John Calvin Commentary Psalms 125:1

"They that trust in Jehovah Are as mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abideth for ever." — Psalms 125:1 (ASV)

They who confide in Jehovah are as mount Zion. The present Psalm differs from the preceding in this: while in the other it was said that the Church had been preserved by the power of God, without any human means, the Holy Spirit, in the one before us, teaches that in the time to come she will always continue in perfect safety, because she is defended by the invincible power of God.

When the Church is symbolically described by the situation of the city of Jerusalem, the Prophet's design is to encourage each of the faithful to believe that the safety promised collectively to all the chosen people belongs to him. But in presenting a visible image of the Church to their eyes, he accommodates himself to the unrefined understanding of those who, held back by the dullness of the flesh, still remain focused on earthly things.

First, it should be noted that for those who may not sufficiently grasp by faith God's secret protection, the mountains that surround Jerusalem are presented as a mirror. In this mirror, they can see, beyond all doubt, that the Church is as well defended from all perils as if it were surrounded on all sides with similar walls and fortifications.

Moreover, it is beneficial to know what I have just mentioned: that whenever God speaks to all His people collectively, He also addresses each of them individually.

Since many of the promises are extended generally to the entire body of the Church, many people view them from a distance, as far removed from themselves, and do not presume to appropriate them to themselves.

Therefore, the rule set forth here must be observed: namely, that each person should apply to himself whatever God promises to His Church collectively. Nor is it without reason that the Psalmist makes Jerusalem a representation of the Church, for the sanctuary of God and the ark of the covenant were there.

Regarding the explanation of the words, it should be observed that the last two verbs of the first verse may be understood in two ways. They may both be governed by Jerusalem as the nominative. But some understand the first verb, לא ימוט al, lo yimmot, shall not be removed, only as spoken of Jerusalem, and the latter verb, ישב, yesheb, shall abide, as referring to the faithful. According to this view, there is a change of number, which is very common among the Hebrews: the singular number, ישב, yesheb, being used instead of the plural, ישבו, yeshbu. And certainly, the sentence could appropriately be translated this way: They who trust in Jehovah, as mount Zion shall not be removed, shall dwell for ever, or continue steadfast, for the verb translated to abide is understood in this sense.

We now understand the Prophet's meaning, which is that, although the world is subject to so many and such sudden changes that it almost puts on a new face every moment, and although the faithful are mixed with and placed in the same external condition as others, yet their safety remains steadfast under God's invincible protection.

This is not to say that they are permitted to live undisturbed and at ease; but because their safety, being under God's guardianship, is attacked in vain. At least they can never completely fall, although they may stumble. But let us notice that the word הבמחים, habbtechim, which signifies, those who hope or wait for, conveys an implied instruction to steadfastness of faith.

Whoever, then, desires to be sustained by God's hand, let him constantly lean upon it; and whoever would be defended by it, let him patiently rest under it. When God allows us to be often carried here and there, or driven about like chaff by the wind, this happens through our own inconstancy, because we prefer fluttering in the air to fixing our minds on the rock of His help.

The analogy used in the second verse is very clear, teaching us that, just as the continuous chain of mountains around Jerusalem appears like walls, so God surrounds the faithful with His power to protect them from all harm. Similar expressions are frequently found in the Scriptures. God often promises to be a wall and an outer wall to His people.

But David, or whoever was the author of the psalm, goes even further, showing, using the image of mountains, the secret protection with which God defends His own people. This is so that the ignorant and weak-minded, who are still held down to earthly things by their own dullness of understanding, helped by the sight of the mountains, may lift their minds upward to conceive and contemplate heavenly things.