I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD." An expression of the joy of going to worship, this is the most widely quoted verse of the psalm.
• Psalm 122:6: "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem." In Hebrew the sounds of "pray" (sha'alu), "peace" (shalom), and "Jerusalem" echo one another. This is the central petition of the psalm.

People and Places

• Jerusalem: The destination of the pilgrimage and the city of the temple and the royal throne.
• Temple in Jerusalem: Called "the house of the LORD" and "the house of the LORD our God" in the text.
• David: Named as author in the superscription. "The thrones of the house of David" in verse 5 refers to the seat of judgment held by the Davidic dynasty.
• Twelve Tribes of Israel: "The tribes of the LORD" who go up to Jerusalem in verse 4.

Points for Reflection

• The superscription identifies David as the author. Some scholars, however, regard the psalm as a later composition, pointing among other things to the fact that "the house of the LORD" (the temple) had not yet been built in David's time.
• "The testimony of Israel" in verse 4 is read in connection with the requirement that all males appear before God three times a year at the appointed feasts (Deuteronomy 16:16). The three feasts are Passover, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Tabernacles.
• Traditions differ in how they read "Jerusalem" in verse 6. Many churches apply it to the people of God or the church community. Some evangelical circles and Israel-focused mission organizations treat it as a basis for praying for present-day Israel.
• The psalm connects with the New Testament at several points. Jesus' family went up to Jerusalem every year at Passover (Luke 2:41). Jesus lamented that Jerusalem did not know "the things which belong unto thy peace" (Luke 19:42). Hebrews 12:22 speaks of "the heavenly Jerusalem," and Revelation 21 depicts the New Jerusalem.

In the Korean Church

Verse 1 is frequently quoted in church bulletins and in the call to worship that opens the service. It is commonly used to express the joy of coming to Sunday worship.