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Psalm 124:2-4
New Catholic Bible
Psalm 124:2-4
New Catholic Bible
2 if the Lord had not been on our side
when our enemies attacked[a] us,
3 [b]then they would have swallowed us alive
as their wrath was kindled against us.
4 [c]The waters would have washed us away,
the torrent would have swept over us,
Footnotes
- Psalm 124:2 Enemies attacked: i.e., the arrogant (see Ps 123:4).
- Psalm 124:3 The trials undergone by Israel are described in traditional images (monsters, wild beasts, drowning, and snares) to indicate the totality of the disaster that loomed so near. Swallowed: in addition to indicating death at the hands of some beast, it also functions as a metaphor for death itself, which is often portrayed by “the netherworld” that devours its victims (see Ps 55:16; Prov 1:12).
- Psalm 124:4 The metaphor of water as a destructive force is common in the Old Testament (see Pss 18:17 and note; 32:6; 42:8; 69:2f, 16; Isa 8:7f; Lam 3:54) because of the destructive torrential rains common to that part of the world (see Jdg 5:21; Mt 7:27).
