Woe to me, that I sojourn in Meshech, that I dwell among the tents of Kedar!
English Standard Version (ESV)
What's easy to miss is that "Meshech" and "Kedar" aren't necessarily literal places the Psalmist visited, but rather represent groups of people known for their hostility and lack of peace. He's using them as poetic symbols for the deeply uncongenial, even dangerous, company he finds himself among, whether they are foreign enemies or even his own people who have turned against him.
Woe to me, that I sojourn in Meshech, that I dwell among the tents of Kedar!
English Standard Version (ESV)
The psalmist is lamenting his current difficult circumstances, feeling isolated and distressed by the people around him. He compares his situation to dwelling among the distant and fierce tribes of Meshech and Kedar, implying that his own compatriots or those he's forced to live among are equally hostile and uncivilized. This lament sets the stage for his earnest plea to God for deliverance from those who hate peace, as he himself desires to live harmoniously.
Why would the Psalmist lament dwelling with people from opposite ends of the known world? It turns out this isn't just about where he is, but who he's with.
The Psalmist's Exile
The mention of Meshech and Kedar isn't likely about the Psalmist literally living in these far-flung regions. Instead, these names represent the types of people he’s enduring.
These aren't just random places; they are poetic shorthand for utterly alien, hostile, and uncivilized peoples. The Psalmist uses them to describe his fellow Israelites who have become like them – savage, warlike, and unpeaceful, even though they are his own people.
He calls it 'woe to me!' Why such strong language? This Psalm reveals the deep spiritual and emotional toll of living among those who reject peace.
A Plea for Peace Amidst Conflict
The core of the Psalmist's lament is the crushing weight of living in a community that actively peace. He declares, 'I am for peace, but when I speak, they are for war!' (Psalm 120:7).
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This isn't just about external enemies; it's about a pervasive atmosphere of conflict and antagonism.
Understand the original words
gur · Hebrew Verb
To reside temporarily in a foreign land or a place where one does not hold citizenship. It carries the theological theme that God's people are pilgrims or strangers on the earth.
'oy · Hebrew Interjection
A pronouncement of grief, judgment, or impending disaster. It indicates the gravity of the speaker's spiritual or physical condition.
The Psalmist's lament uses Meshech (a northern, possibly Cappadocian/Scythian people) and Kedar (an Arabian nomadic tribe) as powerful metaphors for hostile, 'barbarian' environments. This reflects the deep distress of living among treacherous, peace-hating countrymen, rather than literally sojourning in those distant lands.
c. 10th-9th century BC
Assyrian Expansion and Northern Tribes
The Assyrian Empire exerted influence and military pressure on regions including those inhabited by peoples like the Mushki (Meshech), who were often perceived as fierce and distant northern tribes.
c. 9th-7th century BC
Arabian Tribes and Desert Nomads
Various nomadic tribes, including those descended from Kedar (Ishmael's son), roamed the Arabian deserts, sometimes raiding settled areas or engaging in trade. They were known for their mobile lifestyle in tents.
c. 1030-970 BC— this verse
David's Reign and Court Intrigue
During the reign of King Saul and later his own, David faced intense persecution and plots. He was often forced to live among those who were treacherous, politically motivated, and hostile to him, likening them to savage foreign tribes.
c. 7th-6th century BC
Prophetic Warnings and Deportations
Prophets like Ezekiel referenced Meshech and Kedar in contexts of future conflicts or as symbolic of pagan nations, sometimes in relation to the threats against Israel and the impending Babylonian exile.
This verse introduces Meshech as a descendant of Noah's son Japheth, linking him to nations often considered outside the covenant people and sometimes characterized as 'barbarous'.
Genesis 25:13This verse names Kedar as a son of Ishmael, connecting him to nomadic tribes of the Arabian desert, known for their fierce independence and distinct lifestyle.
Ezekiel 38:2Here, Meshech is mentioned alongside Gog as a powerful northern force, illustrating its association with potentially hostile or threatening peoples in prophetic visions.
Romans 12:18This passage offers a strong contrast, urging believers to 'live peaceably with all' and 'return good for evil,' highlighting the Psalmist's desire for peace amidst his uncongenial surroundings.
2 Peter 2:7This verse speaks of 'righteous Lot, who was continually tormented by the immoral persons' he lived among, drawing a parallel to the deep distress righteous people experience when forced to dwell with the wicked.
poolePsalms 120:5: "Woe is me, that I sojourn in Mesech, that I dwell in the tents of Kedar!"
Mesech and Kedar are two sorts of people, oft mentioned in Scripture, and reckoned amongst the heathen and barbarous nations. But their nurses are not here to be understood properly, (for we do not read that either David or the Israelites in the Babylonish captivity dwelt in their lands,) but only metaphorically, as the ungodly Israelites are called Sodom and Gomorrah, Isaiah 1:10 , and Amorites and Hittith…
clarkePsalms 120:5: "Woe is me, that I sojourn in Mesech, that I dwell in the tents of Kedar!"
That I sojourn in Mesech - The Chaldee has it, "Wo is me that I am a stranger with the Asiatics, (אוסאי useey), and that I dwell in the tents of the Arabs." Calmet, who understands the Psalm as speaking of the state of the captives in Babylon and its provinces, says, "Meshec was apparently the father of the Mosquians, who dwelt in the mountains that separate Iberia from Armenia, and both from Colchis. Thes…
What's easy to miss is that "Meshech" and "Kedar" aren't necessarily literal places the Psalmist visited, but rather represent groups of people known for their hostility and lack of peace. He's using them as poetic symbols for the deeply uncongenial, even dangerous, company he finds himself among, whether they are foreign enemies or even his own people who have turned against him.
The psalmist is lamenting his current difficult circumstances, feeling isolated and distressed by the people around him. He compares his situation to dwelling among the distant and fierce tribes of Meshech and Kedar, implying that his own compatriots or those he's forced to live among are equally hostile and uncivilized. This lament sets the stage for his earnest plea to God for deliverance from those who hate peace, as he himself desires to live harmoniously.
The psalmist is lamenting his current difficult circumstances, feeling isolated and distressed by the people around him. He compares his situation to dwelling among the distant and fierce tribes of Meshech and Kedar, implying that his own compatriots or those he's forced to live among are equally hostile and uncivilized. This lament sets the stage for his earnest plea to God for deliverance from those who hate peace, as he himself desires to live harmoniously.
"Woe to me, that I sojourn in Meshech, that I dwell among the tents of Kedar!" — What's easy to miss is that "Meshech" and "Kedar" aren't necessarily literal places the Psalmist visited, but rather represent groups of people known for their hostility and lack of peace. He's using…
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Last reviewed October 2026