Psalm 123 is the 123th psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version: "Unto thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens". The Book of Psalms is part of the third section of the Hebrew Bible, and a book of the Christian Old Testament. This short psalm is one of fifteen psalms that begin with the words "A song of ascents" (Shir Hama'alot). In Latin, it is known as "Ad te levavi oculos meos",[1] and Baptist writer Charles Spurgeon calls it "the Psalm of the eyes".[2]
Psalm 123 | |
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← Psalm 122 | |
Book | Book of Psalms |
Hebrew Bible part | Ketuvim |
Order in the Hebrew part | 1 |
Category | Sifrei Emet |
Christian Bible part | Old Testament |
Order in the Christian part | 19 |
In the slightly different numbering system used in the Greek Septuagint and the Latin Vulgate, this psalm is Psalm 122.
It forms a regular part of Jewish, Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican and other Protestant liturgies.
Following is the Hebrew text of Psalm 126:[3]
Verse | Hebrew |
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1 | :שִׁיר, הַמַּעֲלוֹת
.אֵלֶיךָ, נָשָׂאתִי אֶת-עֵינַי-- הַיֹּשְׁבִי, בַּשָּׁמָיִם |
2 | הִנֵּה כְעֵינֵי עֲבָדִים, אֶל-יַד אֲדוֹנֵיהֶם--
.כֵּן עֵינֵינוּ, אֶל-יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ-- עַד, שֶׁיְּחָנֵּנוּ |
3 | .חָנֵּנוּ יְהוָה חָנֵּנוּ: כִּי-רַב, שָׂבַעְנוּ בוּז |
4 | :רַבַּת, שָׂבְעָה-לָּהּ נַפְשֵׁנוּ
.הַלַּעַג הַשַּׁאֲנַנִּים; הַבּוּז, לגאיונים (לִגְאֵי יוֹנִים) |
Since the Middle Ages, this psalm was traditionally performed during the office of Sext week, namely from Tuesday until Saturday, according to the Rule of St. Benedict set in 530 AD.[6]
In the Liturgy of Hours today, Psalm 123 is recited or sung at Vespers on the Monday of the third week of the four weekly liturgical cycle,[7] as the psalm that follows. In the liturgy of the Mass, it is read on the third Sunday in Ordinary Time of the year.[8]
Spurgeon points out that Psalm 123 is a rare case of a psalm that rhymes in Hebrew, although he notes Samuel Cox's comment that the rhymes are "purely accidental".[2]
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