Psalms 125 · ESV Study Bible

The LORD Surrounds His People

PSALM 125 [†] Those who f trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion,

which g cannot be moved, but abides forever.

2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem,

so h the LORD surrounds his people,

from this time forth and forevermore.

3[†] For i the scepter of wickedness shall not j rest

on k the land allotted to the righteous,

lest the righteous l stretch out

their hands to do wrong.

4[†] m Do good, O LORD, to those who are good,

and to those who are n upright in their hearts!

5 But those who o turn aside to their p crooked ways

the LORD will lead away with q evildoers!

r Peace be upon Israel!

A Song of m Ascents.

PSALM—NOTE ON Psalm 125. This psalm instills confidence in the Lord’s people, that remaining loyal to him really is worth it. The leading image is of Zion as a city surrounded by sheltering mountains. It is possible that some of Zion’s citizens might go over to evil, but the Lord will see to it that he publicly vindicates his faithful ones. This is like Psalm 122, in that it stresses the ideal of what the city should be (and the faithful will do their part to make it live up to the ideal).

PSALM—NOTE ON 125:3 Righteous Rule over Zion. The middle of the psalm stresses that the Lord intends to protect his city, not simply from enemies without (v. 2) but from enemies within: the scepter of wickedness is kingly power held by Israelites who do not serve God and his people (the righteous). The disastrous effects of such rule show up frequently in OT history, where the bulk of the people do in fact stretch out their hands to do wrong (in defiance of the very purpose for which God chose them). Therefore no one could suppose that in affirming that this godless regime shall not rest on the land, the psalmist was ignoring the obvious; rather, he was both instilling the ideal toward which the Israelites should always press, and indicating that God will not allow the unrighteous to rule over his people forever. Christians rejoice that God raised Jesus to the throne of David in keeping with this principle, and pray that leaders in their churches (and in their nations) would model themselves after Jesus.

PSALM—NOTE ON 125:4–5 May the Lord Vindicate His Truth! The final section looks forward to the Lord vindicating his own character: he really does reward the faithful (those who are good and those who are upright in their hearts), and he really does purge the unfaithful (those who turn aside to their crooked ways) from his people (he will lead them away with evildoers). Peace will certainly be upon Israel when God so visibly vindicates the truthfulness of his words and when his people take it to heart.

PSALM—NOTE ON 125:1–2 The Security of Zion. The psalm begins by describing the secure position of those who trust in the LORD: they are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved (see 10:6 and note; 46:5). the mountains surround Jerusalem. The hills on which Jerusalem sits are a little lower than the hills around it, so that one can picture the surrounding hills as a wall. This serves as an image of the Lord’s protection, as he surrounds his people like a high wall encircling the city.