Unknown
Psalm 123
A Song of degrees.
Scripture (KJV)
1Unto thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens.
2Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God, until that he have mercy upon us.
3Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us: for we are exceedingly filled with contempt.
4Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease, and with the contempt of the proud.
Summary
Psalm 123 is a brief Song of Ascents of humble dependence. The worshipper lifts his eyes to the Lord who dwells in the heavens, comparing the posture of his soul to a servant watching the master’s hand or a maiden watching her mistress’s hand—attentive, dependent, waiting for mercy. The repetition, “Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us,” expresses the urgency of a community “exceedingly filled with contempt” and scorning from those at ease and from the proud.
The major themes are humility, waiting, mercy, contempt, and dependence. The image of the watching servant is striking: the believer’s gaze is fixed not on circumstances but on the Lord, awaiting His merciful gesture. Practically, the psalm teaches that the appropriate response to scorn is not retaliation but a steady, humble gaze on God until He shows mercy. The great lesson is that the eyes of the servant are on the hand of the Master until He has mercy.
Key Themes
A Prayer from Psalm 123
O You who dwell in the heavens, I lift my eyes to You. As the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, and as the eyes of a maiden to the hand of her mistress, so my eyes wait on You, Lord my God, until You have mercy on me. Have mercy on me, O Lord, have mercy on me, for I am exceedingly filled with contempt. My soul is filled with the scorning of those who are at ease and the contempt of the proud. Keep my gaze steady on Your hand, that I may not be distracted by the scorn of others or the pride of those at ease. Let Your merciful hand move toward me in Your perfect time. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Reflection Questions
- 1What does it look like for my eyes to “wait upon the Lord” like a servant’s eyes?
- 2Where am I “exceedingly filled with contempt” and in need of God’s mercy?
- 3How does the scorn of the proud tempt me to take my eyes off the Lord?
- 4How can I cultivate the humble dependence of this psalm in my daily life?
Related Psalms
Psalm 121
“I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.”
Psalm 121 is one of the "Songs of Ascents" sung by pilgrims journeying up to Jerusalem.
Read morePsalm 122
“I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord.”
Psalm 122 is a Song of Ascents attributed to David, expressing the joy of pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
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“If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, now may Israel say;”
Psalm 124 is a Song of Ascents of David that imagines what would have happened “if it had not been the Lord who was on our side.
Read morePsalm 125
“They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever.”
Psalm 125 is a Song of Ascents that uses the geography of Jerusalem to portray the security of God’s people.
Read morePsalm 25
“Unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.”
An acrostic prayer for guidance, forgiveness, and deliverance.
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