Psalm 120:5
New International Version
Woe to me that I dwell in Meshek, that I live among the tents of Kedar!

New Living Translation
How I suffer in far-off Meshech. It pains me to live in distant Kedar.

English Standard Version
Woe to me, that I sojourn in Meshech, that I dwell among the tents of Kedar!

Berean Standard Bible
Woe to me that I dwell in Meshech, that I live among the tents of Kedar!

King James Bible
Woe is me, that I sojourn in Mesech, that I dwell in the tents of Kedar!

New King James Version
Woe is me, that I dwell in Meshech, That I dwell among the tents of Kedar!

New American Standard Bible
Woe to me, for I reside in Meshech, For I have settled among the tents of Kedar!

NASB 1995
Woe is me, for I sojourn in Meshech, For I dwell among the tents of Kedar!

NASB 1977
Woe is me, for I sojourn in Meshech, For I dwell among the tents of Kedar!

Legacy Standard Bible
Woe is me, for I sojourn in Meshech, For I dwell among the tents of Kedar!

Amplified Bible
Woe to me, for I sojourn in Meshech, and I live among the tents of Kedar [among hostile people]!

Christian Standard Bible
What misery that I have stayed in Meshech, that I have lived among the tents of Kedar!

Holman Christian Standard Bible
What misery that I have stayed in Meshech, that I have lived among the tents of Kedar!

American Standard Version
Woe is me, that I sojourn in Meshech, That I dwell among the tents of Kedar!

Contemporary English Version
But I must live as a foreigner among the people of Meshech and in the tents of Kedar.

English Revised Version
Woe is me, that I sojourn in Meshech, that I dwell among the tents of Kedar!

GOD'S WORD® Translation
How horrible it is to live as a foreigner in Meshech or to stay in the tents of Kedar.

Good News Translation
Living among you is as bad as living in Meshech or among the people of Kedar.

International Standard Version
How terrible for me, that I am an alien in Meshech, that I reside among the tents of Kedar!

Majority Standard Bible
Woe to me that I dwell in Meshech, that I live among the tents of Kedar!

NET Bible
How miserable I am! For I have lived temporarily in Meshech; I have resided among the tents of Kedar.

New Heart English Bible
Woe is me, that I live in Meshech, that I dwell among the tents of Kedar.

Webster's Bible Translation
Woe is me, that I sojourn in Mesech, that I dwell in the tents of Kedar!

World English Bible
Woe is me, that I live in Meshech, that I dwell among the tents of Kedar!
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Woe to me, for I have inhabited Mesech, "" I have dwelt with tents of Kedar.

Young's Literal Translation
Woe to me, for I have inhabited Mesech, I have dwelt with tents of Kedar.

Smith's Literal Translation
Wo! to me that I sojourned in Mesech; I dwelt with the tents of Kedar.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Woe is me, that my sojourning is prolonged! I have dwelt with the inhabitants of cedar:

Catholic Public Domain Version
Woe to me, for my sojourning has been prolonged. I have lived with the inhabitants of Kedar.

New American Bible
Alas, I am a foreigner in Meshech, I live among the tents of Kedar!

New Revised Standard Version
Woe is me, that I am an alien in Meshech, that I must live among the tents of Kedar.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Woe is me, that my sojourn is prolonged, that I dwell in the tents of Kedar!

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Woe to me, for my pilgrimage is long and I have dwelt in a tent of Qedar!
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Woe is me, that I sojourn with Meshech, That I dwell beside the tents of Kedar!

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Woe is me, that my sojourning is prolonged; I have tabernacled among the tents of Kedar.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
In My Distress I Cried to the LORD
4Sharp arrows will come from the warrior, with burning coals of the broom tree! 5Woe to me that I dwell in Meshech, that I live among the tents of Kedar! 6Too long have I dwelt among those who hate peace.…

Cross References
Jeremiah 9:2
If only I had a traveler’s lodge in the wilderness, I would abandon my people and depart from them, for they are all adulterers, a crowd of faithless people.

Genesis 19:30
Lot and his two daughters left Zoar and settled in the mountains—for he was afraid to stay in Zoar—where they lived in a cave.

Ezekiel 27:13
Javan, Tubal, and Meshech were your merchants. They exchanged slaves and bronze utensils for your merchandise.

Isaiah 21:16-17
For this is what the Lord says to me: “Within one year, as a hired worker would count it, all the glory of Kedar will be gone. / The remaining archers, the warriors of Kedar, will be few.” For the LORD, the God of Israel, has spoken.

1 Samuel 25:10
But Nabal asked them, “Who is David? Who is this son of Jesse? Many servants these days are breaking away from their masters.

2 Kings 17:6
In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and carried away the Israelites to Assyria, where he settled them in Halah, in Gozan by the Habor River, and in the cities of the Medes.

2 Kings 18:11
The king of Assyria exiled the Israelites to Assyria and settled them in Halah, in Gozan by the Habor River, and in the cities of the Medes.

Isaiah 33:19
You will no longer see the insolent, a people whose speech is unintelligible, who stammer in a language you cannot understand.

Hosea 9:3
They will not remain in the land of the LORD; Ephraim will return to Egypt and eat unclean food in Assyria.

Amos 1:9
This is what the LORD says: “For three transgressions of Tyre, even four, I will not revoke My judgment, because they delivered up a whole congregation of exiles to Edom and broke a covenant of brotherhood.

Matthew 11:21-24
“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. / But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. / And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to heaven? No, you will be brought down to Hades! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. ...

Luke 10:13-15
Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. / But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. / And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to heaven? No, you will be brought down to Hades!

Acts 2:9
Parthians, Medes, and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,

Acts 7:2-4
And Stephen declared: “Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, / and told him, ‘Leave your country and your kindred and go to the land I will show you.’ / So Abraham left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. After his father died, God brought him out of that place and into this land where you are now living.

Romans 15:19
by the power of signs and wonders, and by the power of the Spirit of God. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ.


Treasury of Scripture

Woe is me, that I sojourn in Mesech, that I dwell in the tents of Kedar!

woe

Jeremiah 9:2,3,6
Oh that I had in the wilderness a lodging place of wayfaring men; that I might leave my people, and go from them! for they be all adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men…

Jeremiah 15:10
Woe is me, my mother, that thou hast borne me a man of strife and a man of contention to the whole earth! I have neither lent on usury, nor men have lent to me on usury; yet every one of them doth curse me.

Micah 7:1,2
Woe is me! for I am as when they have gathered the summer fruits, as the grapegleanings of the vintage: there is no cluster to eat: my soul desired the firstripe fruit…

Mesech

Genesis 10:2
The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras.

Ezekiel 27:13
Javan, Tubal, and Meshech, they were thy merchants: they traded the persons of men and vessels of brass in thy market.

the tents

Genesis 25:13
And these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their generations: the firstborn of Ishmael, Nebajoth; and Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam,

1 Samuel 25:1
And Samuel died; and all the Israelites were gathered together, and lamented him, and buried him in his house at Ramah. And David arose, and went down to the wilderness of Paran.

Song of Solomon 1:5
I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon.

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Psalm 120
1. David prays against Doeg
3. Reproves his tongue
5. Complains of his necessary conversation with the wicked














Woe to me
This expression of lament sets the tone for the psalmist's distress. It reflects a deep sense of sorrow and dissatisfaction with their current circumstances. The use of "woe" is common in biblical literature to express grief or a cry for help, often seen in prophetic writings (e.g., Isaiah 6:5). It indicates a longing for deliverance and a recognition of the fallen state of the world.

that I dwell in Meshech
Meshech is a region often associated with distant lands and peoples, mentioned in Genesis 10:2 as a descendant of Japheth. It is generally located in the area of modern-day Turkey or the southern part of Russia. The mention of Meshech symbolizes living among foreign, possibly hostile, peoples who do not share the psalmist's values or faith. This can be seen as a metaphor for the believer's experience in a world that is often at odds with God's ways.

that I live among the tents of Kedar!
Kedar refers to a nomadic tribe descended from Ishmael, as noted in Genesis 25:13. They were known for their tent-dwelling lifestyle in the Arabian desert. The tents of Kedar symbolize a transient, unsettled life among people who may be seen as adversaries or those who do not follow the God of Israel. This phrase highlights the psalmist's feeling of alienation and longing for a spiritual home. The imagery of tents suggests impermanence and a lack of stability, echoing the believer's journey through a world that is not their ultimate home (Hebrews 11:13-16).

Persons / Places / Events
1. Meshech
A region often associated with distant lands and peoples, possibly located in modern-day Turkey or Russia. In biblical times, it was known for its warrior-like inhabitants and was considered a remote and foreign place.

2. Kedar
A nomadic tribe descended from Ishmael, known for their tents and often associated with the Arabian desert. They were known for their hostility and were considered a symbol of living among those who do not know God.

3. Psalmist
The author of the psalm, traditionally believed to be David, expressing a sense of alienation and distress from living among those who do not share his faith or values.
Teaching Points
Living as Strangers in the World
Just as the psalmist felt out of place in Meshech and Kedar, Christians today may feel like strangers in a world that does not share their values. This sense of alienation can remind us of our true citizenship in heaven.

The Challenge of Cultural Differences
The psalmist's lament highlights the difficulty of living among those with different beliefs and practices. Christians are called to be in the world but not of it, navigating cultural differences with grace and truth.

Seeking God's Peace Amidst Hostility
The psalmist's cry for help is a reminder to seek God's peace and guidance when surrounded by hostility or misunderstanding. Prayer and reliance on God are crucial in such times.

The Importance of Community
Feeling isolated like the psalmist can drive us to seek fellowship with other believers. The church community provides support and encouragement in a world that often feels foreign.(5) Mesech.--This name is generally identified with Moschi, mentioned by Herodotus (iii. 94), a tribe on the borders of Colchis and Armenia. It appears again in the prophet Ezekiel 27:13; Ezekiel 38:3; Ezekiel 39:1. The only reason for suspecting the accuracy of this identification is the remoteness from Kedar, who were a nomad tribe of Arabia. (See Genesis 25:13; Song of Solomon 1:5.) But in the absence of any other indication of the motive for the mention of these tribes here, this very remoteness affords a sufficiently plausible one; or they may be types of savage life, selected the one from the north, and the other from the south, as poetry dictated. It is quite possible that the circumstances amid which the poet wrote made it necessary for him to veil in this way his allusion to powerful tribes, from whose violence the nation was suffering. At all events, the two concluding verses leave no doubt that some troubled state of affairs, in which the choice of courses was not easy, and affecting the whole nation. not an individual, is here presented.

Verse 5. - Woe is me, that I sojourn in Mesech. This is scarcely to be understood literally. Israel never "sojourned in Mesech," i.e. among the Moschi, who dwelt in Cappadocia, nor dwelt among the tents of Kedar, a people of Northern Arabia. The writer means that he dwells among hostile and barbarous people, who are to him as Kedar and Mesech. Possibly the Samaritans and Ammonites are intended. That I dwell in the tents of Kedar; rather, among the tents (see the Revised Version).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Woe
אֽוֹיָה־ (’ō·w·yāh-)
Interjection
Strong's 190: Lamentation, Oh!

to me
לִ֭י (lî)
Preposition | first person common singular
Strong's Hebrew

that
כִּי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

I dwell
גַ֣רְתִּי (ḡar·tî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 1481: To turn aside from the road, sojourn, to shrink, fear, to gather for, hostility

in Meshech,
מֶ֑שֶׁךְ (me·šeḵ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 4902: Meshech -- a son of Japheth, also his descendants and their land

that I live
שָׁ֝כַ֗נְתִּי (ḵan·tî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 7931: To settle down, abide, dwell

among
עִֽם־ (‘im-)
Preposition
Strong's 5973: With, equally with

the tents
אָהֳלֵ֥י (’ā·ho·lê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 168: A tent

of Kedar!
קֵדָֽר׃ (qê·ḏār)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 6938: Kedar -- perhaps 'swarthy', a son of Ishmael, also his desc


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