Psalm 122 (121):8Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

He refers either to his neighbors who celebrated their downfall and prays for tranquility so that they too may experience humility and recognize the might of God, or he is addressing the brothers who resided in the city. Thus, for the benefit of my brothers and my neighbors, let there be peace, so that, having been improved through adversity, you may find solace at last.

As unholy love ignites desires in the mind and beckons the doomed soul to crave material pleasures, ultimately leading it into the depths of despair; so, righteous love elevates us towards heavenly aspirations, igniting our souls with a longing for the eternal and the indestructible, lifting us from the depths of hell to the heights of heaven. Every form of love possesses its unique power, and love within the soul of the beloved cannot remain dormant; it must find its resting place. But do you wish to understand the essence of love? Observe where it guides you....

This Psalm is labeled a Song of Ascents; as we have shared, these ascents signify rises, not declines. Thus, there is a yearning to ascend. To where does this ascent lead? Naturally, to heaven. But what does heaven signify? Is there a desire to reach fellowship with the sun, moon, and stars? Not at all! Instead, it refers to the eternal Jerusalem above, the home of our celestial companions, the angels. We are merely sojourners on earth, distanced from our true homeland. We groan during this journey; yet, we shall rejoice in the city. In this pilgrimage, we discover a fellow-traveler who has already beheld this city and urges us to escape to her. Of this, the psalmist expresses delight, declaring, 'I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord’ (Psalm 122:1)...

Our feet rested within the courts of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:2). Contemplate that you too will be there; even though you are still journeying, keep it continually before your eyes, as though you were already present, ever rejoicing in the company of angels; as though the words had come to fruition for you, 'Blessed are those who dwell in Your house’ (Psalm 84:4); our feet stood in the courts of Jerusalem. Which Jerusalem? This earthly Jerusalem has a name, yet it only casts a shadow of the true one. What significance is there in standing in this Jerusalem, especially if it has crumbled to ruins? Can the Holy Spirit declare from the passionate heart of the psalmist that this is a remarkable thing? This Jerusalem is the same to which the Lord lamented, 'O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that killest the prophets' (Matthew 23:37). What desire did He hold to stand among those who killed the prophets and stoned those sent to them? May it never be! Let him not think of that earthly Jerusalem, which he loves so deeply, which kindles his desire, but instead of the Jerusalem that is our Mother (Galatians 4:26), of which the Apostle says she is eternal in heaven (2 Corinthians 5:1)....

The Jerusalem that is being constructed (Psalm 122:3). Dear brethren, when David spoke these words, that city was not yet complete; thus he speaks of a city that is in the process of being built, where living stones gather in faith. Peter says, 'And you also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house' (1 Peter 2:5); that is to say, the holy temple of God. What does it mean that you are designated as living stones? If you believe, you are alive, and if you believe, you become the temple of God; for the Apostle Paul states, 'The temple of God is holy, which temple ye are' (1 Corinthians 3:17). Therefore, this city is presently being erected; the stones have been hewn from the mountains by the hands of those who proclaim the truth, and they have been shaped to fit into the eternal edifice. There are many additional stones in the Builder's hands: let them not fall from His grasp, that they may be perfectly fitted into the structure of the temple. Thus it is that Jerusalem is being built as a city, with Christ as its foundation. The Apostle Paul asserts, 'For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ' (1 Corinthians 3:11). When the foundation is set on earth, the walls are erected upwards, with the weight of the walls balanced upon the lowest parts, as the foundation lies beneath. But if our foundation is in heaven, we shall be constructed towards heaven. Men have built this basilica that you observe; and since humans constructed it, they laid the foundation below; but as we are arranged spiritually, our foundation is positioned at the highest point. Let us then strive towards the location where we can be built...

But which Jerusalem am I referring to? Is it that one, he inquires, which you see standing on the walls? No; it is rather the Jerusalem that is being built as a city. Why a city and not simply as a city? Because those physical walls in Jerusalem appear as a visible city, which all refer to as such; yet it is built as a city, for those who enter it are akin to living stones; for indeed they are not literal stones. Just as they are called stones, though not, so too the city referred to as a city is not merely a city; for it is said that it is being built. The term 'building' indicates the assembly and interlocking of bodies and walls. A city is fundamentally understood to encompass the people residing there. In his use of the term 'building', he reveals that he refers to a city. The spiritual structure bears resemblance to the physical structure, thus it is built as a city.

Let the subsequent words dispel any doubts about interpreting words that share participation in a similar nature... What does it mean to share in the same essence? It signifies that which eternally endures... Behold the Eternal: 'I AM that I AM' (Exodus 3:14). You cannot fully grasp it; there is much to understand, much to be grasped. Remember what the One, who eludes comprehension, has become for you. Recall the flesh of Christ, which you embraced when you were frail, wounded by the robbers, so that you might be brought to a haven and healed. Therefore, let us run to the house of the Lord, so as to reach the city where our feet may stand; a city being constructed as a city: whose essence is one and the same...

This city, which shares in that essence, shares in its stability; thus rightly, as it becomes a participant in its stability, states he who runs towards it. For everything stands where nothing is transient. Do you also wish to take your stand there and not be swept away? Run to that place. No man has his essence from himself...

For there the knees are lifted up (Psalm 120:4). We ponder where the fallen individual is ascending; for we claimed it is the voice of one rising, as the Church rises. Can we articulate where it is ascending? Where is it going? Where it is being elevated? There, he states, the tribes have ascended. Where? To partake of the same essence. But who are these tribes? Many recognize it, many do not. If we were to discuss the term curia in its correct sense, we acknowledge nothing other than the curiae, or councils, that exist in every specific city, whence the labels curiales and decurions arise, signifying citizens of the curia or decuria; and you are aware that every city possesses such curiae. Amid these cities, there once were numerous popular curiae, and in one city, there exist many, as in Rome, where there are thirty-five popular curiae. These are what are identified as tribes. The children of Israel had twelve tribes as derived from the sons of Jacob.

Among the twelve tribes of Israel, there were both righteous and wicked; how terrible were those tribes who crucified our Lord! How commendable were those who acknowledged Him! Those tribes who condemned the Lord were indeed tribes of evil. Thus, when he mentions, 'For there the tribes ascend', he specifies, 'even the tribes of the Lord'... What are these tribes of the Lord? They are a testimony to Israel. Listen, brethren, and grasp what this means. A testimony to Israel signifies that by which it can be established that this is the authentic Israel... He is one in whom there is no deception. What did the Lord proclaim upon encountering Nathanael? 'Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile' (John 1:47). Then, if he is a true Israelite devoid of deceit, it follows that those tribes free of guile are ascending to Jerusalem... For what purpose are they ascending? To proclaim Your name, O Lord. This could not be expressed more nobly. Just as pride is presumptive, humility confesses. The presumptuous individual desires to seem what they are not, while the confessor does not wish to be recognized for their true self but cherishes it. To this purpose the Israelites ascend, those without guile, for they are true Israelites, bearing within them the testimony of Israel.

For there are thrones for judgment (Psalm 122:5). This is a marvelous enigma, a wondrous inquiry if left misunderstood. It refers to those thrones which the Greeks denote as seats of honor. Hence, dear brethren, it should not astound us if we too occupy seats. But what significance lies in these seats themselves, truly? It is akin to someone proclaiming: let there be stools or chairs. We sit on chairs, we sit on seats; yet the seats themselves do not sit. What is meant by 'there were thrones for judgment'...? If heaven is the Lord's throne, and the Apostles are heaven; they themselves have become the throne of God. Moreover, another passage states: 'The soul of the righteous is the throne of wisdom.' A profound truth is conveyed, a great reality; the throne of wisdom resides within the soul of the righteous; in that realm, wisdom reigns, judging all that it evaluates. The thrones of wisdom came into being, and thus the Lord said to them, 'Ye shall sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel' (Matthew 19:28). They shall occupy twelve thrones, and they themselves shall serve as thrones of God; hence it is mentioned, 'For there were seated seats.' Who was seated? The seats themselves. And whose seats? Those of whom it is said, 'The soul of the righteous is the receptacle of wisdom.' Who occupies the seats? Heaven. Who is heaven? Heaven is what the Lord claims: 'Heaven is My throne' (Isaiah 66:1). Thus, the righteous themselves become thrones and possess seats; seats shall be established in that Jerusalem. For what purpose? For judgment. 'You shall sit,' He affirms, 'on twelve thrones, to judge the twelve tribes of Israel.' Who will judge whom? Those upon the earth. Who judges whom? Those who have become heaven. Those who judge will be divided into two groups: one will stand on the right, the other on the left...

He immediately continues, addressing the seats directly: 'Seek the peace of Jerusalem' (Psalm 122:6). O you thrones now seated for judgment, and who have become the thrones of the Lord of Justice (as those judging inquire, so too those being judged inquire). Ask, he implores, regarding what has been ordained for the peace of Jerusalem. What will they discover? That some have performed works of mercy while others have not. Those whom they find engaging in acts of mercy shall be summoned to Jerusalem; for these deeds are designated for the peace of Jerusalem. Love is an incredible force, dear brethren, love is an extraordinary force. Do you wish to witness love's might?.... If charity lacks resources and cannot procure anything for the needy, let it at least love: let it offer a single cup of cold water; (Matthew 10:42) It will be acknowledged to the same extent as Zacchaeus, who donated half his possessions to the needy (Luke 19:8). What does this reveal? One gave so little, the other so much, and can such a significant gift be attributed to the former? Just as much. Though the scales might differ, their charity is equally valid.

I request this from You, says the Prophet, not because I will inhabit You (how could that be true for me, who will have finished my earthly life long before such time?); rather, I yearn for my fellow beings to experience tranquility and deeply desire that the dwelling place of my Lord may regain its former splendor.

The prophet David expresses these sentiments towards Jerusalem, articulating his wish for peace for the holy city due to his brethren, the Jews, and the tribes of Israel. He hopes that in a state of tranquility, they may worship God within its walls and offer Him praise. Theodoret clarifies that David's desire for Jerusalem is not a reflection of his personal plans to reside there, as he recognizes he will pass away before that time. Rather, his longing stems from a deep connection to his fellow beings, wishing for God's house to attain foremost honor.

In concluding the psalm, the Prophet offers a brief explanation of his heartfelt desire for peace and abundant blessings upon the inhabitants of the holy city. He perceives them as his brothers and companions, but most importantly, his motivation stems from his deep love for God, the Creator and Sustainer of this sacred place. Nonetheless, there is an underlying antagonism present. How could corrupt and malicious individuals suspect or wrongfully accuse David of pursuing his own interests rather than the common good while he extols Jerusalem? Such claims suggest he aimed to establish his reign through deception. This reveals that his intentions were not selfish; rather, he cherished the entirety of the Church in his heart. It can be interpreted as if he was proclaiming, “I declare your peace, O Jerusalem, not for my benefit or that of my household, but because your prosperity will bring blessings to all the children of God.”

The courts of high Jerusalem represent the numerous abodes in the house of our heavenly Father, where the faithful desire to remain, declaring, ‘Our citizenship is in heaven’ (Phil. 3:20). The Holy City symbolizes the Holy Church, established from all nations in the unity of faith in Christ the Lord, where all share in the Most Pure Sacrament. The holy apostles, along with others who witnessed the truth of Christ the Saviour, have entered the Heavenly Jerusalem. The Gospel beckons everyone: ‘Seek first the Kingdom of Heaven and His righteousness.