Psalm 124
New English Translation
Psalm 124[a]
A song of ascents;[b] by David.
124 “If the Lord had not been on our side”—
let Israel say this.—
2 if the Lord had not been on our side,
when men attacked us,[c]
3 they would have swallowed us alive,
when their anger raged against us.
4 The water would have overpowered us;
the current[d] would have overwhelmed[e] us.[f]
5 The raging water
would have overwhelmed us.[g]
6 The Lord deserves praise,[h]
for[i] he did not hand us over as prey to their teeth.
7 We escaped with our lives,[j] like a bird from a hunter’s snare.
The snare broke, and we escaped.
8 Our deliverer is the Lord,[k]
the Creator[l] of heaven and earth.
Footnotes
- Psalm 124:1 sn Psalm 124. Israel acknowledges that the Lord delivered them from certain disaster.
- Psalm 124:1 sn The precise significance of this title, which appears in Pss 120-134, is unclear. Perhaps worshipers recited these psalms when they ascended the road to Jerusalem to celebrate annual religious festivals. For a discussion of their background see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 219-21.
- Psalm 124:2 tn Heb “rose up against us.”
- Psalm 124:4 tn Or “stream.”
- Psalm 124:4 tn Heb “would have passed over.”
- Psalm 124:4 tn Heb “our being.” The Hebrew term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) with a pronominal suffix is often equivalent to a pronoun, especially in poetry (see BDB 660 s.v. נֶפֶשׁ 4.a).
- Psalm 124:5 tn Heb “then they would have passed over our being, the raging waters.”
- Psalm 124:6 tn Heb “blessed [be] the Lord.”
- Psalm 124:6 tn Heb “[the one] who.”
- Psalm 124:7 tn Heb “our life escaped.”
- Psalm 124:8 tn Heb “our help [is] in the name of the Lord.”
- Psalm 124:8 tn Or “Maker.”
Psalm 124
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Psalm 124
Thanksgiving for Israel’s Deliverance
A Song of Ascents. Of David.
1 If it had not been the Lord who was on our side
—let Israel now say—(A)
2 if it had not been the Lord who was on our side,
when our enemies attacked us,
3 then they would have swallowed us up alive,
when their anger was kindled against us;(B)
4 then the flood would have swept us away;
the torrent would have gone over us;(C)
5 then over us would have gone
the raging waters.
6 Blessed be the Lord,
who has not given us
as prey to their teeth.(D)
7 We have escaped like a bird
from the snare of the hunters;
the snare is broken,
and we have escaped.(E)
8 Our help is in the name of the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.(F)
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