Psalm 120 Meaning

The Cry of the Pilgrim: Christ in Psalm 120

Psalm 120 begins the Songs of Ascents (Psalms 120–134). These psalms were sung by Israel’s pilgrims as they traveled to Jerusalem for worship. But the first song doesn’t start with joy—it begins with lament. The pilgrim cries out from a world of lies and hostility, longing for God’s peace.

This psalm is not only the start of a journey to Zion; it is also a picture of the believer’s life in this fallen world, waiting for the peace of God’s kingdom. And it finds its fulfillment in Christ, the true Pilgrim who came to deliver us from deceit and strife.

Deliverance from Lies (Psalm 120:1–2)

“In my distress I called to the LORD,
and he answered me.

Deliver me, O LORD,
from lying lips,
from a deceitful tongue.”

Literary Note: The psalm begins with distress and deliverance. The pilgrim faces an environment of lies, where words wound and falsehood prevails. His only refuge is God, who alone can rescue from the destructive power of deceit.

Christological Fulfillment: Jesus is the Truth incarnate (John 14:6). He entered a world full of lying lips and deceitful tongues—false witnesses at his trial, mockers at his cross. Yet he overcame lies by bearing witness to the truth. Through his Spirit, he delivers us from the deception of sin, Satan, and the world.

This prayer is answered in Christ. He is the one who rescues us from the father of lies and sanctifies us by the truth of God’s Word (John 17:17).

The Fate of the Deceiver (Psalm 120:3–4)

“What shall be given to you,
and what more shall be done to you,
you deceitful tongue?

A warrior’s sharp arrows,
with glowing coals of the broom tree!”

Literary Note: Here the psalmist turns to address the deceiver directly. The question is rhetorical—what is the destiny of deceit? The answer is judgment: piercing arrows and consuming fire. Words that destroy will themselves be destroyed.

Christological Fulfillment: Christ bore false accusations, but the deceit of his enemies did not prevail. At the cross and in the resurrection, God vindicated his Son and condemned every lying tongue (Rom 3:4). In the end, Christ will judge with a sharp sword that comes from his mouth (Rev 19:15). Every false word will meet its end under the Word of God made flesh.

Longing for Peace in a Hostile World (Psalm 120:5–7)

“Woe to me, that I sojourn in Meshech,
that I dwell among the tents of Kedar!

Too long have I had my dwelling
among those who hate peace.

I am for peace,
but when I speak, they are for war!”

Literary Note: The psalmist laments his location among foreign peoples—“Meshech” and “Kedar” stand for distant, hostile tribes. His home is not one of peace but of conflict. His desire is peace, but he finds only war. This is the tension of pilgrimage: living in the world but not at home in it.

Christological Fulfillment: Jesus came into a world of strife as the Prince of Peace (Isa 9:6). Yet he was opposed at every turn. He offered peace, but his words were met with hostility. He was the ultimate pilgrim, leaving his Father’s house, tabernacling among us, and suffering rejection from the very ones he came to save (John 1:11).

And because Christ endured hostility for our sake, we who are in him share his peace. He has reconciled us to God (Rom 5:1) and to one another (Eph 2:14). The psalmist longed for peace—Christ gives it. The psalmist dwelt among those who hated peace—Christ has brought us into a kingdom where peace reigns forever.

Conclusion: The Pilgrim’s Song Fulfilled

Psalm 120 begins the Songs of Ascents with a sigh. The pilgrim cries out from a world of lies and strife, longing for God’s deliverance and peace. The psalm ends unresolved—surrounded by war, yet yearning for peace.

But in Christ, the song finds its answer.

• He delivers us from the lies of Satan and the deceit of sin.
• He judges falsehood with the sharp arrows of his truth.
• He brings the peace the world cannot give, reconciling us to God and securing our eternal home in the heavenly Jerusalem.

This psalm ends in tension—but that tension pushes us to lift our eyes. The Songs of Ascents move upward toward Zion, and Christ himself is our ascent. In him, the cry of Psalm 120 becomes the confidence of every believer: God has answered, God has delivered, and God has given us peace in Christ.