Psalms 122

I was glad when people said to me, "Let's go to the house of the LORD."

1I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.

Note"The house of the LORD" is the temple in Jerusalem, the single sanctuary where Israelites brought offerings and kept the yearly festivals. This psalm is one of a set (Psalms 120–134) headed "a song of ascents," songs associated with the journey up to Jerusalem for those festivals.

2Our feet are standing inside your gates, Jerusalem.

2Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem.

NoteCity gates were the openings in the defensive wall and the only way in; to be standing inside them means the journey is over and the travelers have arrived. The Hebrew verb here has no clear tense, which is why the King James reads "shall stand" (still on the road, anticipating arrival) while most modern translations read "are standing" (already there).

3Jerusalem is built as a city packed tightly together, all its parts joined as one.

3Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together:

Note"Compact together" is older English for closely joined or fitted into one piece. It describes a walled city built up tightly, with its buildings and its rebuilt sections bonded into a single whole, rather than a scattered settlement.

4That is where the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD. It is a rule given to Israel that they go there to give thanks to the name of the LORD.

4Whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, unto the testimony of Israel, to give thanks unto the name of the LORD.

Note"The tribes" are the twelve family groups descended from Jacob's sons, into which Israel was divided. "Go up" is the standard expression for traveling to Jerusalem, which sits on high ground; pilgrims went up to it from any direction. The law required the men of Israel to appear at the sanctuary three times a year, at Passover, Weeks and Booths.

5For the thrones where judgment is given stand there, the thrones that belong to the family of David.

5For there are set thrones of judgment, the thrones of the house of David.

Note"Testimony" in verse 4 translates a Hebrew word meaning a binding decree or standing ordinance, hence the rendering "a rule given to Israel." In this verse, the thrones of judgment are the seats of the king's court: in Israel the king was also the highest judge, so the royal throne and the judge's bench were the same thing. "The house of David" means David's dynasty, his descendants as a ruling line, not a building.

6Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: "May everyone who loves you do well."

6Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.

NoteThe Hebrew of this verse is built on sound: the words for "pray" (sha'alu), "peace" (shalom) and the name Jerusalem all chime together, an effect no English translation can carry over. "Peace" here (shalom) is broader than the absence of war; it covers safety, health and general wellbeing.

7"May there be peace inside your walls, and safety and plenty inside your strong towers."

7Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces.

Note"Palaces" is the King James rendering of a Hebrew word meaning fortified towers or citadels, the strongpoints built into a city's defenses, not luxurious royal homes. "Prosperity" translates a word for security and freedom from want.

8For the sake of my brothers and my friends, I will say, "May there be peace inside you."

8For my brethren and companions’ sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee.

Note"Brethren and companions" means fellow Israelites and fellow travelers, the wider kin and neighbors who make the pilgrimage together, rather than blood brothers specifically.

9For the sake of the house of the LORD our God, I will work for your good.

9Because of the house of the LORD our God I will seek thy good.

Note"Seek thy good" is a set phrase meaning to actively work for someone's welfare, not merely to wish them well.