Home Psalms

Psalms 124

Prev Next

The church blesseth God for a miraculous deliverance.

A Song of degrees of David.

1. If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, now may Israel say;

2. If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, when men rose up against us:

3. Then they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us:

4. Then the waters had overwhelmed us, the stream had gone over our soul:

5. Then the proud waters had gone over our soul.

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

7. Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we are escaped.

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

Metrical version

Psalm 124

C.M. York

Had not the LORD been on our side,
may Israel now say;
Had not the LORD been on our side,
when men rose us to slay;

They had us swallowed quick, when as
their wrath 'gainst us did flame:
Waters had covered us, our soul
had sunk beneath the stream.

Then had the waters, swelling high,
over our soul made way.
Bless'd be the LORD, who to their teeth
us gave not for a prey.

Our soul's escaped, as a bird
out of the fowler's snare;
The snare asunder broken is,
and we escaped are.

Our sure and all-sufficient help
is in JEHOVAH's name;
His name who did the heav'n create,
and who the earth did frame.
This psalm relates to the distressed situation of the church, and contains, (1.) Earnest longings for, and believing expectations of merciful deliverances from God, ver. 1-2. (2.) An improvement of great distress, as a plea for speedy and remarkable relief, ver. 3-4.


While I sing this, let me, in the full assurance of faith, cry to God, for the mercies which my own soul, my family, and the church and nation wherewith I am connected, so much need. Nor let me accept of a denial of my believing requests.

Psalm 124 (second version)

10 10 10 10 10 York

Now Israel may say, and that truly,
If that the LORD had not our cause maintained;
If that the LORD had not our right sustained,
When cruel men against us furiously
Rose up in wrath, to make of us their prey;

Then certainly they had devoured us all,
And swallowed quick, for ought that we could deem;
Such was their rage, as we might well esteem.
And as fierce floods before them all things drown,
So had they brought our soul to death quite down.

The raging streams, with their proud swelling waves,
Had then our soul o'erwhelmed in the deep.
But blessed be GOD, who doth us safely keep,
And hath not giv'n us for a living prey
Unto their teeth, and bloody cruelty.

Ev'n as a bird out of the fowler's snare
Escapes away, so is our soul set free:
Broke are their nets, and thus escaped we.
Therefore our help is in the LORD's great name,
Who heav'n and earth by his great pow'r did frame.
This psalm is highly applicable to every remarkable deliverance which God works for his church, especially to the great redemption wrought for his people by Christ. In it, (1.) David magnifies the danger they were in, ver. 1-5. (2.) Ascribes the glory of their deliverance to God, ver. 1-2, 6-7. (3.) Improves the deliverance as an encouragement to trust in God, ver. 8.


Let me behold Jehovah as a present help in trouble. Let my waiting eyes be towards him, who, notwithstanding all the combined power and policy of hell and earth, is able and ready to pull my feet out of the net.