Psalm 122 verses 1-3

The opening verses of Psalm 122 instruct us to cultivate a sense of our total dependence on God.

1	V/NV/JH	Ad te levávi óculos meos, * qui hábitas in cælis.
	Septuagint	πρὸς σὲ ἦρα τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς μου τὸν κατοικοῦντα ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ

Text notes: ‘Ad te’ (To you) is emphatic, that is, ‘to you only’.  Lifting the eyes (levavi oculos) suggests an attitude of prayer.

levo, avi, atum, are  to rise, lift up, elevate.

oculus, i, , the eye.

habito, avi, atum, are  to dwell, abide, live.

caelum, i, n., or caeli, orum, m.  heaven, the abode of God; the heavens as opposed to the earth; the air;

DR	To you have I lifted up my eyes, who dwell in heaven.
Brenton’s Septuagint	Unto thee who dwellest in heaven have I lifted up mine eyes.
MD	Unto Thee I lift up mine eyes, Who art enthroned in heaven
RSV	To thee I lift up my eyes, O thou who art enthroned in the heavens!
Cover	Unto thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens.

St Augustine puts the text in the context of the pilgrimage of life:

"What makes the heart of a Christian heavy? Because he is a pilgrim, and longs for his country. If your heart be heavy on this score, although you have been prosperous in the world, still thou dost groan: and if all things combine to render you prosperous, and this world smile upon you on every side, thou nevertheless groanest, because you see that you are set in a pilgrimage; and feelest that you have indeed happiness in the eyes of fools, but not as yet after the promise of Christ: this you seek with groans, this you seek with longings, and by longing ascendest, and while you ascend dost sing the Song of Degrees..."

The saint pictures our ascent in terms of Jacob's ladder:

"Where then are the ladders? For we behold so great an interval between heaven and earth, there is so wide a separation, and so great a space of regions between: we wish to climb there, we see no ladder; do we deceive ourselves, because we sing the Song of Degrees, that is, the Song of ascent? We ascend unto heaven, if we think of God, who has made ascending steps in the heart. What is to ascend in heart? To advance towards God. As every man who fails, does not descend, but falls: so every one who profits does ascend: but if he so profit, as to avoid pride: if he so ascend as not to fall: but if while he profits he become proud, in ascending he again falls. But that he may not be proud, what ought he to do? Let him lift up his eyes unto Him who dwells in heaven, let him not heed himself…" 

Our ascent is, of course, spiritual, not literal.   Though we only truly dwell in heaven after we die, there is a sense in which heaven can dwell in us even now:

"If, my brethren, we understand by heaven the firmament which we see with our bodily eyes, we shall indeed so err, as to imagine that we cannot ascend there without ladders, or some scaling machines: but if we ascend spiritually, we ought to understand heaven spiritually: if the ascent be in affection, heaven is in righteousness. What is then the heaven of God? All holy souls, all righteous souls. For the Apostles also, although they were on earth in the flesh, were heaven; for the Lord, enthroned in them, traversed the whole world. He then dwells in heaven. How?...How long are they the temple according to faith? As long as Christ dwells in them through faith; as the Apostle says, That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. But they are already heaven in whom God already dwells visibly, who see Him face to face; all the holy Apostles, all the holy Virtues, Powers, Thrones, Lordships, that heavenly Jerusalem, wanderers from whence we groan, and for which we pray with longing; and there God dwells."

2	V	Ecce sicut óculi servórum, * in mánibus dominórum suórum.
	NV	Ecce sicut oculi servorum ad manus dominorum suorum,
	JH	Ecce sicut oculi seruorum ad manum dominorum suorum,
	Sept	ἰδοὺ ὡς ὀφθαλμοὶ δούλων εἰς χεῖρας τῶν κυρίων αὐτῶν

ecce, adv.  lol see! behold

sicut, adv., as, just as, like.

servus, i, m., a slave, servant; servants of the Lord, devout men who keep the law; the people, i.e., the Israelites

in+abl - into , onto, against, for (the purpose of)

manus, us, ,  hand

Dominus, i, m. a master, lord, ruler, owner, possessor

DR	Behold as the eyes of servants are on the hands of their masters,
Brenton	Behold, as the eyes of servants are directed to the hands of their masters,
Cover	Behold, even as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters,

Pope Benedict XVI sought to explain the analogy for modern readers:

The gaze of the Most High who "looks down on the sons of men to see if any are wise, if any seek God" (Ps 14[13]: 2), is often mentioned in the Psalter. The Psalmist, as we have heard, uses an image, that of the servant and slave who look to their master, waiting for him to make a decision that will set them free. Even if this scene is connected with the ancient world and its social structures, the idea is clear and full of meaning: the image taken from the world of the ancient East is intended to exalt the attachment of the poor, the hope of the oppressed and the availability of the just to the Lord. The person of prayer is waiting for the divine hands to move because they will act justly and destroy evil. This is why, in the Psalter, the one praying raises his hope-filled eyes to the Lord. "My eyes are always on the Lord; for he rescues my feet from the snare" (Ps 25[24]: 15), while "My eyes are wasted away from looking for my God" (Ps 69[68]: 4).

3	V	Sicut óculi ancíllæ in mánibus dóminæ suæ: * ita óculi nostri ad Dóminum, Deum nostrum, donec misereátur nostri.
	NV	sicut oculi ancillae ad manus dominae suae, ita oculi nostri ad Dominum Deum nostrum, donec misereatur nostri.
	JH	sicut oculi ancillae ad manum dominae suae, sic oculi nostri ad Dominum Deum nostrum, donec misereatur nostri.
	Sept	ὡς ὀφθαλμοὶ παιδίσκης εἰς χεῖρας τῆς κυρίας αὐτῆς οὕτως οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ ἡμῶν πρὸς κύριον τὸν θεὸν ἡμῶν ἕως οὗ οἰκτιρήσαι ἡμᾶς

Text notes: The sense is of complete dependence – just as the female slave (ancilla) is dependent (in the hands of) her mistresses’ whims, so we wait for God to have mercy on us.

ancilla, ae, a handmaid, maidservant.

ita – so, thus, even, in this manner

donec, conj., till, until

misereor, sertus sum, eri 2 to pity, have mercy on.

DR	As the eyes of the handmaid are on the hands of her mistress: so are our eyes unto the Lord our God, until he have mercy on us.
Brenton	and as the eyes of a maidservant to the hands of her mistress; so our eyes are directed to the Lord our God, until he have mercy upon us.
Cover	and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress, even so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God, until he have mercy upon us.

St John Chrysostom points to the importance of the reference to mercy:

Note how those who had previously been summoned to direct their steps to God, and had been halfhearted and recalcitrant, now were made so much better by the experience of disaster as to be unwilling to desert him, and instead persisted in his service and sought his interests until he has pity on us. The psalmist did not say, "Until he pays," or "Until he gives a reward," but until he has mercy. You for your part, then, human being that you are, persist without fail, whether you receive or do not receive, and if you do not re­ceive, do not give up and you will receive. After all, if the importu­nity of a widow wore down that inflexible official, what excuse would you have for giving in, losing heart and becoming supine? Do you not see how the maidservants hang on the words of their mistresses, not permitting thought or eye to be distracted? Do like­wise in your case, too: follow God alone, ignore everything else, be one of his, and in every respect you will receive everything you ask to your advantage.

Cassiodorus provides an interesting commentary on the feminine imagery:

Some com­mentators wish to attach this verse too to the Lord, to the point of identifying the mistress with the Lord God, because of the text: Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. But in case the difference of sex may alienate some people, the passage can perhaps be understood like this: earlier he made the comparison with servants and masters, and so that the female sex should not consider itself excluded, another parallel is provided for them, for the handmaid attends on the hands of her mistress as do male servants on the hands of their masters. Then follows the statement embracing both sexes, So are our eyes unto the Lord our God, until he have mercy on us. The preceding parallel is clarified by the use of so. Whether we seek some success from the Lord, or when we bear torments of mind or body, we always raise our eyes to the Lord. He also added our to eyes, so that both sexes could interpret this as spoken of themselves. He appended: Until he have mercy on us, to show that both men and women should patiently seek divine blessings, and continually make entreaty to Him. 

Psalm 122 - Ad te levavi

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
Canticum graduum
1  Ad te levávi óculos meos, * qui hábitas in cælis.	To you have I lifted up my eyes, who dwell in heaven.
2  Ecce sicut óculi servórum, * in mánibus dominórum suórum.	2 Behold as the eyes of servants are on the hands of their masters,
3  Sicut óculi ancíllæ in mánibus dóminæ suæ: * ita óculi nostri ad Dóminum, Deum nostrum, donec misereátur nostri.	As the eyes of the handmaid are on the hands of her mistress: so are our eyes unto the Lord our God, until he have mercy on us.
4  Miserére nostri, Dómine, miserére nostri: * quia multum repléti sumus despectióne:	3 Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us: for we are greatly filled with contempt.
5  Quia multum repléta est ánima nostra: * oppróbrium abundántibus, et despéctio supérbis.	4 For our soul is greatly filled: we are a reproach to the rich, and contempt to the proud

Gradual Psalms - Introduction to Psalm 122

In the previous Gradual Psalm, the last psalm of Terce, the speaker focuses his attention on the holy city.

Now, with the first psalm of Sext, Psalm 122, we are invited to look even higher, lifting our eyes towards God himself.  There may be something programmatic about this, for Sext of course, was traditionally said at (solar) midday when the Sun is at its highest point, and also the hour when Christ ascended the cross.

Psalm 122 - Ad te levavi

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
Canticum graduum
1  Ad te levávi óculos meos, * qui hábitas in cælis.	To you have I lifted up my eyes, who dwell in heaven.
2  Ecce sicut óculi servórum, * in mánibus dominórum suórum.	2 Behold as the eyes of servants are on the hands of their masters,
3  Sicut óculi ancíllæ in mánibus dóminæ suæ: * ita óculi nostri ad Dóminum, Deum nostrum, donec misereátur nostri.	As the eyes of the handmaid are on the hands of her mistress: so are our eyes unto the Lord our God, until he have mercy on us.
4  Miserére nostri, Dómine, miserére nostri: * quia multum repléti sumus despectióne:	3 Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us: for we are greatly filled with contempt.
5  Quia multum repléta est ánima nostra: * oppróbrium abundántibus, et despéctio supérbis.	4 For our soul is greatly filled: we are a reproach to the rich, and contempt to the proud

Attempts to assign this psalm to a particular time period in Israel’s history are entirely speculative, and probably unhelpful in my view.  

A more important question is why it fits in with the psalms of Ascent.  But perhaps the answer is that it speaks of the normal state of the earthly pilgrim: beset by the effects of our own sins and the attacks of enemies, we wait anxiously and pray for God to show us the signs of his forgiveness.  Some commentators also suggest that the psalm alludes to the hope of the second coming.

The opening verses set before us the idea of our total dependence of God for his gifts - and punishments - just as a slave is on his or her master/mistress.  The analogy of the slave or servant’s relationship to their master or mistress is not one that has many resonances to a modern Western reader, perhaps.  Accordingly, we might better think of the psalm as being firstly about self-abandonment: the slave is totally dependent on his master for food, clothing, instructions on what to do, punishments and rewards; so too should we think of our relationship to God, acknowledging that nothing truly comes from our own efforts, but all requires his grace.  St Ambrose writes, Christ is everything for us.

The second dimension of the slave/servant analogy that is worth considering is the implication of the reverent awe with which we should raise our eyes to God.  It is true of course, that we are invited to progress from fear of God based on the threat of punishment and dread of hell, to a filial fear based on love.  But as the Rule of St Benedict makes clear in Chapter 7, on humility, we do need to ground ourselves in the fear of punishment first, and remind ourselves of it from time to time even when we have progressed.  And no matter how far we progress, we should never forget that our salvation is God’s free gift, not a right, or something we can ever merit through our own efforts.

The sense of verses 4 and 5 is that we are fed up with being looked down on by the rich and proud - noting that rich and proud doesn't just mean material wealth, but rather evildoers in general who pursue their own pleasure at everyone else's expense (though the two conditions often coincide). The psalm serves as reminder that adherence to the good is somehow affronting to many, and brings forth attempts to humiliate those who pursue truth.  The moral truth pointed to here is that we must bear our sufferings with patience, knowing that God will fill us up with good things.

Psalm 121, verses 7-9

7	V	Fiat pax in virtúte tua: * et abundántia in túrribus tuis.
	NV	Fiat pax in muris tuis, et securitas in turribus tuis! ”.
	JH	Sit pax in muris tuis : abundantia in domibus tuis.
	Sept	γενέσθω δὴ εἰρήνη ἐν τῇ δυνάμει σου καὶ εὐθηνία ἐν ταῖς πυργοβάρεσίν σου

Text notes:  The Hebrew is closer to palaces here rather than towers in meaning.

virtus, utis, strength, power, might; an army, host; the angels.; the heavenly bodies, the sun, moon, and stars

turris, is,,  a tower; a palace.

DR	Let peace be in your strength: and abundance in your towers.
MD	Peace be within thy ramparts, and repose within they towers
Brenton	Let peace, I pray, be within thine host, and prosperity in thy palaces.
Cover	Peace be within thy walls, and plenteousness within thy palaces.
Grail	May peace reign in your walls, in your palaces, peace!"

St Robert Bellarmine interprets this verse as instructions on what we should pray for in relation to the Church:

He dictates the very words in which those who pray for peace and abundance to Jerusalem are to salute her. When you salute her say ye, "Let peace be in thy strength, and abundance in thy towers;" that is to say, may your walk be always secure and fortified, thereby ensuring perfect peace and quiet to all who dwell within them; "and abundance in thy towers;" no lack of meat or drink in your public buildings and private houses. 

8	V	Propter fratres meos, et próximos meos, * loquébar pacem de te:
	NV	Propter fratres meos et proximos meos loquar: “ Pax in te! ”.
	JH	Propter fratres meos et amicos meos loquar pacem tibi.
	Sept.	ἕνεκα τῶν ἀδελφῶν μου καὶ τῶν πλησίον μου ἐλάλουν δὴ εἰρήνην περὶ σοῦ

Text notes:  The Vulgate puts the second phrase in the imperfect (I was speaking peace of you); the Neo-Vulgate changes it to ‘Peace [be] within you’ to match the Hebrew.

propter, prep, with ace. In stating a cause: on account of, by reason of, because of, from, for, for the sake of.

frater, tris, m.  a brothe;  a fellow-man, kinsman, one of the same tribe; in the pi., usually rendered brethren. proximus, i, m., neighbor, friend, fellowman

loquor, locutus sum, loqui, to speak, utter, tell

DR	For the sake of my brethren, and of my neighbours, I spoke peace of you
MD	In behalf of my brother and my friends, I bespeak thee peace
Brenton	For the sake of my brethren and my neighbours, I have indeed spoken peace concerning thee.
Cover	For my brethren and companions’ sakes, I will wish thee prosperity.
Knox	For love of my brethren and my familiar friends, peace is still my prayer for thee;
Grail	For love of my brethren and friends I say: "Peace upon you."

This is a call to unity, Cassiodorus points out:

"He proclaims peace and denotes the signs of his peace as perfect men do. He says that he has proclaimed the peace of the Church for the sake of his brethren and neighbours, so that once instructed by this virtue of concord, they may love and seek unity. So he carried out his own teaching; through love of his brethren he proclaimed what he knew would be of benefit to all. So his message is that a person should not teach for his own praises or benefits, but should toil with merciful heart for the sake of brethren and neighbours."

St John Chrysostom's take on theme has a particularly contemporary relevance:

"After saying For the sake of my brethren and my neighbors, he wanted to show that he was praying for this not on account of their worthiness but rather that he might do them a favor, so he added For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, that is, I pray for peace for the sake of his glory so that his worship may once more return and instruction become more widespread."

9	V	Propter domum Dómini, Dei nostri, * quæsívi bona tibi.
	NV	Propter domum Domini Dei nostri exquiram bona tibi.
	JH	Propter domum Domini Dei nostri quaeram bona tibi.
	Sept	ἕνεκα τοῦ οἴκου κυρίου τοῦ θεοῦ ἡμῶν ἐξεζήτησα ἀγαθά σοι

domus, us,  a house, structure

quaeso, ivi or ii, ere 3 to beg, pray, beseech, entreat

bonus, a, um, good;  pleasant; upright  good things, possessions, prosperity.

DR	Because of the house of the Lord our God, I have sought good things for you.
MD	In behalf of the house of the Lord our God, I seek thee good.
Brenton	Because of the house of the Lord our God, I have diligently sought thy good.
Cover	Yea, because of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek to do thee good.
Grail	For love of the house of the Lord I will ask for your good.

St Augustine comments: 

"This solid city is the Church. Christ is the cement that binds it together. On earth, when the cement is poured, the walls are built up and the weight of the wall presses down to where the foundation has been laid. But if our foundation—Christ—is in heaven, then let us build up to heaven. In the basilica you see before you, in which we are gathered together today, the architects spread the cement to build from the ground up; but when we are re­made as a spiritual temple, the cement is poured upon us from on high. Let us make haste, then, to that place; let us run on until our feet are walking in your shadows, Jerusalem"

Psalm 121: Laetatus sum

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
Canticum graduum.
1  Lætátus sum in his, quæ dicta sunt mihi: *  In domum Dómini íbimus.	I rejoiced at the things that were said to me: We shall go into the house of the Lord.
2  Stantes erant pedes nostri, * in átriis tuis, Jerúsalem.	2 Our feet were standing in your courts, O Jerusalem.
3  Jerúsalem, quæ ædificátur ut cívitas: * cujus participátio ejus in idípsum.	3 Jerusalem, which is built as a city, which is compact together.
4  Illuc enim ascendérunt tribus, tribus Dómini: * testimónium Israël ad confiténdum nómini Dómini.	4 For thither did the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord: the testimony of Israel, to praise the name of the Lord.
5  Quia illic sedérunt sedes in judício, * sedes super domum David.	5 Because their seats have sat in judgment, seats upon the house of David.
6  Rogáte quæ ad pacem sunt Jerúsalem: * et abundántia diligéntibus te:	6 Pray for the things that are for the peace of Jerusalem: and abundance for them that love you.
7  Fiat pax in virtúte tua: * et abundántia in túrribus tuis.	7 Let peace be in your strength: and abundance in your towers
8  Propter fratres meos, et próximos meos, * loquébar pacem de te:	8 For the sake of my brethren, and of my neighbours, I spoke peace of you.
9  Propter domum Dómini, Dei nostri, * quæsívi bona tibi.	9 Because of the house of the Lord our God, I have sought good things for you.

And for notes on Psalm 122, go here.