What historical context influenced the writing of Psalm 120:7? The Song of Ascents Framework Psalm 120 opens the collection known as the Songs of Ascents (Psalm 120–134). These fifteen psalms were chanted by pilgrims “ascending” to the Temple for the three annual feasts (Deuteronomy 16:16). Their liturgical setting places Psalm 120 in a context where covenant believers gathered in hostile times, publicly affirming Yahweh as the only sure refuge. Geopolitical Climate of the 8th–6th Centuries BC From Tiglath-Pileser III (745 BC) through Nebuchadnezzar II (562 BC), the Fertile Crescent was ruled by expanding empires—Assyria, then Babylon—whose militarism saturated the Ancient Near East. Judah alternated between paying tribute, resisting aggression, and enduring sieges (2 Kings 18–25). Everyday life for a Torah-keeping Israelite meant hearing foreign languages in trade caravans, seeing garrisons on hilltops, and watching alliances forged and broken with sword in hand (Isaiah 7:1–9; Jeremiah 37:5–10). Meshech and Kedar: Warlike Frontiers Verse 5 laments, “Woe to me that I sojourn in Meshech, that I dwell among the tents of Kedar!” . • Meshech—Assyrian records (e.g., the Annals of Sargon II, c. 710 BC) list the Mushki of Anatolia, famed metalworkers and mercenaries.1 • Kedar—Ashurbanipal’s Prism (c. 650 BC) boasts of campaigns against the Arabian Qedarites, describing them as “bow-bearing, restless nomads.”2 Both peoples were synonymous with bellicosity, giving the psalmist two real historical reference points to depict life surrounded by combatants. Pilgrimage and Liturgical Use Pilgrims reciting Psalm 120 ascended from outlying villages—and sometimes foreign residences—toward Jerusalem. The chant functioned as corporate catharsis: “Too long have I dwelt among those who hate peace” (v. 6). As the singers climbed, the Temple came into view, contrasting earthly turmoil with the covenant’s promise of shalom (Psalm 122:6–9). Probable Setting: Hezekiah’s and Josiah’s Religious Reforms The themes align well with two reform eras: 1. Hezekiah (715–686 BC) centralized worship in Jerusalem after breaking with Assyria (2 Chronicles 29–31). Pilgrims from the northern tribes traveled south “since they had not been able to celebrate… in large numbers” (2 Chronicles 30:13). They journeyed through potentially hostile territories, echoing Psalm 120. 2. Josiah (640–609 BC) reopened the Temple (2 Kings 23), again drawing scattered Israelites. Contemporary prophet Jeremiah repeatedly decried “false peace” offered by militaristic neighbors (Jeremiah 6:14). Either era supplies the historical tension voiced in verse 7: “I am for peace; but when I speak, they are for war” . Exilic and Post-Exilic Resonance While composed earlier, the psalm also comforted exiles (586–538 BC) and returnees under Zerubbabel and Nehemiah. Persian-period Jews lived among Gentile garrisons (Nehemiah 4:7–23). The sentiment of verse 7 thus remained timeless liturgy for any generation dwelling amid conflict yet longing for Jerusalem’s peace. Archaeology: External Corroborations • Lachish Letters (c. 588 BC) mention the “signal fires of war” extinguished along Judah’s western flank, mirroring the psalmist’s reality of imminent violence. • The Mesad Hashavyahu ostracon (c. 630 BC) records a Hebrew plebeian appealing for justice under a foreign overseer, paralleling a righteous sufferer’s plea in Psalm 120. • The Ketef Hinnom silver scrolls (c. 600 BC) quote the Aaronic blessing (Numbers 6:24–26), showing pilgrims already carrying Scripture fragments during the late monarchic period, the same era likely producing Psalm 120. The Psalmist’s Personal Struggle for Peace Verse 7 is more than sociopolitical commentary; it is a personal ethos. The Hebrew term for peace, shalom, implies wholeness. The psalmist embodies covenant ethics (Exodus 20:13; Leviticus 19:18), yet hostile neighbors use words “like sharp arrows” (v. 4). His stance foreshadows Messiah, who, though “Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6), faced violent opposition, culminating in crucifixion and validated by resurrection (Acts 2:23–24). Theological Implications for Followers Today The historical tensions behind Psalm 120 authenticate Scripture’s rootedness in real events while providing believers with a template for godly conduct amid cultural hostility (Romans 12:18). The psalm ultimately drives worshipers toward the greater ascent—the New Jerusalem secured by Christ’s resurrection (Revelation 21:1–4). Conclusion Psalm 120:7 arises from a concrete historical matrix: pilgrims traveling through militarized borderlands during Assyrian-Babylonian hegemony, recalling Meshech and Kedar’s violence, yet pledging personal commitment to shalom. Archaeological records, epigraphic data, and stable manuscripts converge to validate this backdrop, allowing modern readers to trust both the psalm’s authenticity and its enduring call to seek peace under God’s sovereign hand. –––––––––––––––––– 1 D. J. Wiseman, The Chronicles of the Chaldean Kings, pp. 20–22. 2 W. F. Albright, “Arab Tribes in Babylonia,” JBL 57 (1938): 387–95. 3 Emanuel Tov, Textual Criticism of the Hebrew Bible, 3rd ed., pp. 115–18. |
    |