In my distress I called to the LORD, and he answered me.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse isn't just about calling out to God in a general sense; it highlights a past experience where God already answered. This recall of answered prayer becomes the foundation and encouragement for facing the present distress with confidence.
In my distress I called to the LORD, and he answered me.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse opens a series of "Songs of Ascents," likely sung by pilgrims journeying to Jerusalem, and immediately plunges into a personal cry for help. The psalmist recounts a past or present deep distress caused by deceitful people, leading them to call out to the Lord. This initial verse sets the stage for the rest of the psalm, which details the psalmist's longing to escape such malicious company and find peace.
Ever wonder why some Psalms are called 'Songs of Degrees'? This first one sets a tone of honest struggle and hope as we journey.
This psalm is the first of fifteen called 'Songs of Degrees' or 'Songs of Ascents.' The most popular idea is that these songs were sung by pilgrims as they traveled up to Jerusalem for the major festivals three times a year.
Imagine thousands of people, from all walks of life, making that journey. It wasn't just a physical trip; it was a spiritual ascent, a time of reflection and anticipation. This first song, his first song on the journey, starts not with triumphant praise, but with raw, honest distress and a cry for help. It reminds us that our spiritual journeys often begin, and continue, with acknowledging our struggles before we reach the mountaintop.
Life throws curveballs, and sometimes it feels like we're facing them alone. But what happens when we cry out?
The psalmist is in deep trouble, feeling slandered and surrounded by hostility. He feels like a stranger in a land of lies ('I am from the country of peace, but when I speak, they are for war,' Psalm 120:6-7). It's easy to feel trapped by circumstances and the actions of others.
Yet, in the midst of this overwhelming distress, his immediate response isn't despair; it's prayer. He 'called to the LORD.' And the incredible part? 'He answered me.' This isn't just a hopeful wish; it's a testimony of past experience. He's recalling a moment when, in his deepest need, God heard him. This is a powerful reminder that even when surrounded by enemies or facing unjust attacks, our first and most vital resource is to turn to God in prayer, trusting that He is not silent.
Ask a follow-up
Why do you think the psalmist starts this song by recalling a specific answer to prayer?
This opening verse isn't just a snapshot of one moment; it's a foundation stone. The psalmist recalls a time when he cried out in distress, and God answered. This memory serves as an anchor.
He's not just praying now; he's testifying about what God has done. This 'past' answer gives him confidence for his 'present' distress and fuels his prayer for the future. It’s like saying, 'I’ve been here before, I cried out, and God came through. So, I will cry out again, because I know He hears.' This is the power of a witnessed answer – it builds faith and encourages persistent prayer, assuring us that God’s faithfulness is not a one-time event, but an enduring reality.
Understand the original words
tsarah · Hebrew Noun
A state of extreme difficulty, tightness, or pressure. In the Psalms, it is often a cry for help from a place of inescapable agony or conflict.
YHWH · Hebrew Noun
The personal name of the God of Israel, the covenant-keeping God who is self-existent and redeems His people.
This psalm's cry of distress likely echoes the struggles of the returned exiles or those in similar situations, who faced not only the hardships of rebuilding but also the sharp sting of slander and falsehood from those around them.
c. 586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Babylonian Exile
Jerusalem falls to Nebuchadnezzar II, and many Judeans are deported to Babylon. This marks a period of immense distress and a longing for home and God's presence.
c. 539 BC
Cyrus the Great's Conquest of Babylon
Cyrus the Great, king of Persia, conquers the Babylonian Empire, paving the way for the Jewish exiles to return to their homeland.
538 BC
Edict of Cyrus allowing return to Jerusalem
Cyrus issues a decree permitting the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their Temple. This marks a turning point, but the journey and rebuilding are fraught with challenges.
c. 515 BC
Completion of the Second Temple
The Second Temple in Jerusalem is completed, a significant moment of restoration. However, the community still faces opposition and hardship.
c. 458 BC - 430 BC
Rebuilding of Jerusalem's Walls and Community Reforms
Figures like Ezra and Nehemiah lead efforts to rebuild Jerusalem's walls and reform the community, facing significant opposition from surrounding peoples.
Unknown, likely post-exilic— this verse
Psalmist's Distress from Deceitful Tongues
The psalmist experiences deep distress, not from physical enemies, but from malicious slander and falsehood. This distress prompts a cry to the Lord, who answers him.
Just like the Psalmist cried out in distress and was heard, David, facing a similar crisis with his men wanting to stone him, found strength and encouragement in the Lord.
2 Corinthians 1:3-4This passage echoes the Psalmist's experience, teaching that God is the source of comfort in all our troubles, so we can then comfort others who are in distress.
Philippians 4:6-7Paul directly instructs believers to bring their requests to God in prayer, assuring them that God's peace will guard their hearts, mirroring the Psalmist's confident plea and God's response.
Jonah 2:2Jonah's desperate cry from the belly of the fish is a powerful example of calling to the Lord in extreme distress, with the assurance, just like in Psalm 120, that God hears from His holy temple.
pulpitPsalms 120:1: "<> In my distress I cried unto the LORD, and he heard me."
Verse 1. - In my distress I cried unto the Lord, and he heard me. The particular "distress' intended can only be conjectured. Some suppose it to be the Captivity itself, others the opposition offered by the Samaritans, Ammonites, and others to the rebuilding of the temple (Ezra 4, 5.) and restoration of the wails of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 2:19, 20; Nehemiah 4:1-23; Nehemiah 6:2-14). But these guesses are scarcely of much val…
jfbPsalms 120:1: "<> In my distress I cried unto the LORD, and he heard me."
PSALM 120Ps 120:1-7. This is the first of fifteen Psalms (Psalms 120-134) entitled "A Song of Degrees" (Ps 121:1—literally, "A song for the degrees"), or ascents. It seems most probable they were designed for the use of the people when going up (compare 1Ki 12:27, 28) to Jerusalem on the festival occasions (De 16:16), three times a year. David appears as the author of four, Solomon of one (Ps 127:1), and the other ten are…
The verse isn't just about calling out to God in a general sense; it highlights a past experience where God already answered. This recall of answered prayer becomes the foundation and encouragement for facing the present distress with confidence.
This verse opens a series of "Songs of Ascents," likely sung by pilgrims journeying to Jerusalem, and immediately plunges into a personal cry for help. The psalmist recounts a past or present deep distress caused by deceitful people, leading them to call out to the Lord. This initial verse sets the stage for the rest of the psalm, which details the psalmist's longing to escape such malicious company and find peace.
This verse opens a series of "Songs of Ascents," likely sung by pilgrims journeying to Jerusalem, and immediately plunges into a personal cry for help. The psalmist recounts a past or present deep distress caused by deceitful people, leading them to call out to the Lord. This initial verse sets the stage for the rest of the psalm, which details the psalmist's longing to escape such malicious company and find peace.
"In my distress I called to the LORD, and he answered me." — The verse isn't just about calling out to God in a general sense; it highlights a past experience where God already answered. This recall of answered prayer becomes the foundation and encouragement…
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Last reviewed October 2026