The Meaning of Psalms 132:1 Explained

Psalms 132:1

KJV: A Song of degrees. LORD, remember David, and all his afflictions:

YLT: A Song of the Ascents. Remember, Jehovah, for David, all his afflictions.

Darby: {A Song of degrees.} Jehovah, remember for David all his affliction;

ASV: Jehovah, remember for David All his affliction;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

A Song  of degrees.  LORD,  remember  David,  [and] all his afflictions: 

What does Psalms 132:1 Mean?

Study Notes

A Song of degrees
See title note; .
Literally, "of ascents." Perhaps chanted by the people as they went up to Jerusalem to the feasts. See, e.g. Psalms 112:1 ; Psalms 112:2 .

Verse Meaning

This verse expresses the theme of the psalm. It is a cry to God to remember David"s afflictions that he experienced concerning his desire to glorify God by finding a suitable place for the ark of the covenant to dwell.

Context Summary

Psalm 132:1-18 - The Lord's Blessing Upon Zion
This psalm evidently dates from the dedication of Solomon's temple. In the glory of completion God never forgets the toils and anxieties of the builders. When the topstone flashes in the sunlight, the trench-diggers, and foundation-makers come in for their need of praise. The singer recapitulates two memorable scenes in the history of the Ark: Ephratah is probably Shiloh, in the tribe of Ephraim, where the Tabernacle was situated in Eli's time; while the field of the wood is Kirjath-jearim, whence David brought the sacred emblem to Jerusalem, 1 Chronicles 13:5.
The prayer of Psalms 132:8-10 is similar to that of Solomon, 2 Chronicles 6:41. For us the ark of God's strength is our Lord's nature, in which God and man meet. We are called to be priests, to lift our hands in intercession and to fill the earth with praise. Then in Psalms 132:11-18 God seems to take the clauses of that prayer, one by one and to answer, them. His resting-place is in His people. The staves were drawn out from the Ark when it was deposited in the Temple. In Christ there is finality; He is Omega, the Last. [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalm 132

1  David in his prayer commends unto God the reverent care he had for the ark
8  His prayer at the removing of the ark
11  With a repetition of God's promises

What do the individual words in Psalms 132:1 mean?

A Song of Ascents Remember Yahweh David behalf [And] all his afflictions
שִׁ֗יר הַֽמַּ֫עֲל֥וֹת זְכוֹר־ יְהוָ֥ה לְדָוִ֑ד אֵ֝ת כָּל־ עֻנּוֹתֽוֹ

שִׁ֗יר  A  Song 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: שִׁיר 
Sense: song.
הַֽמַּ֫עֲל֥וֹת  of  Ascents 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: מַעֲלָה 
Sense: what comes up, thoughts.
זְכוֹר־  Remember 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: זָכַר 
Sense: to remember, recall, call to mind.
יְהוָ֥ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
לְדָוִ֑ד  David 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
אֵ֝ת  behalf 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֵת 
Sense: with, near, together with.
כָּל־  [And]  all 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
עֻנּוֹתֽוֹ  his  afflictions 
Parse: Verb, Pual, Infinitive construct, third person masculine singular
Root: עָנָה 
Sense: (Qal) to be occupied, be busied with.