Psalm 125
The LORD surrounds his people.
THE LORD SURROUNDS HIS PEOPLE
A Song of Ascents.
NOTE: The term “A Song of Ascents” identifies psalms 120 to 134 as pilgrim songs to be sung when the Israelites “ascended” (went up) to Jerusalem for the annual feasts.
VERSE 1. Those who trust in the LORD are as Mount Zion, which can’t be moved, but remains forever.
In the Philokalia, St. Isaiah the Solitary refers to this verse.
can’t be moved. Believers in the LORD God are generally secure and unshakable.
remains forever. Trusting in the LORD triggers a non-stop cascade of blessings. And it lasts through eternity.
VERSE 2. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people from this time forward and forever more.
the LORD surrounds his people. The LORD surrounds us.
Sometimes his presence is like a shield that protects us. At other times his presence is like a warm blanket that’s wrapped around us on a cold night.
VERSE 3. For the scepter of wickedness won’t remain over the allotment of the righteous; so that the righteous won’t use their hands to do evil.
scepter of wickedness. Literally the “rod” of wickedness.
won’t use their hands to do evil. The trouble will not be more than they can endure. This reminds us of something St. Paul wrote:
1 Corinthians 10:13. No temptation has taken you except what is common to man. God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able, but will with the temptation also make the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
VERSE 4. Do good, LORD, to those who are good, to those who are upright in their hearts.
VERSE 5. But as for those who turn away to their crooked ways, The LORD will lead them away with the workers of iniquity. Peace be on Israel.
lead them away with the workers of iniquity. Any of the LORD’s God’s people who turn aside to wickedness will same fate as the wicked.
PSALMS
CHAPTERS: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147, 148, 149, 150
Deuterocanonical chapter: 151
RESOURCES: Summary, Outline, Memorize, David’s Fasting
Unless otherwise noted, all Bible quotations on this page are from the World English Bible and the World Messianic Edition. These translations have no copyright restrictions. They are in the Public Domain.