Psalm 120 begins the collection known as the Songs of Essence,
Which was sung by pilgrims travelling to Jerusalem for worship.
These psalms often reflect the spiritual journey of the soul,
Moving from distress and entanglement with the world,
Toward peace and union with God.
In our age of constant noise,
Misinformation and regional conflicts,
This psalm feels very close to home.
It speaks to the heart that longs for honesty,
Peace and relief from the pressures of living among people or circumstances that feel hostile or untruthful.
Let us journey through this psalm,
Verse by verse.
Psalm 120 In my distress I cried to the Lord,
And He heard me.
Deliver my soul,
O Lord,
From lying lips and from a deceitful tongue.
What shall be given to you,
Or what shall be done to you,
You false tongue,
Sharp arrows of the warrior with coals of the broom-tree?
Woe is me that I dwell in mess-het,
That I dwell among the tents of Kedar.
My soul has dwelt too long with one who hates peace.
I am for peace,
But when I speak,
They are for war.
Verse 1 In my distress I cried to the Lord,
And He heard me.
Every spiritual journey begins with a cry from the heart.
This verse captures that sacred moment when pain becomes prayer.
The psalmist does not hide distress or disguise emotion.
He brings it honestly before God.
In doing so,
He reminds us that prayer is not about perfection,
But presence.
Naming our distress is the first act of healing.
When we give shape to our inner pain,
Whether through words,
Tears,
Or even quiet surrender,
We create space for transformation.
The psalmist's assurance that he heard me teaches us to trust that our cries never vanish into silence.
They echo in the heart of God.
Verse 2 Deliver my soul,
O Lord,
From lying lips and from a deceitful tongue.
The psalmist seeks liberation from falsehood.
Both external deception and the internal lies we sometimes tell ourselves.
Words can wound deeply.
Deceit erodes trust and confuses the soul.
Falsehood,
Whether from others or from within,
It disturbs our sense of coherence.
We long for alignment between what we know,
What we say,
And what we live.
The psalmist's prayer for deliverance is a yearning for authenticity,
For a life rooted in truth.
This verse invites us to examine where dishonesty,
Gossip,
Or self-deception may still cling to us.
Truth is not harsh,
It is freeing.
God delivers us not only from others' deceit,
But from the subtle untruths that cloud our own hearts.
Verse 3-4 What shall be given to you,
Or what shall be done to you,
You false tongue?
Sharp arrows of the warrior,
With coals of the broom tree.
The psalmist turns his attention to the harm caused by deceitful words.
Lies pierce like arrows,
Slander burns like fire.
The image of coals of the broom tree speaks of a flame that burns hot and long,
Symbolic of the enduring pain caused by falsehood.
In our modern lives,
This verse reminds us of the deep scars left by betrayal and verbal cruelty.
Words shape our identity,
Our sense of belonging.
When used with malice,
They can fracture our inner peace.
Yet the psalmist also recognizes that justice and healing belong to God.
We need not carry the burden of revenge or resentment.
To release that weight is an act of profound trust,
A letting go that allows divine truth to restore balance.
Verse 5 Woe is me that I dwell in Meshe,
That I dwell among the tents of Kedar.
Meshe and Kedar were distant foreign tribes,
Symbols of alienation and disconnection.
The psalmist feels out of place,
Surrounded by those who do not share his values or his longing for peace.
Many of us know this feeling.
We live amid noise,
Competition,
Hostility that does not reflect our inner calling.
This verse speaks to the pilgrim soul's awareness.
I am not at home here.
This awareness is vital.
It helps us discern what environments nourish our well-being and which drain it.
Recognizing this is the first step toward change or inner detachment.
Verse 6 My soul has dwelt too long with one who hates peace.
The psalmist confesses a weariness that goes beyond the physical.
It is a soul-deep exhaustion.
To dwell among those who hate peace is to live in a climate of constant tension.
This can mirror toxic relationships,
Divisive workplaces or even our own mental clatter when we harbor resentment or judgment.
In contemplative life,
Dwelling too long represents remaining in spaces,
Inner or outer,
That hinder spiritual growth.
The psalm calls us to recognize this stagnation and to begin our ascent toward freedom.
Chronic exposure to negativity drains emotional resilience.
Healing begins by choosing peace.
Sometimes by changing our surroundings.
Sometimes by cultivating inner detachment.
Ask yourself,
Where have you dwelt too long?
And then,
With courage,
Take one step toward a more peaceful way of being.
Verse 7 I am for peace,
But when I speak they are for war.
This final verse,
The psalmist stands in integrity.
I am for peace.
He cannot control others' hostility,
But he can choose his stance.
This is spiritual maturity,
Holding to truth and calm amid turbulence.
This verse teaches the power of differentiation,
Being centered enough to maintain our values even when the world reacts with anger or resistance.
It is the calm voice that says,
I will not mirror your chaos.
This verse mirrors Christ's own peace.
The peace that remains steady in the storm.
The psalmist's declaration becomes a mantra of light.
I am for peace.
A Prayer Beloved Source of Peace In moments of distress,
Let our first cry be to You.
Deliver us from the lies that wound and the conflicts that weary the soul.
When we dwell among those who resist peace,
Let us not lose our own.
Anchor our hearts in Your stillness,
That we may walk gently,
Speak truthfully,
And carry peace wherever we go.
Amen.
