Psalm 124 explained: A Narrow Escape Remembered

If not for the LORD (vv. 1-3)

"Let Israel say" invites the whole people to repeat the opening line together, probably as one of the songs pilgrims sang on the way up to Jerusalem. They admit that without the LORD, furious enemies would have swallowed them alive, though which attack the psalm remembers is not known.

The flood that almost came (vv. 4-5)

The picture shifts to a sudden flood, like the flash floods that tear through dry valleys in that region after heavy rain. The "raging" or "proud" waters suggest the enemy's arrogance rising like a surge no one could stand against.

Escape from teeth and trap (vv. 6-7)

First they are like prey snatched from a predator's jaws, then like a small bird caught in a bird catcher's net. The bird does not free itself; the trap breaks, and the song gives the LORD the credit.

Where help comes from (v. 8)

In Hebrew thinking, a person's "name" stands for the person and their presence, so this means help comes from the LORD himself. The line echoes Psalm 121 but says "our" instead of "my": the one who made heaven and earth is strong enough to protect a small, threatened people.

Key verse: Psalm 124:8

Something to think about

When you look back on something that could easily have gone much worse, how do you make sense of why it didn't?