Psalms 122: A city held together by worship and judgment

Psalm 122 begins with gladness at an invitation and ends with a personal commitment to seek Jerusalem’s good. Between those points, the city is described not merely by walls but by the functions that make it a shared center. The tribes go up together to give thanks to the name of the LORD, and the thrones of the house of David sit there for judgment. The Book of Psalms therefore places worship and justice beside each other in its account of Jerusalem’s significance. The prayer for peace moves from walls and palaces to brethren, companions, and the house of God. Love for the city is not admiration of power for its own sake. The speaker wants security and prosperity because people live there, judgment is administered there, and worship gathers there. The feet that entered the gates in joy now belong to someone willing to seek the city’s good.