Psalms 123 A Prayer for Mercy

An earnest and expecting prayer for divine aid in distress

¹Unto thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens. ²Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the LORD our God, until that he have mercy upon us. ³Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us: for we are exceedingly filled with contempt. ⁴Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease, and with the contempt of the proud. Psalms 123:1-4 · KJV

1

(Compare Ps 121:1). thou that dwellest — literally, "sittest as enthroned" (compare Ps 2:4; 113:4, 5).

2

Deference, submission, and trust, are all expressed by the figure. In the East, servants in attending on their masters are almost wholly directed by signs, which require the closest observance of the hands of the latter. The servants of God should look (1) to His directing hand, to appoint them their work; (2) to His supplying hand (Ps 104:28), to give them their portion in due season; (3) to His protecting hand, to right them when wronged; (4) to His correcting hand (Isa 9:13; 1Pe 5:6; compare Ge 16:6); (5) to His rewarding hand.

3

contempt — was that of the heathen, and, perhaps, Samaritans (Ne 1:3; 2:19).

4

of those that are at ease — self-complacently, disregarding God's law, and despising His people.