Advent Season · First Sunday of Advent · Year A
Psalm 122
Psalm 122
November 30, 2025
Overview & Insights
“I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’” (Psalm 122:1)
Like other psalms of ascent, this one contains hints of pilgrimage. The call, “Let us go to the house of the LORD,” signals their journey’s departure, and the declaration, “our feet are standing in your gates, O Jerusalem,” signals their arrival in the holy city. The description of the tribes “going up” (Hb. lh , v. 4) uses a key term for the worshipers’ ascent to Yahweh’s mountain (cf. 24:3). The voice of a representative liturgist is evident. The speaking “I” in verse 1 shifts to “our” in verse 2. In verse 6, the speaker issues an imperative to a group of listeners. The psalm opens with joy expressed over the thought of making a pilgrimage to Jerusalem (vv. 1–2), then praises Jerusalem itself (vv. 3–5), and finally encourages pilgrims to bless the city (vv. 6–9). The psalm should be read in conjunction with other Songs of Zion.
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Commentary
Commentary on Psalm 122 Working Preacher
Reads this Song of Ascents as fitting for the start of a new church year, with the pilgrim's 'let us go to the house of the Lord' echoing Isaiah 2's invitation.
Psalm 122 Commentary Center for Excellence in Preaching
Reformed preaching commentary on the psalm's pilgrimage joy and prayer for Jerusalem's peace as the Advent 1 psalm response.
Psalm 122 Commentary Enduring Word (David Guzik)
Verse-by-verse commentary on this Song of Ascents, covering the pilgrim's gladness at going to the house of the Lord and the prayer for Jerusalem's peace.
Background & Word Study
The Church Fathers
Questions preachers ask
Why is a pilgrim song about Jerusalem read in Advent?
Psalm 122 is sung on the way, by people who can already see the gates but have not yet arrived. That is the season’s own position, which is why the psalm’s gladness is forward-looking rather than settled.
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