Psalms 122:4
in Psalms 122where the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, as a testimony for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Whither the tribes go up, even the tribes of Jehovah, For an ordinance for Israel, To give thanks unto the name of Jehovah.
KJV
Whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, unto the testimony of Israel, to give thanks unto the name of the Lord.
⋯
This verse in Psalms 122
Commentary
10 notes on this verseWhither the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord,.... The twelve tribes of Israel; the males of them went up three times a year to Jerusalem to worship, at the feasts of passover, pentecost, and tabernacles; and was typical of the church of Christ, where the worship of God is carried on, his word preached, and ordinances administered; and whither saints go and attend for their own profit and the glory of God; this is the city of our solemnities, Isa 33:20; unto the testimony of Israel; the ark of the testimony a symbol of the divine Presence.
This site's exposition
where the tribes go up
on Psalms 122:4-5
The tribes went up under a command. Deuteronomy 16:16 sets three appearances a year, at Unleavened Bread, Weeks and Tabernacles, and the verse calls that going up a testimony. The city held the thrones of judgment of the house of David, so thanks and justice were given in one place.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
"For there the tribes went up" [Psalm 122:4]. We were asking whither he ascends who has fallen; for we said, it is the voice of a man who is ascending, of the Church rising. Can we tell whither it ascends? Whither it goes? Whither it is raised? "Thither," he says, "the tribes went up." Whither? To "partaking in the Same." But what are the tribes? Many know, many know not. For if we use the word "curies" in its proper sense, we understand nothing, save the "curies" which exist in each particular city, whence the terms "curiales" and "decuriones," that is, the citizens of a curia or a decuria; and you know that each city has such curies. But there are, or were at one time, curies of the people in those cities, and one city has many curies, as Rome has thirty-five curies of the people. These are called tribes. The people of Israel had twelve of these, according to the sons of Jacob.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Unto - Unto the ark, called the testimony, because of the tables of the covenant laid up in it, which are called God's testimony, and the tables of the testimony. And this is called the testimony of, or to Israel, because it was given by God to them. Give thanks - To worship God; this one eminent part thereof being put for all the rest.
(2.) To ascribe the glory to God, to give thanks to the name of the Lord, which we have all reason to do, especially those that have the testimony of Israel among them. If God speak to us by his word, we have reason to answer him by our thanksgivings. See on what errand we go to public worship, to give thanks.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
Whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord. When there is unity within there will be gatherings from without: the tribes go up to a compact centre. Note that Israel was one people, but yet it was in a sense divided by the mere surface distinction of tribes; and this may be a lesson to us that all Christendom is essentially one, though from various causes we are divided into tribes.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
testimony--If "unto" is supplied, this may denote the ark (Ex 25:10-21); otherwise the act of going is denoted, called a testimony in allusion to the requisition (De 16:16), with which it was a compliance.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
3 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
Whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord. When there is unity within there will be gatherings from without: the tribes go up to a compact centre. Note that Israel was one people, but yet it was in a sense divided by the mere surface distinction of tribes; and this may be a lesson to us that all Christendom is essentially one, though from various causes we are divided into tribes. Let us as much as possible sink the tribal individuality in the national unity, so that the church may be many waves, but one sea; many branches, but one tree; many members, but one body. Observe that the tribes were all of them the Lord's; whether Judah or Benjamin, Manasseh or Ephraim, they were all the Lord's. Oh that all the regiments of the Christian army may be all and equally the Lord's own, alike chosen, redeemed, accepted, and upheld by Jehovah. Unto the testimony of Israel. They went up to the holy city to hear and to bear testimony. Everything in the temple was a testimony unto the Lord, and the annual journeys of the tribes to the hallowed shrine partook of the same testifying character, for these journeys were Israel's open avowal that Jehovah was their God, and that he was the one only living and true God. When we assemble on the Sabbath a large part of our business is giving out and receiving testimony: we are God's witnesses; all the tribes of the one church of Jesus Christ bear witness unto the Lord. To give thanks unto the name of the Lord. Another part of our delightful duty is to praise the Lord. Sacred praise is a chief design of the assembling of ourselves together. All Israel had been fed by the fruit of the field, and they went up to give thanks unto the name of their great Husbandman: we, too, have countless mercies, and it becomes us unitedly in our solemn gatherings to magnify the name of our loving Lord.
The testimony of Israel - There is the ark, where the presence of God is manifested; there is the holy of holies; and there all the tribes assembled to worship Jehovah. He no doubt alludes to the assembling of the tribes annually at each of the three grand national festivals.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Whither the tribes - The twelve tribes of the children of Israel. Go up - To the great feasts and festivals of the nation. See Exo 23:17. This language of going up is such as would be used anywhere respecting the capital of a nation - as it is now of London; but it was literally true of Jerusalem, since it was elevated far above most parts of the land. The tribes of the Lord, unto the testimony of Israel - The “ark of testimony;” the ark within which were the tables of stone, containing the law considered as God’s testimony or witnessing as to justice, right, equity, duty, truth. See Exo 16:34; Exo 25:16, Exo 25:21; Exo 40:3, Exo 40:20; Exo 30:6, Exo 30:36; Exo 31:18. To give thanks unto the name of the Lord - To worship Yahweh - the name often being put for the Being himself. A main part of Hebrew worship was praise, and hence, this is often put for the whole of worship.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
There ascended the tribes For there in Shiloh the tribes ascended when they went up from Egypt, and the Tabernacle was established in its midst.
2 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
The built-up Jerusalem When my son Solomon builds the Temple within it [Jerusalem], it will be built with the Shechinah, the Temple, the Ark, and the altar.
For there were set thrones, etc. For also in Jerusalem the Shechinah will rest, and thrones will sit there upon which to judge the nations, and the royal thrones of the house of David.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 1 further source is cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
10 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| שֶׁשָּׁ֨ם | shesham | where there | H8033 → | 834 times |
| עָל֪וּ | ʾalu | they went up | H5927 → | 890 times |
| שְׁבָטִ֡ים | shevatim | tribes | H7626 → | 190 times |
| שִׁבְטֵי־ | shivtei- | [the] tribes of | H7626 → | 190 times |
| יָ֭הּ | yah | Yahweh | H3050 → | 50 times |
| עֵד֣וּת | ʾedut | a testimony | H5715 → | 59 times |
| לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל | leyisrael | to Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| לְ֝הֹד֗וֹת | lehodot | to give thanks | H3034 → | 114 times |
| לְשֵׁ֣ם | leshem | to [the] name of | H8034 → | 864 times |
| יְהוָֽה׃ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
שֶׁשָּׁ֨םwhere there
sheshamH8033 →834 times
עָל֪וּthey went up
ʾaluH5927 →890 times
שְׁבָטִ֡יםtribes
shevatimH7626 →190 times
שִׁבְטֵי־[the] tribes of
shivtei-H7626 →190 times
יָ֭הּYahweh
yahH3050 →50 times
עֵד֣וּתa testimony
ʾedutH5715 →59 times
לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֑לto Israel
leyisraelH3478 →2507 times
לְ֝הֹד֗וֹתto give thanks
lehodotH3034 →114 times
לְשֵׁ֣םto [the] name of
leshemH8034 →864 times
יְהוָֽה׃Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Deuteronomy 16:16Three times a year all your men are to appear before the LORD your God in the place He will choose: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast…
it leads to
- Proverbs 3:9–10
Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your harvest;
- Psalms 96:8
Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name; bring an offering and enter His courts.
- Haggai 1:9
You expected much, but behold, it amounted to little. And what you brought home, I blew away. Why? declares the LORD of Hosts. Because My house still lies in ruins, while each of you…
- Exodus 23:14–17
Three times a year you are to celebrate a feast to Me.
- Matthew 2:11
On coming to the house, they saw the Child with His mother Mary, and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold and frankincense…
- Proverbs 3:9–10
Through
Exodus 23:17Three times a year all your males are to appear before the Lord GOD.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 16:16
Three times a year all your men are to appear before the LORD your God in the place He will choose: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast…
- Exodus 34:23
Three times a year all your males are to appear before the Lord GOD, the God of Israel.
- Deuteronomy 31:11
when all Israel comes before the LORD your God at the place He will choose, you are to read this law in the hearing of all Israel.
- Deuteronomy 16:16
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Psalms
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Psalms; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, Exposition on Psalm 122; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Vol. 6; Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Psalms; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.