Psalm 121 (120):4Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

This truth is encapsulated in the phrase ‘He that keepeth Israel.’ The import of these words is thus: if God has consistently safeguarded you since ancient times, from your ancestors up to now, He will not relinquish His efforts, nor will He cease His steadfast assistance, unless you falter in spirit. Furthermore, He will not forsake you but will ensure your safety with great strength.

Therefore, sing this: if you wish to learn how to securely place your feet on the steps without growing weary as you ascend or stumbling, pray with these words, "Let not my foot be shaken!" Psalm 120:3 What makes the feet move? Why was the foot of Him, who was in Paradise, troubled? First, consider how the feet of him who was among the angels were disturbed: when his feet stumbled, he fell, transforming from an angel into a devil, for when his feet were shaken, he fell. Inquire into the reason for his fall: he fell due to pride. Nothing, then, prompts the feet to move except pride; and nothing leads them to stumble like pride. Love, however, compels them to walk, develop, and rise; pride leads them to downfall. Thus, the psalmist, knowing how to rise without falling, implores God to allow him to benefit from the trials of affliction, keeping him from succumbing to swelling pride, with the words: "Let not my feet be moved!" And God replies, "Let him who holds you back not slumber. Be vigilant, my beloved." It is as though a single thought is conveyed in two statements; the one who is ascending and singing the song of ascents says, "Let not my foot be shaken," and God seems to respond, "You say to me, ‘Let not my foot be shaken;’ rest, and your foot will not be shaken."

Choose Him who neither sleeps nor slumbers, and your foot will not falter. God never slumbers: if you seek a protector who is always vigilant, choose God as your guardian. You express, "Let not my feet be shaken," and rightly so; however, He also instructs you not to be idle. Perhaps you were inclined to look to men as your protectors, questioning, "Who will not slumber? Where can I find such a man? Where can I turn?" The psalmist assures you, "He who keeps Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps." Psalm 120:4 Would you wish for a guardian who neither slumbers nor sleeps? Behold, He who safeguards Israel does not slumber or sleep, for Christ watches over Israel. Therefore, be Israel. What does Israel signify? It means 'Seeing God.' And how does one perceive God? Initially through faith, and subsequently through vision. If you are unable yet to see Him with your eyes, see Him through faith.

Who exists, then, who neither slumbers nor sleeps? If you search among humanity, you will be misled; you will not discover him. Hence, do not place your hope in man, for every human being rests and sleeps. When does he rest? When he bears the burden of flesh. When will he slumber? When he dies. Do not rely on man. Mortal beings may slumber, his sleep is death.

And you ponder, "Who will assist me except Him who neither slumbers nor sleeps?" Listen to this: The Lord Himself is your guardian. Psalm 120:5 It is not man who rests but the Lord who protects you. How does He protect you? The Lord is your shield at your right hand. There appears to be deeper meaning in specifying 'at your right hand' rather than stating simply that 'the Lord will keep you.’ For how long? Does God shield only the right hand and not the left limb? Did He not create both? Has not the One who formed our right also crafted our left? If it were His desire to emphasize only the right, why would He say: at your right hand and not mention the left? Why convey this unless He is concealing a truth we must seek out? For He could have simply stated, “The Lord will keep you,” or said ‘at your right hand’ alone; or at least, if adding 'hand,' He would have said, ‘The Lord will keep you on your hand, even on your right hand, and not merely the hand of your right hand.’

I ask you, how do you understand the Gospel phrase: let not your left hand know what your right hand is doing? Matthew 6:3 For if you grasp this, you will discern what your right hand symbolizes and what the left represents, understanding that God created both. The left hand signifies all our temporal possessions; the right hand represents the permanent and eternal promises of the Lord. And if He who grants eternal life also enriches our current existence with these temporal blessings, then He alone has crafted both our right and left hands.

Now, let us turn to this part of the psalm: "The Lord is your shield at your right hand." Psalm 120:5 Here, 'hand' signifies strength. How can we demonstrate this? Because the might of God is referred to as the hand of God. John tells us, "He gave them the power to become sons of God." John 1:12 From where have you obtained this power? From those, he says, who believe in His Name. If you believe, then this power to be counted among the children of God has been bestowed upon you. To belong to the family of God means being at His right hand. Thus, your faith acts as the hand of your right hand, or in other words, the power granted to you to be among the sons of God is styled as the hand of your right hand.

May the Lord defend you on the hand of your right hand. Psalm 120:6 I state this, and I believe you have perceived it. For if you had not learned these truths from the Scriptures, you would not have been able to express your understanding with your voices. Since you have grasped this, then, the Lord keeps you on the strength of your right hand, that is, in your faith—through which we have received the ability to be sons of God and to be positioned by His side: why does God guard us? To protect us from offenses. From where do offenses arise? They must be feared from both sides, for there are two commandments upon which the entirety of the Law and the Prophets rests: love for God and love for neighbor. Matthew 22:37-40 The Church is cherished for the sake of the neighbor, and God for God's own sake. God is figuratively seen as the sun, and the Church as the moon. Anyone who mistakenly perceives God in a manner divergent from the truth, failing to acknowledge the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit as one essence, has fallen prey to deception from heretics, principally the Arians. If he believes in the Son or the Holy Spirit less than he does in the Father, he has sinned against God and is scorched by the sun.

Those who misunderstand the Church's omnipresence and suppose it exists only in one specific region, misleadingly suggesting, "Here is Christ" or "There He is" Matthew 24:23—like those now hearing the Gospel read—do not grasp that the One who paid such a great price has redeemed the entire world; consequently, he takes offense at his neighbor and feels the burn of the moon. Thus, whoever is mistaken in the essence of the truth suffers under the sun's rays, feeling its heat all day long because they err in Wisdom itself.

Therefore, God created one sun, which shines over both the righteous and the wicked—a sun visible to all. Yet, this sun is distinct, uncreated, and unbegotten, through which all things were made; therein lies the essence of Immutable Truth. Therefore, those who are not deceived in Wisdom itself do not feel the sun's burn, and those who do not err within the Church or in the Body of the Lord, or in that which is earthly, are unscathed by the moon. Nevertheless, every person, even believing in Christ, is prone to misunderstanding in some form unless the plea articulated here becomes manifest within them: "The Lord is your shield at your right hand."

The psalmist continues, "Lest the sun scorch you by day and the moon by night." Psalm 120:6 Therefore, your defense is at your right hand, shielding you from the sun's scorch by day and the moon's by night. Now, recognize, brethren, that this is figurative language. Indeed, should we consider how the visible sun burns during the day; does the moon truly burn at night? But what brings discomfort? Sin. Heed the Apostle's words: "Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is offended, and I am not ignited?" 2 Corinthians 11:29

For the Lord will guard you against all evil. Psalm 120:7 From the offense of the sun, from the offense of the moon, from all evil, He will shield you, as He is your defender on the strength of your right hand, who does not slumber nor sleep. And why? Because we are surrounded by temptation: the Lord will safeguard you from all evil, preserving your soul, even your soul. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from now till eternity. Psalm 120:8 Not just your body; for the martyrs suffered in their flesh, yet the Lord preserved their souls, for the martyrs did not relinquish their souls. The persecutors hardened themselves against Crispina, whose feast we celebrate today; they raged against this noble and wealthy woman, yet she stood firm, for the Lord was her shield at her right hand. He was her Guardian. Is there anyone in Africa, my brethren, who does not recognize her? She was distinguished, noble in lineage, and wealthy—all these attributes resided in her left hand, positioned beneath her head. When the enemy approached to strike her on the head, her left hand, hidden beneath her head, was raised. Her head was lifted up, her right hand embraced her from above.

Exercise caution in your reasoning: if Christ, who is all-powerful, sought refuge in Egypt from Herod, let the presumptuous avoid foolish temptations, for it is written: do not let your feet become troubled; the guardian angel watching over you will not be disturbed. Engage in all actions for the glory of God and for the salvation of the soul, so that His name may be hallowed and His will accomplished. The vigilance of God signifies His continual concern for the salvation of the faithful, ensuring that none perish. The right hand represents the realm of the righteous, where the faithful, under God's protection from the evils of the spiritual realm, arrive in unity. The sun and day represent times of blessing, reminiscent of the rich man in the Gospel who suffers in Gehenna. The moon and night signify periods of hardship and sorrow, recalling Lazarus the beggar, whose struggles were transformed into everlasting consolation. The Entry represents the incarnation of Christ through the Most Pure Virgin; the Exodus signifies His birth, which remains mysteriously preserved and ineffably glorious forever. The prophet joyfully celebrates the devotion of the people of Israel who journeyed from surrounding nations to Jerusalem's holy temple for prayer. The sacred city, with its splendid architecture and the harmony of its inhabitants, reflects the piety and glory of the king's throne of righteousness and justice, illustrating the devotion of Christ's faithful who cherish the beauty of the divine church, built by grace and adorned with the precious blood of Christ the Savior, through which the faithful ascend to the heavenly homeland after this life. Filled with joy by the Holy Spirit, the prophet proclaims, O Christ the Savior, for He is the gateway for the faithful into the Kingdom of Heaven. The Old Testament Church was established through the Law of Moses. By His grace, Christ delivered Adam from hell, causing it to be emptied. Christ inaugurated the New Testament Church, and the Holy Spirit embraces the faithful as His own.