PSAL.CXXII.
David professeth his joy for the church, and prayeth for the peace thereof.
A Song of Degrees of David.
Title. המעלות שׁיר Shiir hammangaloth.] Dr. Chandler is of opinion, that this psalm was composed by David after he had settled the ark in mount Sion; when, being informed that many of his people were arrived at Jerusalem to attend on the sacred annual solemnities, and others resorted to it for the same religious purposes, to express his satisfaction on so joyful an occasion, and the pleasing prospect that he had of the city's prosperity, and the future happiness of his people, he composed the following most excellent ode. It is intitled, A song of Ascensions; and the nature of it seems to point out the reason of the title, and to shew that it was one of those hymns which were to be sung by the people when they ascended, or came up from their cities and dwellings to the yearly festivals at Jerusalem; as the very learned Bishop Lowth has observed in his excellent performance of the sacred poetry of the Hebrews; and the ode is a very elegant and lively one. Bishop Lowth's words are, "This is one of those fifteen psalms which are inscribed A Song of Ascensions; i.e. which were sung when the people ascended to Jerusalem; either to celebrate the yearly festivals, or when they returned from the Babylonish captivity." See his 25th Prelection, and the note on the title to the 120th psalm.
Psalms 122:1. Let us go into the house, &c.— Let us travel away, &c. Mudge; who understands the psalm differently from Dr. Chandler. The first verse, says he, expresses the pleasure with which the author received the proposal for going up to Jerusalem. In the second he arrived there: Our feet are standing within thy gates, &c. The third, fourth and fifth are a description of it arising from the sight of it: The four last are wishes for its prosperity.