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Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

Psalms 124:1-8

This Ps. is sung at the Feast of Purim to commemorate the deliverance from Haman. It is a gladsome lyric, thanking Jehovah for escape from heathen destruction, and may well have been composed under the impulse of deliverance from the Babylonian exile. In its formation it illustrates a particular rhythmic effect, viz. the ascending scale of a series of phrases.

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See also Psalms 124:1-8 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    PSALM CXXIV _A thanksgiving of the godly for extraordinary deliverances_, 1-4. _The great danger they were in_, 7. _Their confidence in God_, 8. NOTES ON PSALM CXXIV In our present Hebrew copies...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    IF IT HAD NOT BEEN THE LORD WHO WAS ON OUR SIDE - Unless it was Yahweh who was with us. The idea is, that someone had been with them, and had delivered them, and that such was the nature of the interp...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    PSALM 120-134 The Psalms of Degrees Fifteen brief Psalms follow, called songs of degrees, or, ascents. They were in all probability used by Israel going up to Jerusalem three times a year to celebrat...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    CXXIV. A SONG OF DELIVERANCE FROM FOREIGN FOES....

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    TITLE. See note on Title of Psalms 120. THE LORD. Hebrew. _Jehovah._ See App-4....

  • Charles Simeon's Horae Homileticae

    DISCOURSE: 715 THANKSGIVING FOR GREAT DELIVERANCE Psalms 124:1. If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, now may Israel say; If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, when men rose up a...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    _The church blesseth God for a miraculous deliverance._ A Song of Degrees of David. _Title._ המעלות שׁיר _Shiir hammangaloth._] This psalm was composed by David; but the particular occasion of it is...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    PSALMS 124 DESCRIPTIVE TITLE Sudden and Complete Deliverance Acknowledged as Jehovah's Own Work. ANALYSIS Stanza I., Psalms 124:1-5, Israel taught to Recognize and Remember the Extent of her Danger...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, now may Israel say; Psalms 124:1.-Israel declares how inevitably she must have been swallowed up if the Lord had not been on our side (Psalms 124:1)...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    Psalms 107:150 _GORDON CHURCHYARD_ PSALMS 124 PSALMS FOR CLIMBING; PSALMS 120:134 Jesus said, "We wi

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    שִׁ֥יר הַֽ מַּעֲלֹ֗ות לְ דָ֫וִ֥ד לוּלֵ֣י יְ֭ה

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    Psalms 124:1 A SEQUENCE may be traced connecting this with the two adjacent psalms. In Psalms 123:1, patient resignation sighed for deliverance, which here has been received and has changed the singer...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

      THE CHRISTIAN'S FORTRESS Psalms 124:1-8; Psalms 125:1-5 Here are three instances of escaped peril. In Psalms 124:3 is an allusion to Korah and his company; see Numbers 16:32-33. Why are we spared...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    The journey from the place of exile to the city and Temple of Jehovah has now commenced. The heart of the song is in the words: Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers. Escape...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    "A Song of degrees of David." If [it had not been] the LORD who was (a) on our side, now may Israel say; (a) He shows that God was ready to help at need and that there was no other way to be saved, b...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    Canticle of thanksgiving, relating to the times of the Messias, (Abenezra) or to the Jews, who overcame the attempts of the nations at their return, 2 Esdras iv., and vi. (Ven. Bede, &c.) (Calmet) ---...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    CONTENTS It should seem from several expressions in this Psalm, that it was written upon some occasion of deliverance from trouble; for which the sacred writer blesseth God; ascribing all the glory t...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    What situation soever it was the church refers to (for it is not particularly noticed), it is equally instructive to see how faith refers the whole of her deliverance to the Lord. And very sweet it is...

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    1._But for Jehovah, who was on our side. _Some expositors think that this Psalm describes the very sad and calamitous condition of the Church when the, residue of the people were carried away into Bab...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    The power of the enemy had been just now (Psalms 124) fully displayed against them the godly in the land who trusted in Jehovah. But they had escaped, but only by Jehovah being on their side, or they...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    IF [IT HAD NOT BEEN] THE LORD WHO WAS ON OUR SIDE,.... Or, "was for us" h. The Syriac version is, "that rose up for us"; against their enemies, that rose up against them, as in Psalms 123:2: or, "was...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    Psalms 124:1 «A Song of degrees of David. » If [it had not been] the LORD who was on our side, now may Israel say; Ver. 1. _If it had not been the Lord, &c._] God may far better say than our Henry VI...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, if it had not been for His merciful and almighty protection, NOW MAY ISRAEL SAY, that is, all believers, as constituting together the spiritual Israel;...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    THE LORD THE DELIVERER OF HIS CHURCH. A song of degrees of David, setting forth the assistance and deliverance of Jehovah in the midst of great dangers....

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    1-5 God suffers the enemies of his people sometimes to prevail very far against them, that his power may be seen the more in their deliverance. Happy the people whose God is Jehovah, a God all-suffici...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    PSALM 124 THE ARGUMENT This Psalm was composed by David in the name, and for the use of all the church and people of Israel, as a thanksgiving for their deliverance from some eminent danger or dangers...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Psalms 124:1 Song H7892 Ascents H4609 David H1732 If H3884 LORD H3068 Israel H3478 say H559 (H8799)...

  • Scofield's Bible Commentary

    A SONG OF DEGREES Literally, "of ascents." Perhaps chanted by the people as they went up to Jerusalem to the feasts. See, for example (Psalms 112:1); (Psalms 112:2)....

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    Psalms 124:1. _If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, now may Israel say; if it had not been the LORD who was on our side, when men rose up against us: then they had swallowed us up quick,_...

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    Psalms 124:1. _If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, now may Israel say;_ There is a break here, the sentence is not finished, so finish it for yourselves. If the Lord had not been on your...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: David gives to God the glory of the deliverances of His people. CHARACTERS: God, Israel. CONCLUSION: God sometimes suffers the enemies of His people to prevail very far against them, that...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    REFLECTIONS. This psalm was written after a victory, when the nine nations had plotted to destroy Zion, and to extinguish the light of Israel. Poor deluded nations; little did you know the power of hi...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _If it had not been the Lord who was on our side._ GOD IN THE TROUBLES OF THE GOOD I. Acknowledged as the Deliverer from great troubles (Psalms 124:1). 1. The words represent the great troubles fro...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    PSALM PSALM—NOTE ON PSALMS 124:1. This is a thanksgiving hymn for the community, for a time when God’s people have been under threat but have been delivered. The deliverance allows them to continue jo...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    INTRODUCTION This jubilant song speaks of a sudden peril and narrow escape, and praises God for the great deliverance. We take it to be, according to its title, a Psalm of David, not a hymn founded up...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION "A FRESH, bright lyric" (Cheyne), composed of two stanzas—the first part (Psalms 124:1) recounting a danger and a deliverance; the second (Psalms 124:6), praising God for the latter. This i...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    If it had not been the LORD who was on our side (Psalms 124:1), And, of course, I think we could all write our own psalm from this point on. If God hadn't been with me, let me tell you, you know. "If...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    Exodus 15:1; Hebrews 13:5; Hebrews 13:6; Isaiah 8:10; Isaiah 8:9;...

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