King James Version · read & reflect
Psalm 121
Psalm 121 is a 'song of ascents,' sung by pilgrims as they climbed the road up to Jerusalem. It opens with the traveler's anxious question — 'from whence cometh my help?' — and answers it with the God who made heaven and earth, who neither slumbers nor sleeps, and who keeps his people's 'going out' and 'coming in.' It is a psalm of protection for journeys, transitions, and ordinary days.
Key verses
I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
Psalms 121:1My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.
Psalms 121:2The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.
Psalms 121:8
Psalm 121 in full (KJV)
- I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
- My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.
- He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
- Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
- The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand.
- The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.
- The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.
- The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Psalm 121 mean?
- It answers where our help truly comes from: not the hills or our own strength, but the Lord who made heaven and earth and who watches over us without ever sleeping. 'The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in' covers the whole of a life.
- What is a song of ascents?
- Psalms 120–134 are titled 'songs of ascents,' most likely sung by pilgrims traveling up to worship in Jerusalem. Psalm 121 fits that setting — the help of a traveler on an uncertain road.