Psalm 123:3 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us, for we have had more than enough of contempt.

NIV: Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us, for we have endured no end of contempt.

NASB: Be gracious to us, Lord, be gracious to us, For we have had much more than enough of contempt.

CSB: Show us favor, Lord, show us favor, for we’ve had more than enough contempt.

NLT: Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy, for we have had our fill of contempt.

KJV: Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us: for we are exceedingly filled with contempt.

NKJV: Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us! For we are exceedingly filled with contempt.

While asking for God's mercy, the psalmist also mentions "contempt." It's possible this psalm was written after the Babylonian exile (2 Chronicles 36:17–21). When the people returned, they needed to rebuild Jerusalem's walls and reconstruct the temple (Ezra 2:1; 3:8). They faced opposition and mockery from surrounding enemies (Nehemiah 4:1–5). The psalmist may also have felt disrespected by those with more power and money (Psalm 123:4).

Christians also need the Lord's help to withstand a world which looks down on us. Jesus understands what this feels like (Hebrews 4:15). The servant is not greater than the Master, so we cannot expect to receive less contempt or more honor than He did (John 15:20). He was despised and rejected (Isaiah 53:3) and He predicted that His followers, like Him, would be persecuted (John 16:33). And yet Jesus can grant His people peace (John 14:27), and He promises mercy and grace to those who draw near to His throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16).

Psalm 123:3–4 begs for relief from disrespect and sneering from others. The guilty ones here are described as "the proud" and those "at ease." This seems to suggest those who were wealthy and powerful looking down on the poor. It may also allude to the way foreign nations looked at Israel with derision.

This is one of the fifteen songs "of ascents" (Psalm 120—134) used as Israelites climbed towards Jerusalem and Mount Zion (2 Samuel 5:7; 1 Kings 8:1) for annual feasts (Deuteronomy 16:16). The psalmist mourns the sneering and insults of those who look down on him. This might mean hatred for Jewish people, but it seems to be more about the wealthy scoffing at the poor. The song ends with a prayer for relief from that burden.

This is another of the fifteen songs "of ascents" used as Israelites climbed towards Jerusalem and Mount Zion (2 Samuel 5:7; 1 Kings 8:1) for annual feasts (Deuteronomy 16:16). The scorn mentioned here is probably about rich people looking down on the poor. However, it may also refer to the contempt of other nations for the people of Israel. This was a major problem while rebuilding Jerusalem after the exile (Ezra 2:1; Nehemiah 4:1–4).

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.

Accessed 11/23/2024 4:09:44 AM