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Psalms 124:1-5 Bible in Basic English (BBE)

1 <A Song of the going up. Of David.> If it had not been the Lord who was on our side (let Israel now say);

2 If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, when men came up against us;

3 They would have made a meal of us while still living, in the heat of their wrath against us:

4 We would have been covered by the waters; the streams would have gone over our soul;

5 Yes, the waters of pride would have gone over our soul.

Commentary on Psalms 124 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible


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"

2. rose … against, &c.—(Ps 3:1; 56:11).

3. Then—that is, the time of our danger.

quick—literally, "living" (Nu 16:32, 33), description of ferocity.

4, 5. (Compare Ps 18:4, 16).

5. The epithet proud added to waters denotes insolent enemies.

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.

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].