David professes his joy for the church, 1-5; and prays for the peace thereof, 6-9.
1 [A Song of Degrees of David.]
I was glad when they said to me,/
"Let us go into the house of the LORD."
2 Our feet shall stand/
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
3 Jerusalem is built as a city/
that is compact together,
4 Where the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD,/
to the testimony of Israel/
to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
5 For there thrones for judgment are set,/
the thrones of the house of David.
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem./
They shall prosper who love you.
7 May peace be within your walls/
and prosperity within your palaces.
8 For the sake of my brothers and my companions,/
I will now say, "May peace be within you."
9 Because of the house of the LORD our God/
I will seek your good.
Matthew Henry Commentary - Psalms, Chapter 122[➚]
John Calvin's Chapter Summary:
In this Psalm David congratulates himself and the whole Church upon the fact, that a seat had at length been appointed for the ark of the covenant, and that God had chosen a place where his name should be continually called upon. Afterwards, to incite and encourage the faithful to engage in the worship of the sanctuary, he briefly declares, that the prosperous condition of the people depended upon God's having chosen the seat of royalty to be at Jerusalem, from whence it was his purpose to defend, maintain, and assist his people.