Psalm Chapter 124

What is the meaning of Psalm 124?

Introduction to Psalm 124

Psalm 124 stands as a powerful testimony to divine deliverance, composed as one of the fifteen Songs of Ascent (Psalms 120-134) traditionally sung by Jewish pilgrims as they journeyed up to Jerusalem for the three annual festivals. This psalm, attributed to David, presents a striking metaphorical narrative of national deliverance, using vivid imagery of flooding waters and escaping birds to illustrate Israel’s supernatural preservation through catastrophic threats.

The psalm’s enduring significance lies in its profound recognition of divine intervention in human affairs, particularly in moments when all human hope seems lost. It serves as both a historical record of God’s faithfulness to Israel and a template for all believers to recognize and celebrate divine deliverance in their own lives.

Context of Psalm 124

Within the Songs of Ascent collection, Psalm 124 follows Psalm 123’s cry for mercy and precedes Psalm 125’s declaration of trust in divine protection. This strategic placement creates a powerful progression from desperate plea to grateful acknowledgment of rescue to confident faith in ongoing protection. The psalm’s position in the pilgrimage songs suggests it was sung as travelers approached Jerusalem, perhaps at a point where the city’s walls became visible, reminding them of God’s historical protection of His people.

In the broader biblical narrative, this psalm echoes the great deliverances in Israel’s history – the Exodus from Egypt, crossing the Red Sea, and numerous military victories against overwhelming odds. It belongs to a category of psalms known as “national thanksgiving psalms,” where the entire community joins in expressing gratitude for God’s intervention in preserving the nation.

The psalm’s themes resonate throughout Scripture, from Moses’s song of deliverance in Exodus 15:1-18 to the apocalyptic imagery in Revelation 12:15-16, where the earth helps the woman by swallowing the flood that the dragon spews out to destroy her – a picture of God’s ongoing protection of His people.

Ancient Key Word Study

• בְּק֥וּם (bequm – “when they rose up”) – This opening word sets the dramatic tension, derived from the root קום (qum), signifying not just physical rising but hostile intent. Its usage here creates an immediate sense of imminent danger and aggression.
• אֲזַ֤י (azai – “then”) – This temporal marker appears twice in the psalm, emphasizing the critical moment of divine intervention. It’s a dramatic device used in Hebrew poetry to mark the turning point between danger and deliverance.
• שְׁטָפ֑וּנוּ (shetafunu – “would have overwhelmed us”) – From the root שטף (shataf), this vivid term describes overwhelming flood waters, frequently used in Hebrew poetry to represent overwhelming destruction and chaos.
• נַ֭חְלָה (nachlah – “torrent”) – This term specifically refers to a wadi or seasonal stream that can become a raging torrent, emphasizing the sudden and violent nature of the threat.
• צִפּ֥וֹר (tzipor – “bird”) – The metaphor of the bird escaping a trap is a powerful image of divine deliverance, suggesting both the complete helplessness of the prey and the suddenness of escape.
• נִ֫מְלָ֥ט (nimlat – “has escaped”) – This verb, from the root מלט (malat), specifically denotes rescue from mortal danger, implying both the gravity of the threat and the completeness of the deliverance.
• עֶ֭זְרֵנוּ (ezrenu – “our help”) – This term for help carries connotations of both military aid and divine assistance, linking human need with divine provision.
• עֹ֭שֵׂה (oseh – “Maker”) – The participle form used here emphasizes God’s ongoing creative and sustaining activity, not just His initial act of creation.

Compare & Contrast

• Verse 1’s opening “If it had not been the LORD who was on our side” uses the divine name יהוה (Yahweh) rather than the more generic אלהים (Elohim), emphasizing the personal, covenantal nature of God’s relationship with Israel. This choice underscores that deliverance comes not just from divine power but from divine faithfulness to covenant promises.
• The repeated phrase “If it had not been” (לוּלֵ֣י) in verses 1-2 creates a powerful rhetorical effect, forcing readers to contemplate the alternative reality of life without divine protection. The repetition serves to emphasize both human vulnerability and divine reliability.
• The flood imagery in verses 4-5 employs specific Hebrew terms (מַ֣יִם and נַ֭חְלָה) that echo creation narrative language, suggesting that God’s deliverance is a form of re-creation, bringing order from chaos.
• Verse 6’s blessing formula uses the standard Hebrew construction בָּר֥וּךְ (baruch), but uniquely combines it with the imagery of predatory teeth, creating a striking contrast between destructive intent and divine protection.
• The bird metaphor in verse 7 employs the specific term פַּ֥ח (pach) for snare, which in other contexts refers to sudden destruction, emphasizing the element of surprise in both the attack and the deliverance.
• The concluding statement in verse 8 uses the participial form עֹ֭שֵׂה (oseh) for “Maker,” emphasizing ongoing creative activity rather than a one-time act, suggesting God’s continued involvement in preservation and deliverance.

Psalm 124 Unique Insights

The psalm contains a fascinating numerical pattern in its Hebrew construction that ancient Jewish commentators noted as significant. The phrase “If it had not been the LORD” appears twice, and there are exactly seven verbs describing the actions of the enemies (rose up, swallowed, swept over, gone over, gone over our soul, broken, given us as prey) – seven being the number of completion in Hebrew thought. This suggests a complete threat that is completely overcome by divine intervention.

The Midrash Tehillim draws attention to the psalm’s placement among the Songs of Ascent, suggesting it was specifically sung at the point in the pilgrimage when Jerusalem’s walls first became visible. This placement created a powerful emotional and spiritual connection between the physical protection represented by Jerusalem’s walls and the spiritual protection provided by God Himself.

Early rabbinic sources connect this psalm to several specific historical deliverances, including the miracle of Purim and the Maccabean revolt. The Targum explicitly links the “waters” imagery to the nations that sought to destroy Israel, suggesting an understanding that the psalm speaks both to historical events and ongoing spiritual warfare.

The use of natural imagery (floods, birds, snares) reflects an ancient Hebrew understanding of creation as God’s first act of redemption, bringing order from chaos. This theme is picked up in later prophetic literature and ultimately points to the Messiah’s role in both creation and redemption.

Psalm 124 Connections to Yeshua

The psalm’s emphasis on divine deliverance finds its ultimate fulfillment in Yeshua the Messiah, who delivers His people not just from physical threats but from spiritual bondage and eternal death. The imagery of overwhelming waters parallels the baptismal imagery in Romans 6:3-4, where believers are united with Messiah in His death and resurrection.

The bird escaping from the snare foreshadows Yeshua’s victory over death and Satan’s schemes. This imagery is particularly powerful when considered alongside Yeshua’s words in John 8:36, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” The complete and sudden nature of the bird’s escape parallels the decisive victory achieved at the cross.

Psalm 124 Scriptural Echoes

This psalm’s themes and imagery resonate throughout Scripture, creating a rich tapestry of interconnected truth. The water imagery recalls both the creation narrative in Genesis 1 and the flood account in Genesis 6-8, where God preserves a remnant through overwhelming waters.

The metaphor of escaping like a bird from a snare finds parallel in Proverbs 6:5 and Psalm 91:3, where divine deliverance is similarly portrayed. The psalm’s confident declaration of God as helper echoes through to Hebrews 13:6, where believers can boldly say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”

The theme of God’s protection of His people despite overwhelming odds appears in numerous historical narratives, from David versus Goliath to Elisha surrounded by the Syrian army (2 Kings 6:15-17). This consistent pattern points to God’s unchanging character as the defender of His people.

Psalm 124 Devotional

In our modern context, this psalm speaks powerfully to the reality that we face forces beyond our ability to overcome. Whether these are personal challenges, spiritual warfare, or systemic injustice, we often find ourselves in situations where, like Israel, we can only say, “If it had not been the LORD who was on our side…”

The psalm challenges us to maintain both a realistic assessment of the threats we face and an unwavering confidence in God’s ability to deliver. It teaches us to cultivate a memory of God’s faithfulness, not just individually but as part of His covenant community throughout history.

This psalm invites us to practice the discipline of grateful remembrance. Take time today to reflect on moments when you can clearly see that “if it had not been the LORD” on your side, your situation would have been hopeless. Let these memories strengthen your faith for current challenges.

Did You Know

• The Songs of Ascent, of which Psalm 124 is a part, were traditionally sung on the fifteen steps leading up to the Temple’s Nicanor Gate, corresponding to the fifteen psalms in this collection.
• The Hebrew word for “snare” (פח) used in verse 7 is the same word used to describe the plagues of Egypt, suggesting a connection between personal deliverance and the great national deliverance from Egypt.
• Ancient Jewish travelers would traditionally begin reciting this psalm when Jerusalem first came into view on their pilgrimage, creating a powerful connection between the visible symbol of God’s presence (the Temple) and His invisible protection.
• The psalm’s structure follows a perfect chiastic pattern, with the center point being the description of overwhelming waters, emphasizing the magnitude of both the threat and the deliverance.
• The image of the bird escaping a snare was particularly meaningful in ancient Israel, where bird trapping was a common profession and everyone would have understood the miraculous nature of a bird breaking free from a professional hunter’s trap.
• The phrase “maker of heaven and earth” appears in only three other psalms, all of which are Songs of Ascent, creating a thematic link within this collection.
• The repeated phrase “If it had not been” (לולי) appears only rarely in the Hebrew Bible, making its double appearance in this short psalm particularly significant.
• The water imagery in this psalm uses the same Hebrew terms found in the creation narrative, suggesting a theological connection between God’s work in creation and His ongoing work of deliverance.
• Ancient Jewish commentators noted that this is one of only four psalms that begin with the phrase “If it had not been,” seeing this as a reflection on historical moments when Israel’s survival hung by a thread.