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Psalm 122

Psalm 122 joins the joy of gathered worship to a prayer for Jerusalem’s peace and a commitment to its good.

Worshipers have reached Jerusalem, and the speaker recalls his gladness when others called him to YHWH’s house. The heading identifies this as a Song of Ascents by David. He addresses Jerusalem as the city where Israel’s tribes gather to give thanks and where David’s house holds thrones for judgment. The song then turns to prayer for peace within the city’s walls, grounded in concern for companions and devotion to YHWH’s house.

praise and worshipwanting a steady prayer habit
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1A Song of Ascents. By David. I was glad when they said to me, “Let’s go to the LORD’s house!”
2Our feet are standing within your gates, Jerusalem!
3Jerusalem is built as a city that is compact together,
4where the tribes go up, even the LORD’s tribes, according to an ordinance for Israel, to give thanks to the LORD’s name.
5For there are set thrones for judgment, the thrones of David’s house.
6Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Those who love you will prosper.
7Peace be within your walls, and prosperity within your palaces.
8For my brothers’ and companions’ sakes, I will now say, “Peace be within you.”
9For the sake of the house of the LORD our God, I will seek your good.
World English BibleRead in NIV in Psalmlog →Highlighted verses are the most connected. Tap a number for its page.
Key verses
Psalm 122:1The opening gladness sets the tone for a song in which worship draws people together toward YHWH’s house.
Psalm 122:6This call turns praise for Jerusalem into prayer for the peace of the city and those who love it.
Psalm 122:5The thrones of David’s house place the administration of justice alongside worship at the center of Jerusalem’s life.
Where this chapter reaches

Exodus and Deuteronomy share the pattern of Israel’s commanded gatherings before YHWH, which stands behind the tribes going up to worship. Nehemiah shares concern for Jerusalem’s walls and welfare, while Isaiah links Jerusalem with worship, justice, and peace.

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Notice

After reading the whole chapter

What part of the psalm’s gladness about gathered worship feels familiar or hard to share?

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How do the closing verses shape what you might ask when praying for a community’s peace?

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Questions people ask about Psalm 122

Who wrote Psalm 122?

The heading attributes Psalm 122 to David and calls it a Song of Ascents. Its speaker describes arriving in Jerusalem, where the tribes worship and David’s house administers judgment. The psalm supplies no particular occasion, so the exact circumstances behind its composition remain uncertain.

What does it mean to pray for the peace of Jerusalem?

Within the psalm, this means asking for peace and well-being throughout Jerusalem, including its walls and palaces. The speaker’s concern includes companions and YHWH’s house. The language of prosperity belongs to this prayer for shared welfare; it offers no formula for gaining personal wealth through a particular prayer.

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What the Bible says about worship →

Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY). Scripture from the World English Bible (public domain). Arc diagram after Chris Harrison and Christoph Römhild (2007).