Psalms 124 ASV

Summary: A Song of Ascents attributed to David, structured around the repeated conditional "If it had not been the LORD who was on our side" (v. 1-2), imagining what would have happened without divine rescue: enemies would have swallowed the people alive, and the waters would have overwhelmed them like a raging flood. It shifts to gratitude that "our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we are escaped" (v. 7). It closes affirming that help comes "in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth" (v. 8).

1A Song of Ascents; of David. If it had not been Jehovah who was on our side, Let Israel now say,

2If it had not been Jehovah who was on our side, When men rose up against us;

3Then they had swallowed us up alive, When their wrath was kindled against us:

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

5Then the proud waters had gone over our soul.

6Blessed be Jehovah, 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.

8Our help is in the name of Jehovah, Who made heaven and earth.

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