Read Psalm 121-124 at Bible Gateway.
paragraph divisions:
Psa 121:1 I will lift up my eyes to the hills— From whence comes my help?
2 My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
3 He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber.
4 Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade at your right hand.
6 The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul.
8 The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore. {p}
Psa 123:1 Unto You I lift up my eyes, O You who dwell in the heavens.
2a Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters, {n}
2b As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, {n}
2c So our eyes look to the Lord our God, until He has mercy on us.
3 Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us! For we are exceedingly filled with contempt.
4a Our soul is exceedingly filled {n}
4b With the scorn of those who are at ease, with the contempt of the proud. {p}
Psa 124:1 “If it had not been the Lord who was on our side,” let Israel now say—
2 “If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, when men rose up against us,
3 Then they would have swallowed us alive, when their wrath was kindled against us;
4 Then the waters would have overwhelmed us, the stream would have gone over our soul;
5 Then the swollen waters would have gone over our soul.”
6 Blessed be the Lord, who has not given us as prey to their teeth.
7a Our soul has escaped as a bird from the snare of the fowlers; {n}
7b The snare is broken, and we have escaped.
8 Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth. {p}
Psa 121:1-2 and Psa 123:1-124:8 chiastic structure bookends:
1a) Psa 121:1-2, I will lift up my eyes to my help, which comes from the LORD:
1) Psa 121:1, I will lift up my eyes to the hills— From whence comes my help?
2) Psa 121:2, My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
2a) Psa 123:1-124:8 chiastic structure:
1a) Psa 123:1-2, corresponds to Psa 121:1, 1a.1, above:
Psa 123:1, Unto You I lift up my eyes, O You who dwell in the heavens;
Psa 123:2a, Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters; {n}
Psa 123:2b, As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress; {n}
Psa 123:2c, So our eyes look to the Lord our God, until He has mercy on us;
1b) Psa 123:3-4, Have mercy on our soul, O LORD:
Psa 123:3, Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us! For we are exceedingly filled with contempt;
Psa 123:4a, Our soul is exceedingly filled {n}
Psa 123:4b, With the scorn of those who are at ease, with the contempt of the proud. {p}
central axis) Psa 124:1-5, Israel’s testimony of deliverance:
Psa 124:1, “If it had not been the Lord who was on our side,” let Israel now say—
Psa 124:2, “If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, when men rose up against us;
Psa 124:3, Then they would have swallowed us alive, when their wrath was kindled against us;
Psa 124:4, Then the waters would have overwhelmed us, the stream would have gone over our soul;
Psa 124:5, Then the swollen waters would have gone over our soul.”
2b) Psa 124:6-7, Blessed be the LORD who has had mercy on us:
Psa 124:6, Blessed be the Lord, who has not given us as prey to their teeth;
Psa 124:7a, Our soul has escaped as a bird from the snare of the fowlers; {n}
Psa 124:7b, The snare is broken, and we have escaped;
2a) Psa 124:8, Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth. {p}
If the LORD was capable enough to make heaven and earth, He is quite capable of helping you and me! ♥
Leave a Reply