Psalms 120:1

“In my distress I cried unto the Lord, etc.] Being at a distance from his own country, or, however, from the house of God; persecuted by men, under the lash of their tongues; reproached, abused, and belied by them: in this his case and circumstances, he betook himself by prayer to the Lord, and importuned help and deliverance of him, knowing that none could help him as he; (see <191806>Psalm 18:6); and he heard me; answered him, and delivered him. The petition he put up follows, which shows his case, and his particular distress.”

“This Psalm might well express the sacred joy of the pilgrims on entering the holy city, where praise, as the religious as well as civil metropolis, is celebrated, and for whose prosperity, as representing the Church, prayer is offered. (Psa 122:1-9) Our feet shall stand--literally, "are standing."”

“In my distress - In my suffering, as arising from slander, Psalms 120:2-3. There are few forms of suffering more keen than those caused by slander: “Whose edge is sharper than the sword; whose tongue Outvenoms all the worms of Nile; whose breath Rides on the posting winds, and doth belie All corners of the world: kings, queens, and states, Maids, matrons, nay, the secrets of the grave This viperous slander enters.” Cymbeline, iii. 4. It is one of those things which a man cannot guard against; which he cannot repel by force; whose origin he cannot always trace; which will go where a vindication will not follow; whose effects will live long after the slander is refuted; which will adhere to a…”

“Pss 120–134 These short, appealing songs were sung during pilgrims’ journeys to Jerusalem for the national festivals three times per year (Deut 16:16). The title of these psalms includes the Hebrew word for stairs, which some take to mean “ascending to Jerusalem.” These psalms (sometimes called the Songs of Ascents) take the reader on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem to praise God for his goodness to Israel throughout history. Ps 120 This short, individual lament expresses the psalmist’s trust that the Lord will deal with deceptive evildoers. It also laments living as a stranger among hateful liars. The psalmist’s picture of his life in a foreign land might have been a reality as he set out for…”

“my distress: Psa 18:6, Psa 30:7, Psa 30:8, Psa 50:15, Psa 107:13, Psa 116:3, Psa 116:4, Psa 118:5; Isa 37:3, Isa 37:4, Isa 37:14-20; Isa 38:2-5; Jon 2:2; Luk 22:44; Heb 5:7 Psalms 120:2”

“According to the pointing ויּענני, the poet appears to base his present petition, which from Psa 120:2 onwards is the substance of the whole Psalm, upon the fact of a previous answering of his prayers. For the petition in Psa 120:2 manifestly arises out of his deplorable situation, which is described in Psa 120:5. Nevertheless there are also other instances in which ויענני might have been expected, where the pointing is ויּענני ( Psa 3:5; Jon 2:3), so that consequently ויּענני may, without any prejudice to the pointing, be taken as a believing expression of the result (cf. the future of the consequence in Job 9:16) of the present cry for help. צרתה, according to the original signification,…”