The Mountains in Ps 121:1

Back to Psalm 121 Exegetical Issues page

Exegetical issues for Psalm 121:

• The Mountains in Ps 121:1
• The Voice(s) in Psalm 121
• The Mood of Ps 121:3

Introduction

The Hebrew text of Psalm 121:1 reads as follows:

אֶשָּׂ֣א עֵ֭ינַי אֶל־הֶהָרִ֑ים

מֵ֝אַ֗יִן יָבֹ֥א עֶזְרִֽי׃

The following two translations illustrate one of the issues in this verse:

• "I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come?" (ESV)
• "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help." (KJV)

According to the ESV, verse 1b is a direct question ("from where?"), whereas, according to the KJV, v. 1b is a relative clause ("from whence"). Still others interpret v. 1b as an indirect question ("I lift my eyes [to see] from where"). The first set of argument maps below will evaluate these three positions.

This syntactic problem is related to a larger semantic problem: What does this verse mean? Specifically, what are "the mountains" in v. 1b, and what does it mean to "lift one's eyes to" them? And how do these mountains relate to the "help" mentioned in v. 1b? How one answers these questions has a big impact on how one understands the whole psalm. The various views can be grouped according to the significance they attribute to "the mountains."

1. "The mountains" as a place of physical danger
2. "The mountains" as a place of spiritual danger
3. "The mountains" as a place of potential spiritual help
4. "The mountains" as the place where YHWH dwells (= Zion)

The second set of argument maps below will evaluate these four positions.

Argument Maps

The Syntax of v. 1

Verse 1b As a Direct Question (preferred)

Most modern European translations interpret v. 1b as a direct question. The ESV is representative: "I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come?" (ESV).

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[Direct Question]: Verse 1b is a direct question: "Where does my help come from?"
 + <Usage>: The interrogative מאין is almost always used to introduce a direct question (see HALOT :L:).
  + [Usage]: Direct question: Gen 29:4; Gen 42:7; Num 11:13; Josh 9:8; Jdg 17:9; 19:17; 2 Kgs 6:27; 2 Kgs 20:14; Isa 39:3; Jon 1:8; Nah 3:7; Job 1:7; 28:12, 20; Indirect question: Josh 2:4.
 + <Ancient translations>: All of the ancient translations appear to have understood v. 1b as a direct question.
  + [Ancient translations]: LXX: Πόθεν; Jerome (iuxta Hebr.): unde; Peshitta: ܐܝܡܟܐ; Targum: מן האן.
 + <Answer in v. 2>: Verse 2 is most naturally interpreted as an answer to the question in v. 1. Question: "From where (מאין) will my help come?" Answer: "My help is from (מעם) YHWH."

Verse 1b As an Indirect Question

Some interpreters argue that v. 1b is an indirect question. The grammar by Joüon and Muraoka, for example, suggests that v. 1b is an indirect question with the verb "to see" elided: "I lift my eyes to the mountains [in order to see] where my help will come from." This view is not represented in any of the translations consulted.

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[Indirect Question]: Verse 1b is an indirect question: "I lift my eyes to the mountains \[to see\] where my help will come from" (JM §161g :G:). #dispreferred
 +  <Usage>: מאין can introduce an indirect question.#dispreferred
  + [Josh 2:4]: "I do not know where they are from (מֵאַיִן הֵמָּה)" (Josh 2:4). #dispreferred
 - <No verb>: In Psalm 121:1, there is no verb (e.g., "to see") on which מאין can depend.
  <_ <Elision>: The verb "to see" is elided (JM §161g :G:).#dispreferred

Verse 1b As a Relative Clause

Some interpreters have argued that v. 1b is a relative clause. The KJV is representative of this position: "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help" (KJV).

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[Relative Clause]: Verse 1b is a relative) clause: "the mountains, from whence my help will come" (cf. KJV; Zenger 2011, 315–316 :C:). #dispreferred
 - <Usage>: מאין is an interrogative particle and is never used elsewhere to introduce a relative clause (so HALOT :L:).
 + <Context>: A relative-clause interpretation makes the most sense in the context (see "Place where YHWH dwells (= Zion)" argument map below; cf. Zenger 2011, 315–316 :C:).#dispreferred

The Significance of Mountains

Place of Physical Danger

Some interpreters see "the mountains" in v. 1 as representing the physical dangers that await the psalmist on his journey to Jerusalem (e.g., robbers, tripping hazards, sun stroke, etc.). Looking up to the dangerous mountains leads him to ask anxiously, "Where will my help come from?"

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[Place of Physical Danger]: The mountains represent physical danger. Looking up at the mountains fills the psalmist with anxiety, leading him to ask, "Where will my help come from?" (cf. Morgenstern 1939 :A:; HALOT :L:). #dispreferred
 + <Setting>: Psalm 121 is one of the Songs of Ascents (Pss 120–134), which are for pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem. These pilgrims would have faced physical danger as they traveled through the desert and mountainous terrain. #dispreferred
  + [Ps 121 superscription]: "Song of the Ascents" (שִׁיר לַמַּעֲלוֹת).#dispreferred
 + <Dangers described in vv. 3–8>: The rest of the psalm describes the kind of danger that one might expect on a journey through mountainous terrain. #dispreferred
  + [Foot slipping (v. 3)]: "May he not let your foot slip!" (v. 3a) #dispreferred
  + [Sun and moon (v. 6)]: "The sun will not strike you during the day, and the moon \[will not strike you\] at night" (v. 6). #dispreferred
  + [All harm (v. 7)]: "YHWH will guard you from all harm" (v. 7a). #dispreferred
  + [Going and coming (v. 8)]: "YHWH will guard your going out and your coming" (v. 8a). #dispreferred
 - <"Lifting eyes to">: Lifting one's eyes to someone or something (נשׂא ענים אל) usually refers to an "action by which humans turn to a deity or place with the confidence that they will find help and support there" (SDBH).
  + ["Lifting eyes to"]: "He does not eat upon the mountains (אֶל הֶהָרִים לֹא אָכָל) or lift up his eyes to (וְעֵינָיו לֹא נָשָׂא אֶל) the idols of the house of Israel" (Ezek 18:6, ESV; cf. Ezek 18:11–12, 15; 23:27; 33:25; Ps 123:1).

Place of Spiritual Danger

Some interpreters think that "the mountains" in v. 1 represent spiritual danger, i.e., danger from spiritual beings that will threaten the psalmist on his journey. This view is similar to the previous view, insofar as the mountains are viewed as a source of danger, leading the psalmist to anxiously ask, "Where will my help come from?" In contrast to the previous view, however, this view sees the danger as primarily spiritual rather than physical. "The mountains" are the dwelling place of hostile spiritual forces.

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[Place of the Spiritual Danger]: The mountains represent spiritual danger (i.e., danger from spiritual beings, mythological powers). Looking up at the mountains fills the psalmist with anxiety, leading him to ask, "Where will my help come from?" (cf. Maré 2006 :A:).#dispreferred
 + <Association with other gods>: "In various OT texts, mountains are... often places used for the worship of Baal and other foreign gods" (Willis 1990, 245 :A:). Thus, "mention of the 'hills' \[or 'mountains'\]... connotes the hilltops around Jerusalem where shrines of other gods were located" (Creach 1996, 48 :A:).#dispreferred
  + [Association with other gods]: Deut 12:2; Hos 4:13; Isa 57:7; 65:7; Jer 3:6, 23; Ezek 6:2–7, 13; 18:6, 15.#dispreferred
 + <Coherent with rest of psalm>: This interpretation explains other elements in the following verses of the psalm (e.g., "one who made heaven and earth" in v. 2, "not falling asleep" in vv. 3–4, "sun and moon" in v. 6.#dispreferred
  + <"One who made heaven and earth" (v. 2)>: Identifying YHWH as "the one who made heaven and earth" (v. 2) is appropriate if the focus is on YHWH's supremacy over other spiritual beings and his ability to protect his people from them (cf. Maré 2006, 716–719 :A:).#dispreferred
  + <Will not fall asleep (vv. 3–4)>: In vv. 3–4, Yahweh is... portrayed polemically against Baal (1 Kings 18:27) and the fertility gods. They die annually and are ritualistically brought to life, but Yahweh neither sleeps nor slumbers" (Mare 2006, 719 :A:).#dispreferred
  + <Sun and moon (v. 6)>: In the ancient world, people imbued the sun and moon with divine powers. Many people worshipped the sun and the moon (cf. Maré 2006, 719–720 :A:) #dispreferred#dispreferred
   + [Sun and moon worship]: Deut 4:19; 17:3; 2 Kgs 23:5, 11; Job 31:26; Jer 8:2; Ezek 8:16.#dispreferred
 - <"Lifting eyes to">: Lifting one's eyes to someone or something (נשׂא ענים אל) usually refers to an "action by which humans turn to a deity or place with the confidence that they will find help and support there" (SDBH).
  + ["Lifting eyes to"]: "He does not eat upon the mountains (אֶל הֶהָרִים לֹא אָכָל) or lift up his eyes to (וְעֵינָיו לֹא נָשָׂא אֶל) the idols of the house of Israel" (Ezek 18:6, ESV; cf. Ezek 18:11–12, 15; 23:27; 33:25; Ps 123:1).

Place of Potential Spiritual Help (preferred)

Some interpreters see "the mountains" in v. 1 as a place of potential spiritual help. Like the previous view, this view sees a strong association between "the mountains" and divine beings. In contrast to the previous view, however, the psalmist, according to this view, does not see the divine beings in the mountains as a threat to him on his journey. Instead, he rhetorically entertains the idea that the spiritual beings in the mountains could possibly be a help to him on his journey: "I lift my eyes to the mountains (looking to some spiritual being to help me). Where will my help come from? (Which god will help me?)" In v. 2, however, he affirms trust in YHWH alone: "My help comes from YHWH (not from the spiritual beings in the mountains)." So, whereas the previous two views see the question in v. 1b as a real anxiety-filled question, this view sees the question as rhetorical. Willis helpfully summarizes this view as follows: "'The mountains' are locations for the worship of foreign gods and thus are not reliable sources of help in times of crisis. The psalmist begins his poem by pretending to consider the worship of foreign gods as a ploy over against which to affirm his trust in the help of Yahweh alone. He affirms that the only reliable source of help is Yahweh, as should be abundantly clear from the fact that he is 'maker of heaven and earth,' which gives him power and control over all creation... The psalmist's purpose in asking and answering such a question is to teach and encourage the audience."

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[Place of Potential Spiritual Help]: The mountains represent the habitation of divine beings, the place where people worship gods, and thus a place where someone might seek divine help.
 + <Association with other gods>: "In various OT texts, mountains are... often places used for the worship of Baal and other foreign gods" (Willis 1990, 245 :A:). Thus, "mention of the 'hills' \[or 'mountains'\]... connotes the hilltops around Jerusalem where shrines of other gods were located" (Creach 1996, 48 :A:)
  + [Association with other gods]: "He does not eat upon the mountains (אֶל הֶהָרִים לֹא אָכָל) or lift up his eyes to (וְעֵינָיו לֹא נָשָׂא אֶל) the idols of the house of Israel" (Ezek 18:6, ESV; cf. Deut 12:2; Hos 4:13; Isa 57:7; 65:7; Jer 3:6, 23; Ezek 6:2–7, 13; 18:15).
 + <"Lifting eyes to">: Lifting one's eyes to someone or something (נשׂא ענים אל) usually refers to an "action by which humans turn to a deity or place with the confidence that they will find help and support there" (SDBH).
  + ["Lifting eyes to"]: "He does not eat upon the mountains (אֶל הֶהָרִים לֹא אָכָל) or lift up his eyes to (וְעֵינָיו לֹא נָשָׂא אֶל) the idols of the house of Israel" (Ezek 18:6, ESV; cf. Ezek 18:11–12, 15; 23:27; 33:25; Ps 123:1).
 - <Hoping in false gods?>: It does not make sense that the psalmist, who declares trust in YHWH in v. 2, would "lift his eyes to" other gods and seek help from them. #dispreferred
  <_ <Rhetorical>: The psalmist is not seriously considering looking to other gods. Rather, he is using a rhetorical question (v. 1b) to heighten tension and make a point. "The psalmist begins his poem by pretending to consider the worship of foreign gods as a ploy over against which to affirm his trust in the help of Yahweh alone" (Willis 1990, 250 :A:).
   + <Psalm 4:7>: In Psalm 4:7, people celebrate YHWH's blessing by asking a similar rhetorical question.
    + [Psalm 4:7]: "Who shows us good? Lift up the light of your face on us, YHWH!" (Ps 4:7; see the Layer-by-Layer exegesis of Psalm 4).
 + <Question in v. 1b>: This interpretation explains why the psalmist would ask the (rhetorical) question in v. 1b: "Where will my help come from?" The mention of "the mountains" in the previous verse has raised the possibility of multiple different sources of help.
 + <"One who made heaven and earth">: The phrase "one who made heaven and earth" (עשה שמים וארץ), which appears in v. 2b, "is used elsewhere when the writer seems to be encouraging his audience to seek help from Yahweh alone, not from human strength of from idols" (Willis 1990, 245 :A:).
  + ["One who made heaven and earth"]: Ps 115:15 (cf. vv. 3–14); Ps 124:8 (cf. vv. 1–7); Isa 42:5; 45:18 (cf. v. 20); Jer 10:11–12 (cf. vv. 2–10).

Place Where YHWH Dwells (= Zion)

Finally, some interpreters see "the mountains" in v. 1b as a reference to the mountains around Jerusalem, where YHWH dwells.

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[Mountains of Zion]: The "mountains" in Ps 121:1 are the mountains of Zion (cf. Zenger 2011 :C:).#dispreferred
 + <"Lifting eyes">: "Lifting the eyes, in Psalm 121... means looking with longing \[or desire\] toward the place where YHWH is present as helping or gracious God" (Zenger 2011, 322 :C:).#dispreferred
  + <"Lifting eyes" = Desire>: The expression נשא עינים means to "turn the eyes toward (with desire)" (Zenger 2011, 322 :C:).#dispreferred
   + ["Lifting eyes" = Desire]: "Gen 39:7: Potiphar’s wife looks at Joseph; Ezek 18:6, 12; 23:27: Israel looks to idols; Jer 3:2: Israel looks to the sanctuaries on the heights" (Zenger 2011, 322 :C:).#dispreferred
 + <Definite article>: The phrase "the mountains" (הֶהָרִים) has the definite article, implying that the "mountains" are identifiable to the reader. And in the context of Psalms 120–134, which presuppose a journey towards Zion, the mountains are most naturally identified as the mountains of Zion (cf. Zenger 2011, 322–323 :C:).#dispreferred
 - <Singular "mountain">: "Yahweh is nowhere represented as dwelling upon all mountains, or even upon various mountains, in and about Jerusalem, but only upon the one mountain, the Temple mount" (Morgenstern 1939, 313 :A:).
  - <Plural "mountains">: Other passages refer to the "mountains" (plural) of Zion.#dispreferred
   + [Plural "mountains"]: Ps 87:1: הררי קדש; Ps 133:3: הררי ציון; see also Ps 110:3 (if emended): הררי קדש.#dispreferred
 - <Question>: If the "mountains" in v. 1 are the mountains of Zion, the place where YHWH dwells, then "it would have been unnecessary for the pilgrim to ask where his or her help comes from" (Maré 2006, 716 :A:).
  <_ <Relative>: Verse 1b is not a direct question, but a relative: "from whence my help will come" (cf. Zenger 2011, 315–316 :C:). #dispreferred
   - <Not grammatical>: מאין is an interrogative particle. There is no grammatical basis for reading v. 1b as a relative clause.

Conclusion (B)

Verse 1b almost certainly introduces a direct question: "Where does my help come from?" The relative-clause interpretation is not grammatical, and the indirect-question interpretation is unnecessarily complicated. The direct-question interpretation is the simplest (and most common) way to read the text, and it works well in the context.

The psalmist probably refers to "the mountains" as a place of potential spiritual help. In the following verse, however, he rejects any help from "the mountains" and instead relies on help from YHWH. As Willis explains, "'The mountains' are locations for the worship of foreign gods and thus are not reliable sources of help in times of crisis. The psalmist begins his poem by pretending to consider the worship of foreign gods as a ploy over against which to affirm his trust in the help of Yahweh alone. He affirms that the only reliable source of help is Yahweh, as should be abundantly clear from the fact that he is "maker of heaven and earth," which gives him power and control over all creation." This interpretation best accounts for the use of the phrase "the mountains" (which are often associated with divine beings), the phrase "lift one's eyes to" (which implies looking to someone as a source of help), and the following question, "where will my help come from?", which makes sense if the previous clause has raised the possibility of multiple sources of help. (See a similar rhetorical question and answer in Ps 4:7.)

Research

Translations

Ancient

• LXX: Ἦρα τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς μου εἰς τὰ ὄρη / Πόθεν ἥξει ἡ βοήθειά μου;
  • "I lifted my eyes to the mountains – from where will my help come?"
• Jerome (iuxta Hebr.): Levavi oculos meos in montes unde veniet auxilium meum
  • "I lifted my eyes to the mountains. From where will my help come?"
• Peshitta: ܐܪܝܡ ܥܝܢ̈ܝ ܠܛܘܪܐ܂ ܐܝܡܟܐ ܢܐܬܐ ܡܥܕܪܢܝ܂
  • "I will lift my eyes to the mountains. Where will my help come from?"
• Targum: אזקוף עיני לטוריא מן האן ייתי סעדי׃
  • "I will lift up my eyes to the mountains. From whence does my help come?"

Modern

Indicative-Interrogative

Interrogative: "From where?"

• "I lift up my eyes to the mountains – where does my help come from?" (NIV, cf. NLT, CSB, GNT, NJPS, NJB)
• "I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come?" (ESV, cf. NRSV, CEV, NET)
• "Ich hebe meine Augen auf zu den Bergen. Woher kommt mir Hilfe?" (LUT, cf. ELB, NGÜ, GNB, EÜ, ZÜR)
• "Alzaré mis ojos a los montes. ¿De dónde vendrá mi socorro?" (RVR95, cf. BTX4, NVI and DHH [montañas])
• "Je lève mes yeux vers les montagnes: d'où me viendra le secours?" (S21/NBS, cf. NVS78P, BDS, TOB)

Interrogative: "Who?"

• "Je regarde vers les montagnes : Qui viendra me secourir ?" (NFC, cf. PDV2017)

Relative clause

• "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help" (KJV)

If/then clause

• "If I lift up my eyes to the hills, where shall I find help?" (NEB/REB)

Secondary Literature

Creach, Jerome. 1996. “Psalm 121.” Interpretation: A Journal of Bible and Theology 50 (1): 47–51.

Maré, Leonard P. 2006. “Psalm 121: Yahweh’s Protection against Mythological Powers.” Old Testament Essays (New Series) 19 (2): 712–22.

Morgenstern, Julian. 1939. “Psalm 121.” Journal of Biblical Literature 58 (4): 311–323.

Willis, John T. 1990. “An Attempt to Decipher Psalm 121:1b.” The Catholic Biblical Quarterly 52 (2).

Zenger, Erich. 2011. “Psalm 121.” In Psalms 3: A Commentary on Psalms 101-150, by Frank Lothar Hossfeld and Erich Zenger. Hermeneia. Augsburg Fortress Publishers.

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121:1 Approved