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Psalm 123:1-2
New Catholic Bible
Psalm 123:1-2
New Catholic Bible
Psalm 123[a]
Prayer in Time of Spiritual Need
1 A song of ascents.
I lift up my eyes to you,
to you who are enthroned in heaven.[b]
2 Behold, as the eyes of servants[c]
are on the hand of their master,
or as the eyes of a maid
focus on the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes are on the Lord, our God,
as we wait for him to show us his mercy.
Footnotes
- Psalm 123:1 Upon returning from the Exile, Israel experienced prolonged and harsh humiliations: vexations from nearby nations and from the Persian administration and persecution later on. The pilgrims do not feel the need to recite at length the list of their misfortunes, for these are too well known. The prayer is expressed in a simple attitude: eyes humbly and perseveringly fixed toward the Lord await a sign of hope. Can people be more true before God?
This psalm can serve to show the right attitude we should have toward Christ. John (Jn 10:28f) amply indicates that the inner and outer life of the Church and Christians is sovereignly regulated by the risen Christ together with his Father. Our faith assures us that the almighty hand of Christ will save us when we call for help against our inner and outer enemies. We should keep our eyes fixed continuously on him in the never-ending battle we must wage in this world (see Heb 12:2). - Psalm 123:1 The psalmist indicates the awesome power of God, the Ruler of the universe enthroned in heaven, who “does whatever he pleases” (Ps 115:3), and whose love and wisdom are beyond our calculation (see Ps 36:5; Isa 55:9).
- Psalm 123:2 The fate of male or female slaves was entirely in the hands of their masters or mistresses. Their welfare or their woe depended completely on the will of their overseers, whose hands could bestow benefits or punishments. Hence, the psalmist pictures the slaves as keeping their eyes fixed on their masters and mistresses. In like manner, God’s people fix their eyes on their Lord with utter dependence; like servants and a maid, they look to their Master—for acts of kindness and mercy.
For the Lord rules sovereignly. He is on the throne (see Pss 2:4; 11:4; 102:13; 115:3) even when the arrogant assail his people. No matter how exalted this God of Israel may be, he is still the Lord (“Yahweh”), the God who is faithful to the covenant he has made with his people and is ever ready to help them in any adversity.
