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In my distress I cried unto the LORD, and he heard me.
Psalms 120:1 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB A Song of Ascents. In my distress, I cried to Yahweh. He answered me.
  • BSB A song of ascents. In my distress I cried to the LORD, and He answered me.
  • NKJV In my distress I cried to the Lord, And He heard me.
  • NASB I cried to the Lord in my trouble, And He answered me.
  • NLT I took my troubles to the Lord; I cried out to him, and he answered my prayer.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

In his distress the psalmist cried to Yahweh, and God answered him. God hears and responds to the cries of His troubled people.

Overview

This first 'Song of Ascents,' likely sung by pilgrims journeying to Jerusalem, opens with a testimony of answered prayer in distress. The psalmist's experience grounds the whole pilgrimage in confidence that God responds to His people's cries. It anticipates the believer's assurance that God hears prayer offered through Christ.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 27

  • Ps 18:6In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.
  • Jonah 2:2And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.
  • Ps 118:5I called upon the LORD in distress: the LORD answered me, and set me in a large place.
  • Heb 5:7Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;
  • Ps 50:15And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.
  • Ps 130:1Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O LORD.
  • Luke 22:44And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
  • Ps 125:1They that trust in the LORD shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever.
  • Ps 131:1Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty: neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me.
  • Ps 107:13Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses.
  • Isa 37:3–4And they said unto him, Thus saith Hezekiah, This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and of blasphemy: for the children are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth.
  • Isa 37:14–20And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it: and Hezekiah went up unto the house of the LORD, and spread it before the LORD.
  • Ps 134:1Behold, bless ye the LORD, all ye servants of the LORD, which by night stand in the house of the LORD.
  • Ps 122:1I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.
  • Ps 132:1Lord, remember David, and all his afflictions:
  • Ps 121:1I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
  • Ps 102:2Hide not thy face from me in the day when I am in trouble; incline thine ear unto me: in the day when I call answer me speedily.
  • Ps 30:7–8LORD, by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong: thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled.
  • Ps 124:1If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, now may Israel say;
  • Ps 133:1Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
  • Ps 127:1Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.
  • Isa 38:2–5Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed unto the LORD,
  • Ps 116:3–4The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow.
  • Ps 128:1Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD; that walketh in his ways.
  • Ps 123:1Unto thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens.
  • Ps 126:1When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream.
  • Ps 129:1Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth, may Israel now say:

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (1)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Psalms videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Psalms 120:1YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on PsalmsMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.

How Psalms 120:1 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.