This verse underscores the believer’s need for divine help in combatting harmful speech and remaining steadfast in truth.
Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips, From a deceitful tongue. (v.2)
Psalm 120 is the first of the “Psalms of Ascents,” a group of fifteen songs (Psalms 120-134) sung by worshipers as they traveled upward to Jerusalem to celebrate the LORD’s feasts. These psalms often reflect a pilgrimage of both body and soul, highlighting real-life struggles along with the hope that God will bring deliverance. In Psalm 120, the psalmist confronts a specific anguish: falsehood and deception. By pleading, Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips, From a deceitful tongue, (v.2), the writer hands over his frustration and pain to God, recognizing that it is ultimately the LORD who can uphold truth amid a hostile environment. The imagery of “lying lips” and a “deceitful tongue” suggests betrayal and harm caused by slander or malicious words, a theme that appears throughout Scripture when the righteous cry out for God’s protection from such attacks.
In this verse, the psalmist acknowledges how dangerous slander can be to one’s soul, because lying words can destroy relationships and undermine the well-being of an entire community. By asking the LORD not only for external protection but for the deliverance of his soul, the psalmist displays the conviction that God’s intervention extends to both internal peace and the outward circumstances that threaten it. The psalmist’s cry echoes similar prayers in Scripture, including psalms where the faithful plead with God to shield them from false witnesses (Psalm 27:12) and to preserve them from those who use their tongues to spread evil (Proverbs 12:19; James 3:5-6). Even more so, the psalmist anticipates that God’s deliverance will come in due time, offering hope that truth reigns in the end.
Turning to the LORD in prayer also demonstrates the psalmist’s trust that God’s character is one of truth, justice, and redemption. The psalmist does not wage battle solely by human means but instead relies on the LORD’s vindication. In reminding himself and future readers of God’s power over deceit, the psalmist provides a model of faith: come before God with honesty about your situation and allow Him to be your defender, despite any desperation you might feel.
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Psalms 120:2 meaning
Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips, From a deceitful tongue. (v.2)
Psalm 120 is the first of the “Psalms of Ascents,” a group of fifteen songs (Psalms 120-134) sung by worshipers as they traveled upward to Jerusalem to celebrate the LORD’s feasts. These psalms often reflect a pilgrimage of both body and soul, highlighting real-life struggles along with the hope that God will bring deliverance. In Psalm 120, the psalmist confronts a specific anguish: falsehood and deception. By pleading, Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips, From a deceitful tongue, (v.2), the writer hands over his frustration and pain to God, recognizing that it is ultimately the LORD who can uphold truth amid a hostile environment. The imagery of “lying lips” and a “deceitful tongue” suggests betrayal and harm caused by slander or malicious words, a theme that appears throughout Scripture when the righteous cry out for God’s protection from such attacks.
In this verse, the psalmist acknowledges how dangerous slander can be to one’s soul, because lying words can destroy relationships and undermine the well-being of an entire community. By asking the LORD not only for external protection but for the deliverance of his soul, the psalmist displays the conviction that God’s intervention extends to both internal peace and the outward circumstances that threaten it. The psalmist’s cry echoes similar prayers in Scripture, including psalms where the faithful plead with God to shield them from false witnesses (Psalm 27:12) and to preserve them from those who use their tongues to spread evil (Proverbs 12:19; James 3:5-6). Even more so, the psalmist anticipates that God’s deliverance will come in due time, offering hope that truth reigns in the end.
Turning to the LORD in prayer also demonstrates the psalmist’s trust that God’s character is one of truth, justice, and redemption. The psalmist does not wage battle solely by human means but instead relies on the LORD’s vindication. In reminding himself and future readers of God’s power over deceit, the psalmist provides a model of faith: come before God with honesty about your situation and allow Him to be your defender, despite any desperation you might feel.