Psalm 122 (Hebrew Psalm 121 in the Septuagint numbering) is one of the fifteen “Songs of Ascents” (Psalms 120–134), a collection traditionally sung by Israelite pilgrims as they ascended the road to Jerusalem for the three great annual feasts: Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles. These psalms are marked by brevity, repetition, and a rhythmic, staircase-like progression in thought—mirroring the physical climb up Mount Zion.

Jewish tradition attributes the psalm to David (as noted in the superscription, “A Song of Ascents. Of David”), though some modern scholars suggest it may be post-exilic because of its emphasis on the unity of the tribes and the centrality of Jerusalem after the return from Babylon. Either way, it reflects a time when the Temple stood as the beating heart of Israel’s worship.

The opening cry—“I rejoiced when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord!’”—captures the excitement of pilgrimage. For scattered tribes journeying from Galilee, Gilead, or the Negev, those words signaled that the long, dusty road was almost over; soon they would stand within Jerusalem’s gates. The psalm celebrates three realities: the joy of corporate worship, the God-given unity of Israel around the sanctuary, and the thrones of the house of David symbolizing just judgment.

Above all, Psalm 122 is a prayer for shalom—comprehensive peace and flourishing—upon Jerusalem. The pilgrim prays first for the city’s lovers, then for its walls and palaces, then for family and friends, and finally for the sake of the Temple itself. This outward-moving circle of intercession reveals that true worship never stays inward; it always issues in blessing for others.

For Christians, the psalm finds ultimate fulfillment in the heavenly Jerusalem (Heb 12:22; Rev 21). We still go “rejoicing to the house of the Lord” each Sunday, hearts ascending as we gather around Word and Table, already tasting the peace of the city whose architect and builder is God.