John Calvin Commentary Psalms 121

I will lift up my eyes to the mountains. The inspired writer, whoever he was, seems, in the opening of the Psalm, to speak in the person of an unbelieving man. As God precedes his believing people with his blessings, and meets them of his own accord, so they, on their part, immediately cast their eyes directly upon him.

What then is the meaning of this unsettled looking of the Prophet, who casts his eyes now on this side and now on that, as if faith did not direct him to God? I answer that the thoughts of the godly are never so fixed upon the word of God as not to be carried away at the first impulse to some allurements. Especially when dangers disquiet us, or when we are assailed with severe temptations, it is scarcely possible for us, since we are so inclined to the earth, not to be moved by the enticements presented to us, until our minds put a bridle upon themselves and turn them back to God.

The sentence, however, may be explained as if expressed in a conditional form. Whatever we may think, the Prophet would say, all the hopes which draw us away from God are vain and delusive. If we take it in this sense, he is not to be understood as relating how he reasoned with himself, or what he intended to do, but only as declaring that those waste their efforts who, disregarding God, gaze into the distance all around them and make long and devious circuits in search of remedies for their troubles.

It is indeed certain that in speaking this way of himself, he exhibits to us an ailment with which all mankind are afflicted. But still, it will not be unsuitable to suppose that he was prompted to speak in this manner from his own experience. For such is the inconstancy natural to us, that as soon as we are struck with any fear, we turn our eyes in every direction, until faith, drawing us back from all these erratic wanderings, directs us exclusively to God.

All the difference between believers and unbelievers in this respect is that, although all are prone to be deceived and easily cheated by deceptions, Satan bewitches unbelievers by his enchantments. In contrast, regarding believers, God corrects the vice of their nature and does not permit them to continue going astray.

The Prophet's meaning is very clear: although all the worldly aids, even the mightiest, should offer themselves to us, we ought not to seek safety anywhere but in God. Indeed, when men have long wearied themselves searching for remedies, now in one place and now in another, they will eventually find from experience that there is no certain help but in God alone. By the mountains, the Prophet means whatever is great or excellent in the world, and the lesson he teaches is that we ought to consider all such support as nothing.

Furthermore, these two verses ought to be read together, conveying this meaning: When I have lifted up my eyes to the mountains, then I will eventually experience that I have fallen into a rash and fruitless mistake, until I direct them to God alone and keep them fixed upon him.

It should also be observed that God is not honored in vain in this place with the title of Creator of heaven and earth; this is intended to tacitly rebuke the ingratitude of men when they cannot rest contented with his power. If they truly acknowledged him as Creator, they would also be persuaded that, as he holds the whole world in his hand and governs it as seems good to him, he possesses infinite power. But when, hurried away by the blind impetuosity of their passions, they turn to other things besides him, they deprive him of his right and dominion.

This is how we ought to apply this title of God to the matter at hand. The point is that while we are naturally more anxious than necessary in seeking relief and remedies for our calamities, especially when any imminent danger threatens, we act foolishly and mistakenly in running up and down through tortuous mazes. Therefore, we ought to restrain our understanding so that it does not turn to anyone or anything but God alone.

Nor is the opinion of those who think that the Hebrew word אל, el, which we translate to, namely, to the mountains, is put for על, al, which signifies above, unsuitable. This would mean that however high men may look, they will find no true salvation except in God.

He will not suffer your foot to stumble. Here the Prophet, in order to recall the faithful to the right path and to defeat the influence of all the allurements which usually distract their minds, affirms that whatever advantages worldly men are accustomed to desire or hope for from the world, true believers will find abundantly and readily available in God alone.

He not only attributes power to God but also teaches that He is so affectionate towards us that he will preserve us in all respects in perfect safety. Whenever the power of God is praised, many immediately reply, "It is very true that he can do such and such things if he is so inclined, but we do not certainly know what his intention is."

In this passage, therefore, God is presented to the faithful as their guardian, so that they may rest with assured confidence on his providence. Just as the Epicureans, by imagining that God has no care whatever about the world, extinguish all piety, so too, those who think that the world is governed by God only in a general and confused manner, and do not believe that he cherishes with special care each of his believing people, leave human minds in suspense and are themselves kept in a state of constant fluctuation and anxiety.

In short, human hearts will never be led to call upon God earnestly until the conviction of the truth of this guardianship is deeply fixed in their minds.

The Psalmist declares that the purpose for which God is our keeper is that he may hold us up. The Hebrew word, מוט, mot, which is used here, signifies both a sliding or falling, and a trembling or staggering.

Now, although it often happens that the faithful stagger, indeed, are even ready to fall altogether, yet because God sustains them by his power, they are said to stand upright.

And since, amid the many dangers that threaten us every moment, it is difficult for us to rid ourselves of all anxiety and fear, the Prophet at the same time testifies that God unceasingly watches over our safety.

Behold! he who keeps Israel will not slumber nor sleep. To recall each individual to the consideration of the common covenant, he represents the Divine providence as extending to the whole body of the Church. So that each of us for himself may be assured that God will be gracious to him, we ought always to begin with the general promise made to all God’s people.

This form of expression, he will not slumber nor sleep, would be improper in other languages, according to whose idiom it should rather be, He will not sleep, indeed, he will not slumber: but when the Hebrews invert this order, they argue from the greater to the less.

The meaning, then, is that as God never slumbers even in the smallest degree, we need not be afraid of any harm happening to us while He is asleep. The Prophet's intention is now obvious. To persuade true believers that God has a special care for each of them in particular, he brings forward the promise that God made to the whole people, and declares God to be the guardian of His Church, so that from this general principle, as from a fountain, each might draw streams for himself.

Accordingly, immediately after (Psalms 121:5), addressing himself to each in particular, he repeats, Jehovah is your keeper, so that no one would hesitate to apply to himself what belonged to the whole community of Israel. Besides, God is called a defense at the right hand, to teach us that we do not need to go far to seek Him, but that He is near, or rather stands at our side to defend us.

The sun shall not smite thee by day. By these forms of expression, the Psalmist magnifies the advantages that result for us from our having God present with us; and, by the figure synecdoche, under one particular, he declares in general that the faithful will be safe from all adversities, defended as they are by Divine power.

The language is metaphorical, the cold of night and the heat of day denoting all kinds of inconveniences. The sense then is that although God’s people may be subject, in common with others, to the miseries of human life, yet his shadow is always at their side to shield them from being harmed by them. The Prophet does not, however, promise the faithful a condition of such felicity and comfort as implies an exemption from all trouble; he only, to assuage their sorrows, sets before them this consolation: that being under Divine providence, they will be secure from all deadly harm—a point he explains more clearly in the following verses, where he tells us that God will so keep his own people from all evils as to maintain their life in safety. The statement in the text before us is indeed general, but he afterwards specifies the chief parts of human life.

Jehovah will keep thy going out and thy coming in. The sense is, whatever you undertake or engage in during your life will come to a happy and successful termination. God no doubt directs by His Holy Spirit the deliberations of His servants; but it appears to me that this passage is rather to be referred to prosperous outcomes.

If, however, anyone would give it a more extended meaning, I have no objection. It is enough for me to embrace that sense which is indisputably certain and solid: that God will be the continual guide of His people, so that stretching out His hand to them, He will conduct them according to their hearts' desire from the beginning even to the end.

Further, it is important to note the reason why the Prophet repeats so often what he had briefly and in one word expressed with sufficient plainness. Such repetition seems at first sight superfluous; but when we consider how difficult it is to correct our distrust, it will be easily perceived that he does not improperly dwell upon the commendation of divine providence.

How few are to be found who yield to God the honor of being a keeper, so that they are thereby assured of their safety and led to call upon Him in the midst of their perils! On the contrary, even when we seem to have largely experienced what this protection of God implies, we yet instantly tremble at the noise of a leaf falling from a tree, as if God had quite forgotten us.

Being then entangled in so many unholy misgivings, and so much inclined to distrust, we are taught from the passage that if a sentence couched in a few words does not suffice us, we should gather together whatever may be found throughout the whole Scriptures concerning the providence of God, until this doctrine—That God always keeps watch for us—is deeply rooted in our hearts, so that depending upon His guardianship alone, we may bid adieu to all the vain confidences of the world.