Psalms — Chapter 123

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1A song of ascents. I lift up my eyes to You, the One enthroned in heaven.

2As the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maidservant look to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes are on the LORD our God until He shows us mercy.

3Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy, for we have endured much contempt.

4We have endured much scorn from the arrogant, much contempt from the proud.

1Unto thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens.

2Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the LORD our God, until that he have mercy upon us.

3Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us: for we are exceedingly filled with contempt.

4Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease, and with the contempt of the proud.

1Unto thee do I lift up mine eyes, O thou that sittest in the heavens.

2Behold, as the eyes of servants [look] unto the hand of their master, As the eyes of a maid unto the hand of her mistress; So our eyes [look] unto Jehovah our God, Until he have mercy upon us.

3Have mercy upon us, O Jehovah, have mercy upon us; For we are exceedingly filled with contempt.

4Our soul is exceedingly filled With the scoffing of those that are at ease, And with the contempt of the proud. Psalm 124 A Song of Ascents; of David.

1A song of ascents. I look up toward you, the one enthroned in heaven.

2Look, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a female servant look to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes will look to the Lord, our God, until he shows us favor.

3Show us favor, O Lord, show us favor! For we have had our fill of humiliation, and then some.

4We have had our fill of the taunts of the self-assured, of the contempt of the proud.

1To you I do lift up my eyes, you who sit in the heavens.

2Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress; so our eyes look to Yahweh, our God, until he has mercy on us.

3Have mercy on us, Yahweh, have mercy on us, for we have endured much contempt.

4Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scoffing of those who are at ease, with the contempt of the proud.

Summary
Authorship & Background
Commentary
Videos
Articles
Reflection

Summary

A Song of Ascents in which the psalmist lifts his eyes to the LORD enthroned in heaven, comparing his posture to a servant watching his master's hand for direction (vv. 1-2). He pleads for mercy, describing how thoroughly he and the people have been filled with the contempt and scorn of the proud and those who are at ease (vv. 3-4).

Authorship & Background

Author: Multiple authors — primarily David (73 psalms attributed), plus Asaph (12), Sons of Korah (11), Solomon (2), Moses (1), Heman (1), Ethan (1), and anonymous. The Psalter was compiled over approximately 1000 years and served as Israel's hymnal and prayer book. The book is divided into five 'books' (1-41, 42-72, 73-89, 90-106, 107-150), paralleling the five books of Moses.
Classification: Song of Ascents / Communal Lament
Attributed Author: Anonymous (superscription: "A Song of degrees")
Key Themes: Looking to God for mercy, patient waiting as a servant, contempt from the proud, humble dependence on God
Historical Context: Psalm 123 is the fourth Song of Ascents — a short prayer of four verses from a people experiencing contempt and scorn from those "at ease" (the arrogant wealthy). The central image is stunning: eyes fixed on God's hand like a servant watching a master for the slightest signal. The psalm likely reflects post-exilic Israel, despised by surrounding nations. It teaches that when scorned by the world, the proper response is not retaliation but looking upward — fixing your gaze on God's hand, waiting for His mercy to act.
Unto Thee Lift I Up Mine Eyes (v.1): Unto thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens. Psalm 121 lifted its eyes to the hills and had to ask what they were good for; this one goes straight past them. Four verses is the whole psalm.
As the Eyes of Servants unto the Hand of Their Masters (v.2): Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the LORD our God. The comparison is exact and worth slowing down for: a servant watches the hand, not the face, because instructions and provision both come from there. What is described is attention without any power to hurry the outcome, which the last clause admits, until that he have mercy upon us.
Have Mercy upon Us, O LORD (v.3): Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us: for we are exceedingly filled with contempt. The request is doubled because the psalm has nothing else to offer, and the ground given is not innocence but saturation. Filled is a word for being full of food.
The Scorning of Those That Are at Ease (v.4): Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease, and with the contempt of the proud. The psalm's one piece of analysis is in the phrase at ease: the scorn comes from people whose own position is comfortable, and that is offered as the explanation of how they can afford it. The psalm ends here, with no reply and no rescue, which is the servant's posture of verse 2 held to the last line.

Commentary

  • Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Verse-by-verse commentary on this chapter, written for the everyday reader and freely available online.
  • Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871): blueletterbible.org A critical and explanatory commentary on the whole Bible, more concise than Matthew Henry and closer to the Hebrew and Greek, with attention to historical and geographical detail. Public domain.
  • Matthew Henry's Exposition (1710): blueletterbible.org A devotional verse-by-verse commentary in the Puritan tradition, still among the most widely read three centuries on. Public domain.

Videos

Psalms 120-124 | The Journey Out of Exile | Bible Study
Spoken Gospel

Psalm 123 - Looking to the LORD for Mercy in Affliction
David Guzik

Articles

  • GotQuestions.org: gotquestions.org On the whole book: an overview of Psalms -- who wrote it, when, why, and how it fits the rest of Scripture.

Links open on the publisher's own site. Nothing here is reproduced on this page.

Reflection

  • Lifting Eyes to the One Enthroned (v.1) — The psalmist looks past his circumstances straight to God, who is seated in the heavens. When you're under pressure, is your first move to look up to God or to fixate on the people causing the pain?
  • Watching Like a Servant for Mercy (v.2) — He compares himself to a servant watching his master's hand, waiting attentively for the signal of mercy. Are you willing to wait actively and expectantly for God to act, rather than growing impatient or numb?
  • Bringing Contempt to God Instead of Retaliating (vv.3-4) — Overwhelmed by the scorn of the proud and complacent, he takes his hurt straight to God in prayer rather than striking back. When you're mocked or looked down on, do you bring that pain to God, or let it fester into bitterness?