Berean Standard Bible · Public domain

Psalm 124

Israel’s prayers give language for praise, grief, repentance, and trust. Poetry uses imagery and parallel lines; each psalm should be read as a whole rather than as a detached promise.

Historical context & book outline

1A song of ascents. Of David. If the LORD had not been on our side—let Israel now declare—

2if the LORD had not been on our side when men attacked us,

3when their anger flared against us, then they would have swallowed us alive,

4then the floods would have engulfed us, then the torrent would have overwhelmed us,

5then the raging waters would have swept us away.

6Blessed be the LORD, who has not given us as prey to their teeth.

7We have escaped like a bird from the snare of the fowler; the net is torn, and we have slipped away.

8Our help is in the name of the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.

Read closely

  1. What repeated words, contrasts, or actions stand out in this chapter?
  2. How does this chapter fit the surrounding chapters and the book’s purpose?
  3. What did it communicate to its first hearers, before applying it to your life?