Psalms — Chapter 132

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1A song of ascents. O LORD, remember on behalf of David all the hardships he endured,

2how he swore an oath to the LORD, and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob:

3“I will not enter my house or get into my bed,

4I will not give sleep to my eyes or slumber to my eyelids,

5until I find a place for the LORD, a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob.”

6We heard that the ark was in Ephrathah; we found it in the fields of Jaar.

7Let us go to His dwelling place; let us worship at His footstool.

8Arise, O LORD, to Your resting place, You and the ark of Your strength.

9May Your priests be clothed with righteousness, and Your saints shout for joy.

10For the sake of Your servant David, do not reject Your anointed one.

11The LORD swore an oath to David, a promise He will not revoke: “One of your descendants I will place on your throne.

12If your sons keep My covenant and the testimony I will teach them, then their sons will also sit on your throne forever and ever.”

13For the LORD has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His home:

14“This is My resting place forever and ever; here I will dwell, for I have desired this home.

15I will bless her with abundant provisions; I will satisfy her poor with bread.

16I will clothe her priests with salvation, and her saints will sing out in joy.

17There I will make a horn grow for David; I have prepared a lamp for My anointed one.

18I will clothe his enemies with shame, but the crown upon him will gleam.”

1LORD, remember David, and all his afflictions:

2How he sware unto the LORD, and vowed unto the mighty God of Jacob;

3Surely I will not come into the tabernacle of my house, nor go up into my bed;

4I will not give sleep to mine eyes, or slumber to mine eyelids,

5Until I find out a place for the LORD, an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob.

6Lo, we heard of it at Ephratah: we found it in the fields of the wood.

7We will go into his tabernacles: we will worship at his footstool.

8Arise, O LORD, into thy rest; thou, and the ark of thy strength.

9Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness; and let thy saints shout for joy.

10For thy servant David’s sake turn not away the face of thine anointed.

11The LORD hath sworn in truth unto David; he will not turn from it; Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne.

12If thy children will keep my covenant and my testimony that I shall teach them, their children shall also sit upon thy throne for evermore.

13For the LORD hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation.

14This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it.

15I will abundantly bless her provision: I will satisfy her poor with bread.

16I will also clothe her priests with salvation: and her saints shall shout aloud for joy.

17There will I make the horn of David to bud: I have ordained a lamp for mine anointed.

18His enemies will I clothe with shame: but upon himself shall his crown flourish.

1Jehovah, remember for David All his affliction;

2How he sware unto Jehovah, And vowed unto the Mighty One of Jacob:

3Surely I will not come into the tabernacle of my house, Nor go up into my bed;

4I will not give sleep to mine eyes, Or slumber to mine eyelids;

5Until I find out a place for Jehovah, A tabernacle for the Mighty One of Jacob.

6Lo, we heard of it in Ephrathah: We found it in the field of the wood.

7We will go into his tabernacles; We will worship at his footstool.

8Arise, O Jehovah, into thy resting-place; Thou, and the ark of thy strength.

9Let thy priest be clothed with righteousness; And let thy saints shout for joy.

10For thy servant David`s sake Turn not away the face of thine anointed.

11Jehovah hath sworn unto David in truth; He will not turn from it: Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne.

12If thy children will keep my covenant And my testimony that I shall teach them, Their children also shall sit upon thy throne for evermore.

13For Jehovah hath chosen Zion; He hath desired it for his habitation.

14This is my resting-place for ever: Here will I dwell; for I have desired it.

15I will abundantly bless her provision: I will satisfy her poor with bread.

16Her priests also will I clothe with salvation; And her saints shall shout aloud for joy.

17There will I make the horn of David to bud: I have ordained a lamp for mine anointed.

18His enemies will I clothe with shame; But upon himself shall his crown flourish. Psalm 133 A Song of Ascents; of David.

1A song of ascents. O Lord, for David’s sake remember all his strenuous effort

2and how he made a vow to the Lord, and swore an oath to the Powerful One of Jacob.

3He said, “I will not enter my own home, or get into my bed.

4I will not allow my eyes to sleep or my eyelids to slumber,

5until I find a place for the Lord, a fine dwelling place for the Powerful One of Jacob.”

6Look, we heard about it in Ephrathah; we found it in the territory of Jaar.

7Let us go to his dwelling place. Let us worship before his footstool.

8Ascend, O Lord, to your resting place, you and the ark of your strength.

9May your priests be clothed with integrity. May your loyal followers shout for joy.

10For the sake of David, your servant, do not reject your chosen king.

11The Lord made a reliable promise to David; he will not go back on his word. He said, “I will place one of your descendants on your throne.

12If your sons keep my covenant and the rules I teach them, their sons will also sit on your throne forever.”

13Certainly the Lord has chosen Zion; he decided to make it his home.

14He said, “This will be my resting place forever; I will live here, for I have chosen it.

15I will abundantly supply what she needs; I will give her poor all the food they need.

16I will protect her priests, and her godly people will shout exuberantly.

17There I will make David strong; I have determined that my chosen king’s dynasty will continue.

18I will humiliate his enemies, and his crown will shine.”

1Yahweh, remember David and all his affliction,

2how he swore to Yahweh, and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob:

3“Surely I will not come into the structure of my house, nor go up into my bed;

4I will not give sleep to my eyes, or slumber to my eyelids;

5until I find out a place for Yahweh, a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob.”

6Behold, we heard of it in Ephrathah. We found it in the field of Jaar:

7“We will go into his dwelling place. We will worship at his footstool.

8Arise, Yahweh, into your resting place; you, and the ark of your strength.

9Let your priests be clothed with righteousness. Let your saints shout for joy!”

10For your servant David’s sake, don’t turn away the face of your anointed one.

11Yahweh has sworn to David in truth. He will not turn from it: “I will set the fruit of your body on your throne.

12If your children will keep my covenant, my testimony that I will teach them, their children also will sit on your throne forever more.”

13For Yahweh has chosen Zion. He has desired it for his habitation.

14“This is my resting place forever. Here I will live, for I have desired it.

15I will abundantly bless her provision. I will satisfy her poor with bread.

16Her priests I will also clothe with salvation. Her saints will shout aloud for joy.

17There I will make the horn of David to bud. I have ordained a lamp for my anointed.

18I will clothe his enemies with shame, but on himself, his crown will be resplendent.”

Summary
Authorship & Background
Map & Geography
Commentary
Videos
Articles
Reflection

Summary

This Song of Ascents recalls David's vow not to rest until he found a dwelling place for the LORD, the mighty God of Jacob (vv. 1-5). It recounts the search for the ark and the people's resolve to worship at God's footstool (vv. 6-9), then turns to intercession for the king, asking God to remember his oath to David that a descendant would always sit on his throne if his children kept the covenant (vv. 10-12). The LORD responds by declaring his everlasting choice of Zion as his resting place, promising to bless its provisions, satisfy its poor, and make David's line flourish while shaming his enemies (vv. 13-18).

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 / Royal/Messianic Psalm
Attributed Author: Anonymous (superscription: "A Song of degrees")
Key Themes: David's zeal for God's dwelling, the Davidic covenant, God choosing Zion, the anointed king's throne, God's faithful oath, priestly blessing
Historical Context: Psalm 132 is the longest of the Songs of Ascents (18 verses) and the most theological. It celebrates two divine elections: God chose David's line (vv.11-12) and God chose Zion as His dwelling (vv.13-14). It recalls David's passionate vow to find a dwelling place for God (2 Sam 7; 1 Chr 13-16), connecting David's devotion to God's covenant promise. The psalm was likely used at royal coronations or temple dedications. Its Messianic implications are clear: God swore to David a perpetual throne — fulfilled ultimately in Christ, the eternal son of David.
Until I Find Out a Place for the LORD (vv.1-5): LORD, remember David, and all his afflictions. The longest of the Songs of Ascents, and it is a processional for bringing the ark up to the temple. What is recalled is a vow, and the vow is about sleep, I will not give sleep to mine eyes, or slumber to mine eyelids, until I find out a place for the LORD. No such oath appears in Samuel or Kings; the psalm preserves a tradition about David that the histories do not record, and it stands beside 2 Samuel 7, where David proposes a house and is told he will not build it.
Arise, O LORD, into Thy Rest (vv.6-9): Lo, we heard of it at Ephratah: we found it in the fields of the wood. Two place names for the search, Ephratah being the district of Bethlehem and the fields of the wood most likely Kiriath-jearim, where 1 Samuel 7 leaves the ark for twenty years. The congregation then speaks as though present at the procession, we will go into his tabernacles: we will worship at his footstool. Arise, O LORD, into thy rest; thou, and the ark of thy strength, which is close to the words Numbers 10:35 gives for setting out with the ark, turned round for arriving. Solomon prays these verses at the dedication in 2 Chronicles 6:41.
The LORD Hath Sworn in Truth unto David (vv.10-12): For thy servant David's sake turn not away the face of thine anointed. The prayer is for a later king on the strength of an earlier one, which is how the psalm was used long after David. The LORD hath sworn in truth unto David; he will not turn from it; Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne. Peter cites this oath at Pentecost in Acts 2:30. Then the condition, and it is stated plainly, if thy children will keep my covenant and my testimony that I shall teach them, their children shall also sit upon thy throne for evermore. The promise is unconditional in its swearing and conditional in its inheritance, which is the tension Psalm 89 makes its whole subject.
The LORD Hath Chosen Zion (vv.13-18): For the LORD hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation. God answers in his own voice for the last six verses, and the first thing said is that the choosing was wanted rather than conceded, here will I dwell; for I have desired it. What follows is a list of blessings that answers the requests of verses 8 to 10 item by item, the priests clothed, the saints shouting, the anointed provided for, with one addition the prayer did not ask for, I will satisfy her poor with bread. Then two images for the king's future, there will I make the horn of David to bud, and I have ordained a lamp for mine anointed, both of which Luke picks up in the first chapter of his Gospel. His enemies will I clothe with shame: but upon himself shall his crown flourish.

Map & Geography

  • Zion (v.13): The hill on which Jerusalem/the Temple stood; often used poetically for God's dwelling.

Places on this map

  • JerusalemJerusalemA hill town about 2,500 feet up in the central spine of Judah, roughly 35 miles inland from the Mediterranean and 15 miles west of the Jordan. It sits on no trade route and has no river, which is why it mattered as a fortress and a sanctuary rather than as a market. Wikipedia

Towns sit on their excavated or traditional site. Regions, rivers and seas are ringed rather than dotted, because for those a single point is only an anchor. Coastlines from Natural Earth.

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 130-134 | From the Depths to the Heights | Bible Study
Spoken Gospel

Psalm 132 - Remembering the Promise to David and Beyond
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

  • Zeal for God's Presence (vv.1-5) — David vows he won't rest until he finds a dwelling place for the Lord, a passion that consumed his sleep and comfort. What are you willing to lose sleep over for the sake of God's presence in your life?
  • Coming Into His Dwelling (vv.6-9) — The worshipers seek out the ark and go to worship at God's footstool, asking Him to arise and enter His resting place. Do you actively pursue nearness to God, or wait for it to come find you?
  • An Oath God Will Not Take Back (vv.10-12) — God swears to David a promise He will not revoke, establishing an everlasting throne through his line. Is there a promise from God you've been treating as conditional when Scripture says it's sure?
  • Chosen and Desired (vv.13-14) — God declares that He has chosen Zion and desired it as His resting place forever. Do you live like you believe God has chosen and desired to dwell with you, not just tolerate you?
  • Blessing Flows Where God Dwells (vv.15-18) — Where God chooses to dwell, provision, righteousness, and a lasting lamp of leadership follow. Are you positioning your life near God's presence, where His blessing naturally flows, or chasing blessing somewhere else?