22 matching verse commentaries
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
INTRODUCTION TO Psalms 124 A Song of degrees of David. Some think this psalm was written by David, after the conquest of the Philistines and Ammonites, and other nations that rose up against him and Israel, like the proud waves of the sea, and spread themselves like a flood; and whose destruction was like the breach of many waters, 2 Samuel 5:18....
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
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 with us", as Kimchi and Ben Melech; to help and assist, support and supply, strengthen and defend: or, "was among us", as the Arabic version; as...
Matthew Henry - Complete Commentary - Matthew Henry
David penned this psalm (we suppose) upon occasion of some great deliverance which God wrought for him and his people from some very threatening danger, which was likely to have involved them all in ruin, whether by foreign invasion, or intestine insurrection, is not certain; whatever it was he seems to have been himself much affected, and very...
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
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 side, what then? You would have been condemned on account of sin. If the Lord had not been on your side as the Redeemer, you would have been left to perish through...
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
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, — That is, alive, —
Spurgeon - Treasury of David - Charles H. Spurgeon
Ver. 1. If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, now may Israel say. The opening sentence is abrupt, and remains a fragment. By such a commencement attention was aroused as well as feeling expressed: and this is ever the way of poetic fire—to break forth in uncontrollable flame. The many words in italics in our authorized version will show...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
If [it had not been] the Lord who was on our side,.... This he repeats both for the confirmation of it, and to excite the attention of the Israelites to it; as well as to observe that it was not once only, but again and again, many times the Lord appeared to be on their side. The Targum renders it, "the Word of the Lord;'' the essential Word, the...
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
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, when their wrath was kindled against us: The word “quick” here means “living.” Before we were dead, they would have swallowed us up, for the anger of men against God’s people is always exceedingly great. They called the Master of the...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Then they had swallowed us up quick,.... Or "alive"; as the earth swallowed up Korah and his company; or as the fish swallowed up Jonah; or rather as ravenous beasts swallow their prey; to which the allusion is. The people of God are comparable to sheep and lambs, and such like innocent creatures: and the wicked to lions, tigers, wolves, bears,...
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
When their wrath was kindled against us: If it had not been God who had engaged to take care of his people, they would all have perished, but that God must be Jehovah. I wish that our translators had not been carried away by the superstition of the Jews, and that they had used the word “Jehovah” where it is employed in the original. This verse and...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Then the waters had overwhelmed us,.... People, comparable to waters for their multitude, Strength, force, and impetuosity; which bear down all before them, and against which there is no standing; which, like the waters of the flood, overflow and destroy all they pass over. These are the floods of ungodly men, which are very destructive and...
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
Then the waters had overwhelmed us, the stream had gone over our soul: then the proud waters had gone over our soul. Here, in this life, we may have troubles, not only from our own evil hearts, but also from Satan and from the world. Truly, if it had not been for the Lord, the proud waters had gone right over our souls. It is a wonder that we are...
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
Then the waters had overwhelmed us, the stream had gone over our soul: then the proud waters had gone over our soul. The figure is varied. We are first likened to the lamb that is liable to be swallowed by the lion, and next we are compared to one who is in danger of being carried away by a devouring flood, which shows no pity to any, but sweeps...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Then the proud waters had gone over our soul. The wicked, who, through their pride, persecute the poor saints: these proud tyrants and persecutors would prevail over them, to their ruin and destruction; who, for their number, force, and strength, and especially for their pride and haughtiness, are like to the strong, boisterous, and swelling waves...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Blessed [be] the Lord,.... Here begins the church's thanksgiving for deliverance from all their enemies, their proud persecutors; and from all afflictions and troubles by them; which they could never have been delivered from, had not the Lord appeared for them; and therefore it is but just that he should have all the glory of it, and be blessed...
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
Blessed be the LORD, who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth. We were almost in their teeth, like David’s lamb; but David’s Son plucked us out of the jaws of the lion, and out of the paws of the bear. Now the psalmist uses another figure. First he spoke of the proud waters, then of the wild beasts, and now he mentions the fowlers.
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
Blessed be the LORD, who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth. Neither to Satan and his legions, nor to wicked men, has God delivered us. We are not to be their prey, for God claims us as his own.
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers,.... The people of God are like little birds, being harmless and innocent, singing forth the praises of God for his goodness to them; as also because weak and unable to resist their foes; and worthless in themselves, like sparrows, as the word (i) here used signifies; and are fearful...
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we are escaped. Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth. What a blessed conclusion is it to our experience when we can sing of what the Lord has done, and so are encouraged by the all of what he will yet do! Let us write this text upon...
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we are escaped. What a joyous song that is for the escaped soul to sing! Whenever a Christian man has fallen into difficulties through not walking uprightly when he has gone astray from the right path, and has been caught in the fowler’s net, and is in such...