Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary PSALM 124
Ps 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 (Ps 56:9). now—or, "oh! let Israel" If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, when men rose up against us: 2. rose … against, &c.—(Ps 3:1; 56:11).
Then 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. Then the waters had overwhelmed us, the stream had gone over our soul: 4, 5. (Compare Ps 18:4, 16).
Then the proud waters had gone over our soul. 5. The epithet proud added to waters denotes insolent enemies.
Blessed be the LORD, who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth. 6, 7. The figure is changed to that of a rapacious wild beast (Ps 3:7), and then of a fowler (Ps 91:3), and complete escape is denoted by breaking the net.
Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we are escaped.
Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth. 8. (Compare Ps 121:2). name—in the usual sense (Ps 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]. |
