Psalms Chapter 121 · Matthew Poole

Psalm 121:1 A Song of degrees. I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. THE ARGUMENT

The matter of this Psalm sufficiently showeth that the psalmist was conflicting with great difficulties and oppositions, and looking. hither and thither for help, as men in such cases use to do, and then turning his eyes to God and his providence, and encouraging himself by God’s promises made to his people.

The psalmist showeth that the great safety of the godly is from the Lord,

Psalm 121:1-5, who keepeth them in their outgoings and incomings from all evil,

Psalm 121:6-8.

Unto the hills;

either to Zion and Moriah, which are called

the holy mountains,

Psalm 87:1; or rather,

2. To the hills in general, whereof there were many in the land of Canaan, and upon which the forces, which he hoped would come to his aid, might be seen at a great distance.

Cometh;

or,

may come; Heb.

will come.

Psalm 121:2 My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth. From God alone, and therefore to him alone will I turn mine eyes.

Psalm 121:3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. He speaketh as it were from God to himself, but withal to the encouragement of his followers and of all good men.

To be moved,

to wit, so as fall into mischief.

Will not slumber;

will not overlook nor neglect any thing which is necessary for thy preservation.

Psalm 121:4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. No text from Poole on this verse.

Psalm 121:5 The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand. Thy shade;

both to refresh thee and keep thee from the burning heat of the sun, as it is expressed in the next verse, and to protect thee by his power from all thine enemies; for which reason God is oft called a

shadow

in Scripture.

Upon thy right hand;

partly to uphold thy right hand, which is the chief instrument of action; and partly to defend thee in that place where thine enemies oppose thee; of which on

Psalm 109:6. And compare

Psalm 16:8 109:31.

Psalm 121:6 The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The sun shall not smite thee

with excessive heat,

nor the moon

with that cold and moisture which comes into the air by it and with it. Intemperate heats and colds are the two springs of many diseases. He alludes both to the conditions of soldiers or travellers, who are exposed to the open air by day and by night, and also to the cloudy pillar which defended the Israelites both by day and by night. The sense is, He shall protect thee from all evils both by day and night.

Psalm 121:7 The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. No text from Poole on this verse.

Psalm 121:8 The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore. Shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in;

shall guard and assist thee in all thy expeditions, and affairs, and actions, either at home or abroad. So this phrase is used

Numbers 27:17 Deu 28:6.