Charles Ellicott Commentary Psalms 132:6

"Lo, we heard of it in Ephrathah: We found it in the field of the wood." — Psalms 132:6 (ASV)

Lo, we heard. — This verse has been called inexplicable, yet its general intention is clear. The vow in which David declared his purpose has just been quoted, and what is now said to have been heard and found can hardly be anything other than this purpose. In fact, the feminine suffix to the verbs points directly back to the word translated as afflictions in Psalms 132:1, which is indeed a feminine form.

This being settled, we do not need to depart from the clear indication of passages like Genesis 35:19, Genesis 48:7, Ruth 4:11, and Micah 5:2—which establish the identity of Ephratah with Bethlehem—to search for any other locality that might possibly be so named. David’s purpose would naturally be connected—especially after a long period—with the birthplace of his family. But despite taking this poetic license, the psalm remains sufficiently close to history to recognize the discovery of the Ark at Kirjath-jearim as an important, indeed, a decisive step in the project of building the Temple.

Although his purpose may not have been even dimly defined to David when he moved the Ark, history rightly sees in that momentous change the initial step in the grander undertaking. There can be little doubt that “the fields of the wood” (Hebrew: sedey-yâ‘ar) is one designation for Kirjath-jearim (city of Yaarim, which was known by many names: Jeremiah 26:20; Ezra 2:25; Joshua 15:10–11).

We must not, of course, think here of David’s contemporaries, but of the psalmist’s contemporaries, who are poetically represented as taking an important part in the early plans for building the Temple—just as we might say, speaking of our old cathedrals, “We built fine churches in those days.” The poet makes them say, identifying themselves with the people of those distant times (though historical correctness naturally suffers as a result), “We heard his project at Bethlehem; we found out its meaning (saw it take shape) at Kirjath-jearim.” For mâtsâ, in the sense of “finding out the meaning or discerning,” see Judges 14:12, which refers to “a riddle.” This sentence, by its form, reminds one of a riddle.