Psalm 122:7 Komentář

This psalm seems to have been penned by David for the use of the people of Israel, when they came up to Jerusalem to worship at the three solemn feasts. It was in David's time that Jerusalem was first chosen to be the city where God would record his name. It being a new thing, this, among other means, was used to bring the people to be in love with Jerusalem, as the holy city, though it was but the other day in the hands of the Jebusites. Observe, I. The joy with which they were to go up to Jerusalem (Psa 122:1, Psa 122:2). II. The great esteem they were to have of Jerusalem (Psa 122:3-5). III. The great concern they were to have for Jerusalem, and the prayers they were to put up for its welfare (Psa 122:6-9). In singing this psalm we must have an eye to the gospel church, which is called the "Jerusalem that is from above." A song of degrees of David.

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 122 A Song of degrees of David. This is the first of the songs of degrees that bears the name of David: and Kimchi thinks they only were written by him which have his name to them; though he, Abendana, and others, are of opinion that this psalm was composed with a view to the captives in Babylon; who are here represented, and are represented as rejoicing at their going up to Jerusalem, to the solemn feasts there. The inscription in the Syriac version is, "a "psalm" of David, one of the psalms of ascent, when Cyrus commanded the captivity to go up; spiritually, a promise of good things.'' It seems to be designed for the use of the Israelites, and to be sung by them when they went up to the feasts, three times a year. Some say (a) they sung this by the way, when they carried the firstfruits to Jerusalem. (a) Weemse's Christ. Synagog. l. 1. c. 6. s. 4. p. 144.

For my brethren and companions' sakes,.... Who were regenerated by the spirit of God; adopted into his family, and children of the same father; stood in the same relation to Christ the firstborn, and members of the same church; and so brethren: partners in the same blessings and promises of the covenant; partakers of the same grace; joined together in religious worship; shared in the same joys and griefs; travellers together to the same heavenly country, and entitled to the same glory and happiness. So David, though a king, reckoned his meanest subjects as such, who were spiritual men; and for their sakes, through the goodwill, love, and affection he bore to them, he would set praying souls an example, and by it enforce his own exhortation, as follows: I will now say, peace be within thee; now and always put up this petition, and not put it off to longer time; that peace and prosperity may always attend the church of God, as well as the city of Jerusalem, literally considered, and the inhabitants of it.

"Peace be in your strength" [Psalm 122:7]. O Jerusalem, O city, who art being built as a city, whose partaking is in "The Same:" "Peace be in your strength:" peace be in your love; for your strength is your love. Hear the Song of songs: "Love is strong as death." [Song of Songs 8:6] A great saying that, brethren, "Love is strong as death." The strength of charity could not be expressed in grander terms than these, "Love is strong as death." For who resists death, my brethren? Consider, my brethren. Fire, waves, the sword, are resisted: we resist principalities, we resist kings; death comes alone, who resists it? There is nought more powerful than it. Charity therefore is compared with its strength, in the words, "Love is strong as death." And since this love slays what we have been, that we may be what we were not; love creates a sort of death in us. This death he had died who said, "The world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world:" [Galatians 6:14] this death they had died unto whom he said, "You are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God." [Colossians 3:3] Love is strong as death...

Let them, then, have a bitter sorrow for their former detestable wrongdoing, as Peter had for his cowardly lie, and let them come to the true church, that is, their catholic mother, and let them be clerics or bishops in it with as much service for it as they formerly used against it. We do not begrudge it to them; on the contrary, we embrace them, we beg them, we exhort them, we compel them to come in when we find them in the highways and hedges. Even so, we do not yet persuade some of them that we seek them, not their possessions. When the apostle Peter denied the Savior and wept and remained an apostle, he had not yet received the Holy Spirit who had been promised, but much less have they received him when, severed from the unity of the body to which alone the Holy Spirit gives life, they have maintained the sacraments of the church outside the church and in opposition to the church and have fought a kind of civil war, setting up our own banners and our own arms against us. Let them come; "let there be peace in the strength of Jerusalem," the strength that is charity, as it was said to the holy city: "Let peace be in your strength and abundance in your towers." Let them not rise up against the motherly anxiety that she had and has to gather them in, and with them so many throngs of people whom they deceive or did deceive. Let them not be proud, because she thus welcomes them. Let them not turn to the evil purpose of self-esteem what she does for the good purpose of peace.

The writer, for the Church, praises God for past, and expresses trust for future, deliverance from foes. (Psa 124:1-8) on our side--for us (Psa 56:9). now--or, "oh! let Israel"