Изъяснение псалма 120-го.

"Song of Degrees". And this psalm befits the Jews still living in Babylon. Ps.120:1. I lift up my eyes to the mountains, from where my help will come. “I have lifted up my eyes to the mountains, but from here my help will come.” Constrained by many and all kinds of sorrows, I turned my eyes everywhere, wanting to receive some kind of help. Ps.120:2. My help comes from the Lord, who created heaven and earth. “My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” But I know that I will not receive any human benefit; God’s favor alone is enough for me. And showing the power of this help, he added; “who created heaven and earth”; because the one who created them with a word can help me too. For this the Prophet depicts what they should do. Ps.120:3. He will not allow your foot to be shaken, He who guards you will not slumber. “Do not let your feet fall into confusion, keep you from slumbering,” that is, if you continue to have firm hope in Him, then you will be worthy of all kinds of care from Him. This: “He who protects you will not sleep,” is said in a human form; The image of speech is taken from those guarding herds, troops and cities. And that the nature of God is passionless, the Prophet made it clear in the following words. Ps.120:4. He who guards Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps. “Behold, he will not sleep; he who guards Israel will fall asleep.” The Guardian is vigilant by nature; but when you hesitate, then He, as if in a kind of slumber, will take upon Himself carelessness about you, will cease to care about you, and will allow anyone who wants to plot evil against you. Ps.120:5. The Lord is your keeper; The Lord is your shadow at your right hand. “The Lord will protect you; the Lord will cover your hand and your right hand.” He said this in the fifteenth psalm: “I have seen the Lord before me, as he is at my right hand, so that I will not move” (Psalm 15:8). Therefore, here he says that, standing at your right hand, he will cover and protect you, and will make you worthy of all providence. Ps.120:6. The sun will not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. “During the days the sun will not burn you, the moon will not burn you at night.” They say that the moon is not only wet, but also hot, and like the sun burns bodies; The Prophet says that by using His providence night and day, you will remain unharmed. It also reminds them of an ancient legend. For when they were freed from Egyptian slavery, overshadowed by a cloud, they did not experience the heat of the sun. Ps.120:7. The Lord will keep you from all evil; [the Lord] will preserve your soul. Ps.120:8. The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in from now on and forever. “The Lord will preserve you from all evil, the Lord will preserve your soul”: “The Lord will preserve your coming in and your going out, from now on and forever.” With these words, the Prophet expressed all of God’s providence, in which we overcome enemies who are hostile to us, and avoid the snares laid by enemies, visible and invisible. You might be interested in: