Psalms 122:4

“Whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, etc.] The twelve tribes of Israel; the males of them went up three times a year to Jerusalem to worship, at the feasts of passover, pentecost, and tabernacles; and was typical of the church of Christ, where the worship of God is carried on, his word preached, and ordinances administered; and whither saints go and attend for their own profit and the glory of God; this is the city of our solemnities, (<233320>Isaiah 33:20 56:7); unto the testimony of Israel; the ark of the testimony a symbol of the divine Presence. The law is called a testimony, because it testified the will of God to be done; this was put into an ark, which had its name from…”

“Whither the tribes - The twelve tribes of the children of Israel. Go up - To the great feasts and festivals of the nation. See Exodus 23:17. This language of going up is such as would be used anywhere respecting the capital of a nation - as it is now of London; but it was literally true of Jerusalem, since it was elevated far above most parts of the land. The tribes of the Lord, unto the testimony of Israel - The “ark of testimony;” the ark within which were the tables of stone, containing the law considered as God’s testimony or witnessing as to justice, right, equity, duty, truth. See Exodus 16:34; Exodus 25:16, Exodus 25:21; Exodus 40:3, Exodus 40:20; Exodus 30:6, Exodus 30:36; Exodus…”

“The tribes - Whom God has chosen to be his people. Unto - Unto the ark, called the testimony, because of the tables of the covenant laid up in it, which are called God's testimony, and the tables of the testimony. And this is called the testimony of, or to Israel, because it was given by God to them. Give thanks - To worship God; this one eminent part thereof being put for all the rest. Psalms 122:5”

“122:4 Each of the people of Israel belonged to one of the tribes, and all of the tribes belonged to the Lord. • To give thanks is to present an offering acceptable to the Lord (50:14, 23; 100:4; 118:19). • as the law requires of Israel: See Exod 23:17; Deut 16:16.”

“Whither: Psa 78:68, Psa 132:13; Exo 23:17, Exo 34:23, Exo 34:24; Deu 12:5, Deu 12:11, Deu 16:16 the testimony: Exo 16:34, Exo 26:33, Exo 26:34, Exo 32:15 to give: Psa 66:13-16, Psa 107:1-3, Psa 116:17-19, Psa 118:19 Psalms 122:5”

“The imposing character of the impression was still greatly enhanced by the consideration, that this is the city where at all times the twelve tribes of God's nation (which were still distinguished as its elements even after the Exile, Rom 11:1; Luk 2:36; Jam 1:1) came together at the three great feasts. The use of the שׁ twice as equivalent to אשׁר is (as in Canticles) appropriate to the ornamental, happy, miniature-like manner of these Songs of degrees. In שׁשּׁם the שׁם is, as in Ecc 1:7, equivalent to שׁמּה, which on the other hand in Psa 122:5 is no more than an emphatic שׁם (cf. Psa 76:4; Psa 68:7). עלוּ affirms a habit (cf. Job 1:4) of the past, which extends into the present. עדוּת…”