Martin Luther on Psalms 120:5

Verse. 5. VVoe is me that I remaine in Mesech, and dwell in the tents of Kedar.

Hitherto the Prophet hath declared the daungers both of him selfe and of the church, with prayer to be deliuered from the same. Now he addeth hereunto a complaint, for that the church of God being in the middes of her enemies, is continually vexed on euery side, and true doctrine assailed with power & subteltie. As though he should say: Being in this distresse and daunger, this is all that I am able to doe: faithfully to teach, feruently to pray and paci [illegible: 1 letter]ntly to suffer. To this ende I teache that the worde may be publikely mainteyned and kept: I pray, that the word may preuaile and haue the victory: and till it shall ouercome, I must paciently abide what trouble or affliction soeuer shall happen. He that will not thus doe, is but a shrinker and his fall will be fearefull.

In like maner haue we bene troubled in these our dayes with Epicures, Libertines, Anabaptistes, &c. We haue sustained the cruel oppression of the word by the power and subtelty of the Papists that cursed seede of Cain, & amongst vs there is also no smal number which fearing neither God nor deuill, doe not onely contemne ye ministery, but would wish it to be vtterly abolished. These are heauy crosses to the godly, when they must be compelled both to see them and suffer them, and yet can finde no remedie for the same. This forceth vs to say with Dauid: VVoe is me that I remayne in Mesech, &c.

By Mesech and Kedar he meaneth two sorts of people inhabiting neare vnto the Iewes: of which the first came of Iapheth as Moises teacheth, and the seconde of Ismael. Both of them were barbarous, cruel and without all humanity, dwelling in tents. By these he meaneth such as were of his owne nation, being no lesse cruell and spitefull against Gods people then these were: like as in an other place the corrupt & degenerate Iewes he calleth Gē tiles. And that he might the more sharpely reprehend Gods enemies and his, of purpose he nameth those people which ye Iewes knew to be most cruel and barbarous, meaning that if he dwelt in Mesech & Kedar, he could not be amongst more cruel enemies. As if he should say: I am compelled to comfort my self with hope and pacience, and would be glad yt the churches were in peace & quietnes, and ye pastors and rulers thereof in a godly vnity, but this wil not be. Wherfore I wil commit the whole cause of God by prayer, & teach the word faithfully. In the meane season we must beare these offences, that by the good we may ouercome the euill. Thus we se then that ye office of teaching is a miserable kind of life: For besides other calamities which the preachers & teachers of Gods word must suffer at ye hands of the vnfaithful, this also must nedes be vnto them a great crosse, to see the word of God and true doctrine miserably corrupted, and ye Church disquieted by false brethren. But for the Lords cause these things we suffer, and we say with Dauid. VVoe is me that I remayne in Mesech, and dwell in the tents of Kedar, barbarous and cruell people.