Psalm 124

Had it not been Yahweh who was for us, * let Israel firmly say, had it not been Yahweh who was for us, * when men rose up against us,

then they would have swallowed us live, * when their anger blazed against us,         then the waters would have engulfed us * like a torrent * sweeping over our neck,             then would have swept over our neck * the raging waters.

Blessed be Yahweh, * who did not give us * like prey to their teeth.             Our neck has escaped like a bird * from the hunter's trap.         The trap is broken, * and we have escaped.

Our help is in the name of Yahweh, * who made heaven and earth.

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1. A gradual canticle.

124:0 This is Psalm 124 in the whole Psalter, the 24^th in the third part, the fifth of the Gradual Psalms, and the last of the first five Gradual Psalms which have to do with receding from evil. After calling to the Lord for deliverance from evil (120), and ascending to confidence in his deliverance (121), and then to gladness for the accomplishment of his deliverance (122), and then piously to continue in fervent prayer (123), here finally he thanks God for his deliverance, after the usual title, already explained.

The Psalm has two parts: (1) a general invitation of all who have been delivered by God from evil to give thanks, (2) the giving of thanks for all this: "Blessed be Yahweh". In the first, he urges thanks to be given for (1) deliverance from persecutors, (2) deliverance from temptations: "like a torrent". In the first, he invites people to give thanks for deliverance from (1) major persecutions, (2) minor persecutions: "when their anger".

If it had not been that the Lord was with us, let Israel now say: 2. If it had not been that the Lord was with us, When men rose up against us, 3. Perhaps they had swallowed us up alive.
Had it not been Yahweh who was for us, let Israel firmly say, had it not been Yahweh who was for us, when men rose up against us, then they would have swallowed us live,

124:1.1.1 The construction of the first two verses is hanging. The idea is: Let Israel, i.e. the people that sees God, now say, giving thanks, that when men rose up against us, persecuting us by words and deeds, then they would have swallowed us, leading us to do evil, live, knowing and aware and certainly recognizing the evil, had it not been Yahweh who was for us, giving us the power to overcome.

Note that the devil, through his own who suggest evil to us, sometimes swallows the good and incorporates them into himself. But God does just the opposite to the evil, through his preachers. —Acts 10:12—13 Kill and eat... every kind of animal and reptile. Here is how someone falls to the devil: First, from the suggestion of evil, he puts it into his mouth, then he chews it by deliberation, swallows it alive by consent, when he has knowledge of the evil he is doing. —Prov 1:12 Like Sheol let us swallow them alive and whole. —Jonah 1:17 Yahweh appointed a large fish to swallow up Jonah. —Num 16:33 Dathan and Abirom went down alive to Sheol. This happens unless the Lord is within his own, but when he is within them he preserves them. —Jer 14:9 You, Yahweh, are in our midst, and your name is called on us. He is in all men by forming their human nature —Is 7:14 She shall call his name Emmanuel, God with us. —Bar 3:38 Since then she has appeared on earth, and moved among men. But he is in them especially by his infusion of grace. —Zech 2:14 I am coming to dwell among you, says Yahweh. —Rom 5:5 God's love has been poured into our hearts. —Rom 8:31 If God is for us, who is against us?

When their fury was enkindled against us, 4. Perhaps the waters had swallowed us up.
when their anger blazed against us, then the waters would have engulfed us

124:1.1.2 This refers to minor persecutions. The idea is: Let Israel say that the waters — that is, a fickle and fluid people —Rev 17:15 The waters that you saw, where the harlot is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues. Or water can mean tribulation coming from others which comes flooding like water —Ex 15:10 They sank like lead in the mighty waters. —Ps 69:1 The waters have reached my neck. — would have engulfed us —Jer 51:34 He has swallowed me like a dragon. —Is 49:19 Those who swallowed you up will be far away. The word "perhaps" is an indication of free will. — when their anger blazed against us —Prov 27:4 Wrath is cruel, anger is overwhelming; but who can stand before jealousy? For the evil rise against the good like wild animals without mercy. —Job 16:10 Men have gaped at me with their mouth, they have struck me insolently upon the cheek. —Ps 112:10 The wicked looks with envy and is vexed; grinds his teeth and laments.

5. Our soul hath passed through a torrent: perhaps our soul had passed through a water insupportable.
like a torrent sweeping over our neck, then would have swept over our neck the raging waters.

124:1.2 Here he asks for thanksgiving for deliverance from temptation, (1) from the enemy, (2) from the flesh: "then the waters". The idea is: Let Israel say the preceding, and also say: Our soul has perfectly passed through a torrent, which is tribulation that is quickly passing, like a torrent, brought on by enemies. Our Head drank abundantly from this torrent —Ps 110:7 He will drink from the stream by the road (Vul). —Is 43:16 Yahweh makes a way in the sea, a path in the mighty waters, that is a way through transitory tribulations. —Jer 31:9 I will lead them through torrents of water (Vul).

The other temptations are from the flesh. According to the Gloss, "then/perhaps" stands for "do you think?" The idea is: He crossed through the torrent, and do you think that our soul passed through the raging waters, that is, perfectly, unless the Lord was with us. The implied answer is "no way". The raging water stands for temptation or tribulation from the flesh. —Is 43:2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. —Is 51:10 You made the depths of the sea a way for the redeemed to pass over. Those waters sometimes see intolerable, when strong trials of the flesh are on, by God's permission. —Is 8:7 The Lord is bringing up, that is, he will allow to be brought up, against them the waters of the River, the fluid and unstable flesh, mighty and many. But the Lord sometimes tempers these, and allows people to bear it. —1 Cor 10:13 God is faithful, and will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able.

6. Blessed be the Lord,
Blessed be Yahweh,

124:2.1 After an invitation to give thanks, there follows the giving of thanks, so that as he invited by word, so now he invites by example. He (1) gives thanks, (2) mentions the benefits for which he gives thanks: "who did not give us". The idea is: I told Israel to give thanks, and now I say, Blessed be Yahweh. —Ps 103:2/ 104:1 Praise Yahweh, my soul. —2 Cor 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

who hath not given us to be a prey to their teeth.
who did not give us like prey to their teeth.

124:2.2.1 The benefits for which he gives thanks are two: (1) deliverance from open persecution, which is symbolized by teeth, (2) from hidden persecutions, symbolized by the snare: "Our neck". The idea is: Blessed be Yahweh, who did not give us, that is, permit us to be given, like prey to their teeth, but rather he delivered us. —Job 29:17 I broke the fangs of the unrighteous, and made him drop his prey from his teeth. These are the teeth of the demons, who are open persecutors. —Joel 1:6 Its teeth are lions' teeth, and it has the fangs of a lioness. —Dan 7:5 a bear... and among the teeth in its mouth were three tusks. These harm and devour by flattery, threats, and bites, that is, acts of violence. But the Lord saves his own. —Is 49:24 Can the prey be taken from the mighty, or the captives of a tyrant be rescued? Yes, the prey will be taken from the mighty, and the captives will be saved from the tyrant.

7. Our soul hath been delivered as a sparrow out of the snare of the fowlers. The snare is broken, and we are delivered.
Our neck has escaped like a bird from the hunter's trap. The trap is broken, and we have escaped.

124:2.2.2.1 Regarding second benefit, there is stated (1) the full deliverance from hidden temptation, (2) who brought this deliverance: "Our help is in the name of Yahweh". In the first, there is stated (1) the level of their deliverance, which is that of the soul, not the body, (2) how they were delivered: "like a bird", (3) from whom they were delivered: "the hunter's trap". The idea is: He did not give us like prey to their teeth, and that means our soul, no matter what happens to the body —Job 9:24 The earth is given into the hand of the wicked. —Job 2:6 Only spare his life/soul.

It has escaped like a bird, because, although it may leave much, it sometimes flies away. Likewise, the saints leave behind their property and their bodies, while their soul flies away. According to Lev 14:1—9, after cleansing from leprosy, a man brings two birds; one is sacrificed, the other is allowed to fly away. — from the hunter's trap, the hidden temptation of the demons. —Is 24:17 Terror, and the pit, and the snare are upon you, O inhabitant of the earth! It is said to cover the inhabitants of the earth —Lam 3:52 I have been hunted like a bird. But it does not cover all, for the saints are flying in the air. —Prov 1:17 In vain is a net spread in the sight of any bird. —Jer 5:26 For wicked men are found among my people; they lurk like fowlers lying in wait. They set a trap; they catch men. —Wis 14:11 Idols became traps for the souls of men and a snare to the feet of the foolish.

Then the full and perfect deliverance is shown in (1) the breaking of the trap, (2) the deliverance of those trapped: "and we have escaped". The idea is: Our soul has been rescued from the trap fully and perfectly, because the trap of riches, honors and pleasures is broken, for everything passes and comes to nothing. —1 John 2:17 The world passes away and the lust of it. —Is 10:27 The yoke will be shaken off by the grease. —Jer 30:8 I will break his yoke from off your necks and snap your bonds. For the devil traps man and throws him into sin, but when he leads him into the habit of sin, he has locked him in prison. But the Lord breaks the trap and shatters the prison. —Is 45:2 I will break in pieces the doors of bronze and cut asunder the bars of iron.

And we have escaped. —1 Mac 2:60 Daniel because of his innocence was delivered from the mouth of the lions.

8. Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
Our help is in the name of Yahweh, who made heaven and earth.

124:2.2.2.2 Here is the description of the deliverer: (1) who he is, since he is Lord with a unique dominion, (2) what he is like, because he has universal power over all higher and lower creatures: "who made heaven and earth". The idea is: We are liberated, but by whom? Our help is not and never has been from ourselves, bu it is in invoking the name of Yahweh, against whom no one can prevail. —Prov 21:30 No wisdom, no understanding, no counsel can prevail against Yahweh. —Rom 8:31 If God is for us, who is against us?

We are helped in the name of the unique and powerful Lord, who made heaven, every superior creature, and earth, all the lower ones. —Gen 1:1 In the beginning God made heaven and earth. —Esther 13:9 (Vul) Everything is under your jurisdiction, Lord, and none can resist your will.

Note that the Lord rescued sparrows, that is, those who are (1) little by their humility. —Mt 19:14 Let the little children come to me. (2) light, because of renouncing temporal things —Jer 2:23 a light runner dashing (Vul). (3) agile, by charity —Is 60:8 Who are these that fly like a cloud? (4) living in the holes of the mountain rocks, by constant meditation on the passion of Christ —Is 2:10 Enter into the rock, hide from the dust. —Cant 2:14 my dove, in the clefts of the rock, in the covert of the cliff.