David
Psalm 124
A Song of degrees of David.
Scripture (KJV)
1If 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:
3Then they had swallowed us up quick, 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 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.
8Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
Summary
Psalm 124 is a Song of Ascents of David that imagines what would have happened “if it had not been the Lord who was on our side.” The repeated conditional frames the whole psalm as a counterfactual meditation on deliverance. Without the Lord, enemies would have “swallowed them up quick,” proud waters would have overwhelmed their soul, and they would have been given as prey to the fowlers’ teeth. The psalmist blesses the Lord, who has not abandoned them, and portrays the escape with the lovely image of a bird freed from a snare: “the snare is broken, and we are escaped.”
The closing verse is a confession of faith: “Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” The major themes are deliverance, gratitude, the Lord as our side, escape, and help. Practically, the psalm teaches the discipline of imagining “what would have happened” without God, in order to stir gratitude for His unseen deliverances. The great lesson is that if the Lord had not been on our side, we would have been overwhelmed—but He was, and the snare is broken.
Key Themes
A Prayer from Psalm 124
Lord, if You had not been on our side—let Israel now say—if You had not been on our side when men rose up against us, they would have swallowed us up quick when their wrath was kindled. The waters would have overwhelmed us; the proud waters would have gone over our soul. Blessed be You, Lord, who have not given us as prey to their teeth. Our soul has escaped like a bird from the snare; the snare is broken, and we are escaped. Our help is in Your name, who made heaven and earth. Keep me mindful of the snares You have broken and the floods You have held back, that I may bless You with gratitude. Be on my side today, Lord, for without You I am overcome. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Reflection Questions
- 1What “if it had not been the Lord” deliverances can I recount today?
- 2What “snares” has God broken so that my soul could escape?
- 3How does the confession “our help is in the name of the Lord” steady me now?
- 4Whom can I tell about God’s deliverance as a witness this week?
Related Psalms
Psalm 121
“I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.”
Psalm 121 is one of the "Songs of Ascents" sung by pilgrims journeying up to Jerusalem.
Read morePsalm 122
“I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord.”
Psalm 122 is a Song of Ascents attributed to David, expressing the joy of pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
Read morePsalm 123
“Unto thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens.”
Psalm 123 is a brief Song of Ascents of humble dependence.
Read morePsalm 125
“They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever.”
Psalm 125 is a Song of Ascents that uses the geography of Jerusalem to portray the security of God’s people.
Read morePsalm 18
“I will love thee, O Lord, my strength.”
A royal thanksgiving for deliverance, praising God as rock and rescuer.
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