Psalms 124

¹A Song of degrees of David. If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, now may Israel say;

²If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, when men rose up against us:

Psa 124:1-8. The writer, for the Church, praises God for past, and expresses trust for future, deliverance from foes. 1-2. on our side--for us (Psa 56:9). now--or, “oh! let Israel”

³Then they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us:

3. Then--that is, the time of our danger. quick--literally, “living” (Nu 16:32, 33), description of ferocity.

⁴Then the waters had overwhelmed us, the stream had gone over our soul:

⁵Then the proud waters had gone over our soul.

4-5. (Compare Psa 18:4, 16).

⁶Blessed be the LORD, who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth.

⁷Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we are escaped.

6-7. The figure is changed to that of a rapacious wild beast (Psa 3:7), and then of a fowler (Psa 91:3), and complete escape is denoted by breaking the net.

⁸Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.

8. (Compare Psa 121:2). name--in the usual sense (Psa 5:11; 20:1). He thus places over against the great danger the omnipotent God, and drowns, as it were in an anthem, the wickedness of the whole world and of hell, just as a great fire consumes a little drop of water [Luther].