The big picture
Psalms 120 opens in verse 1 with “In my distress I cried unto the LORD , and he heard me.”, reaches its middle movement near verse 4 with “Sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals of juniper.”, and closes in verse 7 with “I am for peace: but when I speak, they are for war.” Repeated or prominent terms include LORD, peace, soul, tongue, arrows. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.
Scripture beside the summary
Psalms · King James Version · 7Psalms 120:1-7
1–7: In my distress I cried unto the LORD , and he heard me.
Psalms 120:1–7 opens with “In my distress I cried unto the LORD , and he heard me.” and reaches “I am for peace: but when I speak, they are for war.” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on the wording and movement of this passage, with particular weight carried by LORD, peace, soul.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 1 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
Psalms 120:1-7
King James Version1In my distress I cried unto the LORD , and he heard me.
2Deliver my soul, O LORD , from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue.
3What shall be given unto thee? or what shall be done unto thee, thou false tongue?
4Sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals of juniper.
5Woe is me, that I sojourn in Mesech, that I dwell in the tents of Kedar!
6My soul hath long dwelt with him that hateth peace.
7I am for peace: but when I speak, they are for war.
Details worth noticing
The opening image
Psalms 120:1 begins with “In my distress I cried unto the LORD , and he heard me.”
Where the chapter turns
Psalms 120:3 forms a natural hinge: “What shall be given unto thee? or what shall be done unto thee, thou false tongue?”
The final note
Psalms 120:7 leaves the reader with “I am for peace: but when I speak, they are for war.”
A word trail through the chapter
The words LORD, peace, soul, tongue, arrows, coals help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
KJV words made clear
- unto
- to
- thee
- you
- thou
- you
- hath
- has
- sojourn
- live somewhere as a resident outsider
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.