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Selected Verse: Psalms 124:1 - Strong Concordance
Verse |
Translation |
Text |
Ps 124:1 |
Strong Concordance |
A Song [07892] of degrees [04609] of David [01732]. If [03884] it had not been the LORD [03068] who was on our side, now may Israel [03478] say [0559]; |
|
King James |
A Song of degrees of David. If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, now may Israel say; |
Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse
A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882] |
The writer, for the Church, praises God for past, and expresses trust for future, deliverance from foes. (Psa 124:1-8)
on our side--for us (Psa 56:9).
now--or, "oh! let Israel" |
Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834] |
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 interposition that it could be ascribed to no one but Yahweh. It bore unmistakeable evidence that it was his work. The deliverance was of such a kind that it could have been accomplished by him only. Such things often occur in life, when the intervention in our behalf is so remarkable that we can ascribe it to no one else but God.
Now may Israel say - May well and truly say. The danger was so great, their helplessness was so manifest, and the deliverance was so clearly the work of God, that it was proper to say that if this had not occurred, ruin would have been inevitable and entire. |
Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78] |
It is commonly rendered, "If it had not been Jahve who was for us." But, notwithstanding the subject that is placed first (cf. Gen 23:13), the שׁ belongs to the לוּלי; since in the Aramaizing Hebrew (cf. on the other hand Gen 31:42) לוּלי שׁ (cf. Arab. lawlâ an) signifies nisi (prop. nisi quod), as in the Aramaic (דּ) שׁ (לואי) לוי, o si (prop. o si quod). The אזי, peculiar to this Psalm in the Old Testament, instead of אז follows the model of the dialectic אדין, Arab. iḏan, Syr. hāden (הידין, הדין). In order to begin the apodosis of לוּלי (לוּלא) emphatically the older language makes use of the confirmatory כּי, Gen 31:42; Gen 43:10; here we have אזי (well rendered by the lxx ἄρα), as in Psa 119:92. The Lamed of היה לנו is raphe in both instances, according to the rule discussed above, p. 373. When men (אדם) rose up against Israel and their anger was kindled against them, they who were feeble in themselves over against the hostile world would have been swallowed up alive if they had not had Jahve for them, if they had not had Him on their side. This "swallowing up alive" is said elsewhere of Hades, which suddenly and forcibly snatches away its victims, Psa 55:16; Pro 1:12; here, however, as Psa 124:6 shows, it is said of the enemies, who are represented as wild beasts. In Psa 124:4 the hostile power which rolls over them is likened to an overflowing stream, as in Isa 8:7., the Assyrian. נחלה, a stream or river, is Milel; it is first of all accusative: towards the stream (Num 34:5); then, however, it is also used as a nominative, like לילה, המּותה, and the like (cf. common Greek ἡ νύχθα, ἡ νεόντητα); so that תה- is related to ת- ( ה-) as נה-, מו- to ן- and ם- (Bttcher, 615). These latest Psalms are fond of such embellishments by means of adorned forms and Aramaic or Aramaizing words. זידונים is a word which is indeed not unhebraic in its formation, but is more indigenous to Chaldee; it is the Targum word for זדים in Psa 86:14; Psa 119:51, Psa 119:78 (also in Psa 54:5 for זרים), although according to Levy the MSS do not present זידונין but זידנין. In the passage before us the Targum renders: the king who is like to the proud waters (למוי זידוניּא) of the sea (Antiochus Epiphanes? - a Scholium explains οἱ ὑπερήφανοι). With reference to עבר before a plural subject, vid., Ges. 147. |
Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826 |
If it had not been the Lord - If God had not, in a very especial manner, supported and defended us, we had all been swallowed up alive, and destroyed by a sudden destruction, so that not one would have been left. This might refer to the plot against the whole nation of the Jews by Haman, in the days of Mordecai and Esther; when by his treacherous schemes the Jews, wheresoever dispersed in the provinces of Babylon, were all to have been put to death in one day. This may here be represented under the figure of an earthquake, when a chasm is formed, and a whole city and its inhabitants are in a moment swallowed up alive. |
9 When [03117] I cry [07121] unto thee, then shall mine enemies [0341] turn [07725] back [0268]: this I know [03045]; for God [0430] is for me.
1 A Song [07892] of degrees [04609] of David [01732]. If [03884] it had not been the LORD [03068] who was on our side, now may Israel [03478] say [0559];
2 If [03884] it had not been the LORD [03068] who was on our side, when men [0120] rose up [06965] against us:
3 Then [0233] they had swallowed us up [01104] quick [02416], when their wrath [0639] was kindled [02734] against us:
4 Then [0233] the waters [04325] had overwhelmed [07857] us, the stream [05158] had gone over [05674] our soul [05315]:
5 Then [0233] the proud [02121] waters [04325] had gone over [05674] our soul [05315].
6 Blessed [01288] be the LORD [03068], who hath not given [05414] us as a prey [02964] to their teeth [08127].
7 Our soul [05315] is escaped [04422] as a bird [06833] out of the snare [06341] of the fowlers [03369]: the snare [06341] is broken [07665], and we are escaped [04422].
8 Our help [05828] is in the name [08034] of the LORD [03068], who made [06213] heaven [08064] and earth [0776].
5 He shall reward [07725] [07725] evil [07451] unto mine enemies [08324]: cut them off [06789] in thy truth [0571].
78 Let the proud [02086] be ashamed [0954]; for they dealt perversely [05791] with me without a cause [08267]: but I will meditate [07878] in thy precepts [06490].
51 The proud [02086] have had me greatly [03966] in derision [03887]: yet have I not declined [05186] from thy law [08451].
14 O God [0430], the proud [02086] are risen [06965] against me, and the assemblies [05712] of violent [06184] men have sought [01245] after my soul [05315]; and have not set [07760] thee before them.
5 And the border [01366] shall fetch a compass [05437] from Azmon [06111] unto the river [05158] of Egypt [04714], and the goings out [08444] of it shall be at the sea [03220].
7 Now therefore, behold, the Lord [0136] bringeth up [05927] upon them the waters [04325] of the river [05104], strong [06099] and many [07227], even the king [04428] of Assyria [0804], and all his glory [03519]: and he shall come up [05927] over all his channels [0650], and go over [01980] all his banks [01415]:
4 Then [0233] the waters [04325] had overwhelmed [07857] us, the stream [05158] had gone over [05674] our soul [05315]:
6 Blessed [01288] be the LORD [03068], who hath not given [05414] us as a prey [02964] to their teeth [08127].
12 Let us swallow them up [01104] alive [02416] as the grave [07585]; and whole [08549], as those that go down [03381] into the pit [0953]:
16 As for me, I will call [07121] upon God [0430]; and the LORD [03068] shall save [03467] me.
92 Unless [03884] thy law [08451] had been my delights [08191], I should then have perished [06] in mine affliction [06040].
10 For except [03884] we had lingered [04102], surely now we had returned [07725] this second time [06471].
42 Except [03884] the God [0430] of my father [01], the God [0430] of Abraham [085], and the fear [06343] of Isaac [03327], had been with me, surely thou hadst sent me away [07971] now empty [07387]. God [0430] hath seen [07200] mine affliction [06040] and the labour [03018] of my hands [03709], and rebuked [03198] thee yesternight [0570].
42 Except [03884] the God [0430] of my father [01], the God [0430] of Abraham [085], and the fear [06343] of Isaac [03327], had been with me, surely thou hadst sent me away [07971] now empty [07387]. God [0430] hath seen [07200] mine affliction [06040] and the labour [03018] of my hands [03709], and rebuked [03198] thee yesternight [0570].
13 And he spake [01696] unto Ephron [06085] in the audience [0241] of the people [05971] of the land [0776], saying [0559], But if thou wilt give it, I pray thee [03863], hear [08085] me: I will give [05414] thee money [03701] for the field [07704]; take [03947] it of me, and I will bury [06912] my dead [04191] there.