Psalm 121:2 - Printer Friendly

ESV: My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

NIV: My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.

NASB: My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.

CSB: My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.

NLT: My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth!

KJV: My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.

NKJV: My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.

In this verse the psalmist answers the question he raised in verse 1 (Psalm 121:1). This passage was used by travelers on their way to Jerusalem. That journey could be dangerous, as bandits or other hostile men might hide in the hills to attack vulnerable pilgrims. The ultimate source of confidence, in any such situation, is God.

The psalmist describes the Lord as the creator of heaven and earth. Not all people of Israel were faithful to that truth. Some worshiped false gods and built shrines on the high places in the hills. For example, King Ahaz of Judah sacrificed and made offerings on the high places and on the hills (2 Kings 16:1, 4). The psalmist worshiped the true God and recognized that He had created everything in heaven and on earth. There was no reason to fear anything because such a powerful God was his helper.

The Bible acknowledges that God does not absolutely guarantee our safety in earthly life (Psalm 22:12–18; 25:16; John 16:33). Yet our omniscient and loving heavenly Father watches over us, all the same. Nothing that happens is outside His control or His knowledge. Therefore, we have nothing to fear. In Genesis 18:14, when Sarah laughed at the announcement that she would bear a child, the Lord asked Abraham, "Is anything too hard for the LORD?" And in Luke 1:37, when the angel Gabriel told Mary, a virgin, that she would give birth to the Son of God and that her barren cousin Elizabeth would give birth in her old age, he explained, "For nothing will be impossible with God."

Psalm 121:1–2 begins another "song of ascent." These were apparently sung by those traveling to Jerusalem to observe one of the three mandatory annual feasts (Exodus 23:14–17). The writer is journeying through the hills on the way to Jerusalem to observe an annual festival. As he looks around, he sees the hills that might harbor robbers. He asks, therefore, where his protection lies. He answers that his help comes from the Lord, who created heaven and earth. This fact would comfort and encourage him as he traveled.

Songs of ascent were probably used to pass the time as pilgrims traveled to Jerusalem for one of the required feasts. In this example, someone comments about the hills, possibly worried about the presence of robbers. They express faith in God's protection. This is echoed, perhaps by others in the traveling party. They point out that God is never caught unaware, and that His loving guidance of His people will never end.

This psalm is the second identified as a "song of ascent." The songs of ascent are Psalms 120–134. These were sung as the people of Israel journeyed through the hills on their way to Jerusalem to observe the annual festivals. David is credited with authoring Psalms 122, 124, 131, and 133. Solomon is cited as the author of Psalm 127, and the rest are anonymous. The leader of the worshipers began Psalm 121 by voicing verses 1 and 2, and others responded with the verses that follow.

The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.