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Psalm 125[a]

A song of ascents.[b]

125 Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,
which cannot be moved and will endure forever.
As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
so the Lord surrounds his people,
now and forevermore.
Indeed,[c] the scepter of a wicked king[d] will not settle[e]
upon the allotted land of the godly.
Otherwise the godly
might do what is wrong.[f]

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 125:1 sn Psalm 125. The psalmist affirms his confidence in the Lord’s protection and justice.
  2. Psalm 125:1 sn The precise significance of this title, which appears in Pss 120-134, is unclear. Perhaps worshipers recited these psalms when they ascended the road to Jerusalem to celebrate annual religious festivals. For a discussion of their background see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 219-21.
  3. Psalm 125:3 tn Or “for.”
  4. Psalm 125:3 tn Heb “a scepter of wickedness.” The “scepter” symbolizes royal authority; when collocated with “wickedness” the phrase refers to an oppressive foreign conqueror.
  5. Psalm 125:3 tn Or “rest.”
  6. Psalm 125:3 tn Heb “so that the godly might not stretch out their hands in wrongdoing.” A wicked king who sets a sinful example can have an adverse moral and ethical effect on the people he rules.