Psalm 124
Psalm 124 | |
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"If it had not been the LORD who was on our side" | |
Song of Ascents | |
Other name |
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Related | |
Language | Hebrew (original) |
Psalm 124 | |
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← Book of Psalms | |
Hebrew Bible part | Ketuvim |
Order in the Hebrew part | 1 |
Category | Sifrei Emet |
Christian Bible part | Old Testament |
Order in the Christian part | 19 |
Psalm 124 is the 124th psalm of the
In the slightly different numbering system used in the Greek
The psalm forms a regular part of Jewish, Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican and other Protestant liturgies. Marc-Antoine Charpentier set the psalm in the 1690s as Nisi quia Dominus erat, H. 217, for soloists, chorus and continuo, and it was paraphrased in two psalm songs by Protestant Reformers which were set as chorale cantatas by Johann Sebastian Bach.
Text
Hebrew
The following table shows the Hebrew text[3][4] of the Psalm with vowels alongside an English translation based upon the JPS 1917 translation (now in the public domain).
Verse | Hebrew | English translation (JPS 1917) |
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1 | שִׁ֥יר הַֽמַּעֲל֗וֹת לְדָ֫וִ֥ד לוּלֵ֣י יְ֭הֹוָה שֶׁהָ֣יָה לָ֑נוּ יֹאמַר־נָ֝֗א יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ | A Song of Ascents; of David. 'If it had not been the LORD who was for us', Let Israel now say; |
2 | לוּלֵ֣י יְ֭הֹוָה שֶׁהָ֣יָה לָ֑נוּ בְּק֖וּם עָלֵ֣ינוּ אָדָֽם׃ | 'If it had not been the LORD who was for us, When men rose up against us, |
3 | אֲ֭זַי חַיִּ֣ים בְּלָע֑וּנוּ בַּחֲר֖וֹת אַפָּ֣ם בָּֽנוּ׃ | Then they had swallowed us up alive, when their wrath was kindled against us; |
4 | אֲ֭זַי הַמַּ֣יִם שְׁטָפ֑וּנוּ נַ֝֗חְלָה עָבַ֥ר עַל־נַפְשֵֽׁנוּ׃ | Then the waters had overwhelmed us, the stream had gone over our soul; |
5 | אֲ֭זַי עָבַ֣ר עַל־נַפְשֵׁ֑נוּ הַ֝מַּ֗יִם הַזֵּידוֹנִֽים׃ | Then the proud waters Had gone over our soul.' |
6 | בָּר֥וּךְ יְהֹוָ֑ה שֶׁלֹּ֥א נְתָנָ֥נוּ טֶ֝֗רֶף לְשִׁנֵּיהֶֽם׃ | Blessed be the LORD, who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth. |
7 | נַפְשֵׁ֗נוּ כְּצִפּ֥וֹר נִמְלְטָה֮ מִפַּ֢ח י֫וֹקְשִׁ֥ים הַפַּ֥ח נִשְׁבָּ֗ר וַאֲנַ֥חְנוּ נִמְלָֽטְנוּ׃ | Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers; The snare is broken, and we are escaped. |
8 | עֶ֭זְרֵנוּ בְּשֵׁ֣ם יְהֹוָ֑ה עֹ֝שֵׂ֗ה שָׁמַ֥יִם וָאָֽרֶץ׃ | Our help is in the name of the LORD, Who made heaven and earth. |
King James Version
- 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, when their wrath was kindled against us:
- Then the waters had overwhelmed us, the stream had gone over our soul:
- Then the proud waters had gone over our soul.
- Blessed be the LORD, who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth.
- 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.
Uses
Judaism
The psalm is recited following
Lutheranism
In 1524, the psalm was paraphrased in German by the
Catholic Church
According to the
It also is the source of the ubiquitous
Musical settings
Two hymns in German were derived from Psalm 124 as metred paraphrases, Martin Luther's "Wär Gott nicht mit uns diese Zeit" and "Wo Gott der Herr nicht bei uns hält" by Justus Jonas, both in 1524.
In 1694,
Johann Sebastian Bach created chorale cantatas from the two paraphrases of the psalm by reformers, Wo Gott der Herr nicht bei uns hält, BWV 178, first performed on 30 July 1724,[8] and Wär Gott nicht mit uns diese Zeit, BWV 14, first performed on 30 January 1735.[9] Many composers wrote chorale preludes for the two hymns.
A setting of the psalm is part of the album
Inscriptions
The gravestone of the artist Florence St John Cadell bears a line from Psalm 124: "even as a bird out of the fowler's snare".
References
- ^ Parallel Latin/English Psalter / Psalmus 123 (124) medievalist.net
- ^ Jerusalem Bible (1966), Footnote a at Psalm 124
- ^ "Psalms – Chapter 124". Mechon Mamre.
- ^ "Psalms 124 - JPS 1917". Sefaria.org.
- ^ The Complete Artscroll Siddur, page 530
- Prosper Gueranger, (Abbey of Saint-Pierre de Solesmes, reprint 2007) p. 46.
- ^ The main cycle of liturgical prayers takes place over four weeks.
- ^ "Wär Gott nicht mit uns diese Zeit BWV 14; BC A 40 / Chorale cantata (4th Sunday of Epiphany)". Bach Digital. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
- ^ "Wo Gott, der Herr, nicht bei uns hält BWV 178; BC A 112 / Chorale Cantata (8th Sunday after Trinity)". Bach Digital. Retrieved 28 January 2017.
External links
- Pieces with text from Psalm 124: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
- Psalm 124: Free scores at the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)
- Text of Psalm 124 according to the 1928 Psalter
- Psalms Chapter 124 text in Hebrew and English, mechon-mamre.org
- A song of ascents. Of David. Had not the LORD been with us, let Israel say. text and footnotes, usccb.org United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
- Psalm 124:1 introduction and text, biblestudytools.com
- Psalm 124 – Thanking God for the Help Only He Can Bring enduringword.com
- Psalm 124 / Refrain: Our help is in the name of the Lord. Church of England
- Psalm 124 at biblegateway.com
- Hymns for Psalm 124 hymnary.org