Psalm 120: Group Study Handout

How to use: read Psalm 120 aloud together, then take the questions in order. One page is enough for an evening.

Overview

The psalmist cries for help in distress and receives an answer from Yahweh (v. 1). He pleads for deliverance from 'lying lips' and a 'deceitful tongue' (v. 2). He questions the consequences awaiting those who are deceitful, describing them as 'sharp arrows of the mighty' (vv. 3-4). The psalmist expresses woe for living in Meshech and among the tents of Kedar (v. 5). He feels he has dwelled too long with those who hate peace (v. 6). Although he desires peace, those around him desire war (v. 7).

Key verse

“Deliver my soul, Yahweh, from lying lips, from a deceitful tongue.”
Psalms 120:2 (WEB)

Outline

Psalm 120:1 Cry for Help
Psalm 120:2 Plea for Deliverance
Psalm 120:3–4 Consequences of Deceit
Psalm 120:5 Dislocation and Despair
Psalm 120:6 Longing for Peace
Psalm 120:7 Contrasting Desires

Discussion questions

In v1, what is the psalmist's reaction to distress?
In v5, which two locations does the psalmist mention?
The phrase 'deceitful tongue' in v2: what implications does this phrase carry for the psalmist's situation?
The imagery of 'sharp arrows of the mighty' in v4: what does this suggest about the psalmist's view of deceit?
When have you felt surrounded by 'lying lips' (v2) in your own life?

Go deeper

Passages that echo Psalm 120: Psalm 121, Matthew 5, James 3.

Before next time: read Psalm 121.