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Psalm 123 Introduction
繁體中文
英文原文
This psalm is entitled simply "Song of Degrees." See the notes at the title of Psalm 120:1-7. Nothing is intimated in regard to the authorship of the psalm, or to the occasion on which it was composed. The only circumstance which throws any light on its origin is the statement in Psalm 123:4, that the author and his friends - the people of God referred to in the psalm - were exposed to derision and contempt for their attachment to religion, especially the contempt and reproach of those who were in circumstances of ease and affluence, or who were in the more elevated ranks of life. This might accord well with the condition of the exiles returning from Babylon, or with the condition of the returned captives when rebuilding the walls of the city, and when they met with scorn and contempt from the Samaritans and the Ammonites; from Sanballat and Tobiah; from the Arabians and the Ashdodites Nehemiah 4:1-8; but there is no certain evidence that the psalm was composed on that occasion. The pious Hebrews of antiquity - David and others - and the people of God at all times have been too much exposed to this kind of treatment to make the mere applicability of the psalm to that particular time a reason for concluding that it must have been composed then; and it is now impossible to determine by whom, or on what occasion it was composed. It refers to what may occur in any age of the world; and it expresses the proper feelings of piety at all times when we are, on account of our religion, exposed to "the scorning of those that are at ease, and to the contempt of the proud."
1
Psalm 123:1
繁體中文
「我向你」——向你，即向神。
「舉目」——在懇求與禱告之中。本性促使我們向神說話時舉目仰望，彷彿祂住在我們之上。人心自然感到：祂必是萬有之中最崇高的、住在一切之上的那一位。見 Psalm 121:1。
「坐在天上的主啊」——祂的家——祂特殊的居所——在天上，在穹蒼之上。這與人的普遍感受、與聖經中對神的一貫描述相符，儘管神無所不在同樣是真實的。試參 Psalm 2:4；Psalm 11:4。
英文原文
Unto thee - To God.
Lift I up mine eyes - In supplication and prayer. Nature prompts us to look up when we address God, as if he dwelt above us. It is the natural prompting of the heart that he must be the most exalted of all beings, dwelling above all. See Psalm 121:1.
O thou that dwellest in the heavens - Whose home - whose special home - is in heaven - above the sky. This is in accordance with the common feelings of people, and the common description of God in the Bible, though it is true also that God is everywhere. Compare Psalm 2:4; Psalm 11:4.
2
Psalm 123:2
繁體中文
「看哪，僕人的眼睛怎樣望主人的手」……——或作「在於主人的手」；或作「留意主人的手」。就是說，我們以同樣恭順、倚靠、隨時留意神旨意的心仰望神，正如僕人對主人、婢女對主母心意所表現的那樣。關於這比較的含義，向來有不同的見解。有人以為這暗指僕人在危險時仰望主人保護；有人以為他們仰望主人供應所需；有人以為他們犯了過錯時，惟獨仰望主人求得赦免。試參 Rosenmuller 在原處（in loc.）的註釋。然而，真正的意思似乎是：他們以恭順和敬意仰望主人；留意他們心意的一切流露；他們一有最輕微的示意，便隨時預備遵行他們的命令——以等候的姿態站立，沒有自己的意志——自己的意志消失在主人或主母的意志之中。
以下摘自東方旅行者的記載，或可說明這裏的意思：蒙德雷爾（Maundrell）（Reise von Aleppo nach Jerusalem, s. 13）談到在的黎波里謁見帕夏時說：「僕人們人數眾多地站著，懷著極度的敬意和最深沉的靜默，以極度的專注和敬意服事客人。」波科克（Pococke）提到，在埃及，奴僕們在桌子末端以最深沉的靜默站立，雙手交疊，以最深的專注留意主人最細微的動作，主人藉手勢和眼色向他們傳達心意。薩瓦里（Savary）在《埃及來信》（Letters from Egypt, p. 135）中說：「奴僕們雙手交疊於胸前，靜默地站在大廳末端。「他們的眼睛望著主人」，留意他意志最細微的表示。」其他例證見 Rosenmuller, Morgenland, ii. 109, 110。詩人所指的正是這樣的習俗；其意思是：他在患難中，眼睛仰望神，深邃靜默，深切專注，如同僕人安然侍候主人、捕捉他意志最細微的示意——頭或手的一動——或任何表明他心意的事物。
「直到他憐憫我們」——我們除了等候，別無可行。我們沒有別的憑藉。我們若轉離祂，便甚麼都不能作。我們惟一的盼望和期待就在那裏；我們若要得舒解，必定是從那裏。最穩妥——惟一——的得救之望，就是仰望神；這也是我們心靈的志向，要如此行，直到我們得著幫助和解救。下一節那懇切的禱告，正是在這種姿態中獻上的。
英文原文
Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters ... - Or, are to the hands of their masters; or, regard the hands of their masters. That is, we look to God with the same spirit of deference, dependence, and readiness to mark the will of God, which is evinced by servants in regard to their masters, and by maidens in regard to the will of a mistress. There has been some difference of view in regard to the meaning of this comparison. Some have supposed that the allusion is to the fact that servants, when in danger, look to their masters for protection; others, that they look to them for the supply of their needs; others, that when they have been guilty of an offence they look to them alone for pardon. See Rosenmuller, in loc. The true idea, however, seems to be, that they look to them with deference and respect; that they attentively mark every expression of their will; that they are ready to obey their commands on the slightest intimation of their wishes - standing in a waiting posture, with no will of their own - their own wills absorbed in the will of the master or the mistress.
The following extracts from Oriental travelers may illustrate the idea here: Maundrell (Reise von Aleppo nach Jerusalem, s. 13), speaking of an interview with the Pasha at Tripoli, says, "The servants all stood in great numbers with the utmost respect, and in profoundest silence, and served the guests with the utmost attention and respect." Pococke remarks that in Egypt the slaves stand in the profoundest silence at the end of the table, their hands laid cross-wise over one another, and that they mark with the deepest attention the slightest movement of their master, who conveys his wishes to them through signs and winks. Savary, in his Letters from Egypt (p. 135), says, "The slaves stand with their hands laid cross-wise over their breasts, silent, at the end of the hall. "Their eyes are directed to the master," and they are attentive to the slightest indication of his will." See other illustrations in Rosenmuller, Morgenland, ii. 109, 110. It is to such a custom as this that the psalmist refers; and the idea is, that his eyes were directed to God, in his troubles, in profound silence, and with deep attention, resembling that of servants waiting in stillness on their master, and catching the slightest intimation of his will - a movement of the head or hand - or anything which would indicate his pleasure.
Until that he have mercy upon us - We have nothing to do but wait. We have no other resource. We can do nothing if we turn away from him. Our only hope and expectation is there, and if we ever find relief, it must be there. The surest - the only - hope of relief is to wait on God; and it is the purpose of our souls to do this until we find help and deliverance. This is the attitude in which the earnest prayer in the next verse is offered.
3
Psalm 123:3
繁體中文
「耶和華啊，求你憐憫我們，憐憫我們」——這是懇切祈求的言語，以強調的語氣重複這祈求的對象。祈求的人被描繪為站立着、迫切地提出這請求，深感幫助只能從神而來；單單仰望他；並注視他的面容，正如僕人注視主人的面容一樣。
「我們……已到極處」——此處所用的希伯來文詞，意為飽和；胃口完全得着滿足——如用於飢餓或乾渴之人。繼而引申為完全滿溢；此處的意思是：他們所受的藐視已達到無以復加的地步；再也容不下更多的了。
「被藐視」——我們在各樣可能的方式上受了藐視。我們被徹底地輕視。
英文原文
Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us - The language of earnest pleading, repeating with emphasis the object of the prayer. The supplicants are represented as standing and urging this petition, feeling that help could come only from God; looking only to him; and watching his countenance, as servants do their master's.
For we are exceedingly filled - The Hebrew word used here means to be saturated; to have the appetite fully satisfied - as applied to one who is hungry or thirsty. Then it comes to mean to be entirely full, and the idea here is, that as much contempt had been thrown upon them as could be; they could experience no more.
With contempt - Contempt has been shown us in every possible way. We are thoroughly despised.
4
Psalm 123:4
繁體中文
「我們的心被那些安逸人的譏誚」——飽足了；充分得厭膩。本節說明他們所受藐視的性質與來源。按對這些「上行之詩」的一種看法（見 Psalm 120:1-7 的引言），這是意思「上升」、思想爬升的一個例子：Psalm 123:3 只概括地提到「藐視」，本節卻把思想向前向上推進，加添了一個使語氣加強的意思。這是出於安逸之人的譏誚；即輕浮的、富足的、驕傲的人。「譏誚」一詞意為戲笑、嘲弄。希伯來文的觀念出自「口吃」——這字的本義；繼而指嘲弄，如覆述別人的話，或模仿人的聲音以資譏笑。參 Psalm 2:4；Job 22:19。「安逸的人」一語，本指安靜恬適的人（Job 12:5；Isaiah 32:18；Isaiah 33:20）；繼而用於指生活安逸、生活放縱奢華的人（Amos 6:1；Isaiah 32:9、Isaiah 32:11）。此處大概指用我們的話說「境況優裕」的人；富足的人；不必勞碌的人；也就是輕浮的、時髦的、社會上層的人。這藐視因出自那一等人——不是出自低微、無知、平庸之人，而是出自自命高雅、在歡樂、地位與時尚的圈子中出人頭地的人——就更為難堪。即使對好人（人性如此），這也比來自下層的藐視難受得多。對後者，我們或許覺得可以以藐視還藐視；對前者卻不能。我們不理會不如我們之人的意見；卻少有人不被高於我們之人的看法所影響。
「和驕傲人的藐視」——指那些自高的人；無論是在地位上、境遇上，還是心境上。主要的觀念是：這是眾人仰望之人的藐視。屬神的人歷來常有這等遭遇，而且它事實上往往是比失去財物、比身體的痛苦刑罰更嚴酷的考驗，考驗宗教的真實與能力。我們若有在上者的尊重——稱讚——便能忍受許多；當我們能忍受偉人、貴胄、學者、輕浮之輩、時髦之流的譏誚時，我們宗教的真實與能力便得了確實的印證。敬虔因這個而被攔阻蒙蔽，比因逼迫而如此更常見。輕浮與時髦之輩對敬虔蹙額之時，敬虔燦然發光的情形，比君王試圖以權勢碾壓它之時更為罕見。教會在逼迫的火爐中，比在世界的「安樂」場景中，更盡了自己的本分。
英文原文
Our soul is exceedingly filled - Thoroughly sated. This verse states the nature and the source of the contempt which they were called to bear.
With the scorning of those that are at ease - According to one view of these "Psalms of Degrees" (see the Introduction to Psalm 120:1-7) this would be an instance of an "ascent" in the sense, or of the going up of the thought, where in Psalm 123:3 there was mention made in general of "contempt," and in this verse the thought is carried onward and upward, or there is an additional idea which gives intensity to it. It is the scorn proceeding from those who are at ease; that is, the frivolous, the affluent, the proud. The word scorning means derision, mockery. The idea in the Hebrew is derived from stammering, which the word properly means; and then, mockery, as repeating over the words of another, or imitating the voice of one in derision. Compare Psalm 2:4; Job 22:19. The phrase "those that are at ease" properly refers to those who are tranquil or quiet, Job 12:5; Isaiah 32:18; Isaiah 33:20; and then it is used of those who are living at ease; those who are living in self-indulgence and luxury, Amos 6:1; Isaiah 32:9, Isaiah 32:11. Here it would seem to refer to those who, in our language, are "in easy circumstances;" the affluent; those who are not compelled to toil: then, the frivolous, the fashionable, those in the upper walks of life. The contempt was aggravated by the fact that it came from that quarter; not from the low, the ignorant, the common, but from those who claimed to be refined, and who were distinguished in the world of gaiety, of rank, and of fashion. This, even for good people (such is human nature), is much more hard to bear than contempt is when it comes from those who are in the lower walks of life. In the latter case, perhaps, we feel that we can meet contempt with contempt; in the former we cannot. We disregard the opinions of those who are beneath us; there are few who are not affected by the opinions entertained of them by those who are above them.
And with the contempt of the proud - Those who are lifted up; either in rank, in condition, or in feeling. The essential idea is, that it was the contempt of those to whom mankind look up. Religious people have always had much of this to encounter, and often it is in fact a more severe test of the reality and power of religion than the loss of goods, or than bodily pains and penalties. We can bear much if we have the respect - the praise - of those above us; it is a very certain test of the reality and the power of our religion when we can bear the scorn of the great, the noble, the scientific, the frivolous, and the fashionable. Piety is more frequently checked and obscured by this than it is by persecution. It is more rare that piety shines brightly when the frivolous and the fashionable flown upon it than when princes attempt to crush it by power. The church has performed its duty better in the furnace of persecution than it has in the "happy" scenes of the world.
本詩的標題只是「上行之詩」。參見 Psalm 120:1-7 標題的註釋。關於本詩的作者是誰、或寫於什麼場合，沒有任何提示。惟一對其來源提供一點亮光的情節，是 Psalm 123:4 的陳述：作者和他的朋友——詩中所指的神的百姓——因持守宗教而遭受譏誚與藐視，特別是那些安逸富足之人、或身處較高階層之人的藐視與羞辱。這與從巴比倫歸回之被擄者的境況很相合，也與歸回的被擄者在重建城牆之時的境況相合——那時他們受到撒瑪利亞人和亞捫人、參巴拉和多比雅、亞拉伯人和亞實突人的譏誚與藐視（Nehemiah 4:1-8）；但沒有確實的證據表明本詩寫於那場合。古時敬虔的希伯來人——大衛與其他人——以及歷代神的百姓，受這種待遇的時候實在太多；單憑本詩適用於那個特定時期，不足以斷定它必然寫於那時；如今已無法確知它是由誰、在什麼場合寫的。它論到世上任何時代都可能發生的事；並且每當我們因自己的信仰遭受「安逸人的譏誚和驕傲人的藐視」時，它都表達敬虔之人當有的合宜情感。