| Psalm 124 | |
|---|---|
| "If it had not been the LORD who was on our side" | |
| Song of Ascents | |
 Psalm 124 in theErfurt Enchiridion | |
| Other name |
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| Related | |
| Language | Hebrew (original) |
| Psalm 124 | |
|---|---|
| Book | 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 theBook of Psalms, beginning in the English of theKing James Version: "If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, now may Israel say". The Book of Psalms is part of thethird section of theHebrew Bible, and a book of theChristianOld Testament. In the slightly different numbering system used in the GreekSeptuagint and theLatin Vulgate, this psalm isPsalm 123. InLatin it is known as "Nisi quia Dominus".[1] It is one of fifteen psalms that begin with the words"A song of ascents" (Shir Hama'alot). Using "conventionalmetaphors",[2] it recalls the dangers faced byIsrael from which the nation has been rescued.
The psalm forms a regular part ofJewish,Catholic,Lutheran andAnglican liturgies as well as Protestant psalmody.Marc-Antoine Charpentier set the psalm in the 1690s asNisi quia Dominus erat, H. 217, for soloists, chorus and continuo, and it was paraphrased in two psalm songs byProtestant Reformers which were set as chorale cantatas byJohann Sebastian Bach.
The following table shows the Hebrew text[3][4] of the Psalm with vowels alongside an English translation based upon theJPS 1917 translation (now in thepublic domain).
| Verse | Hebrew | English translation (JPS 1917) |
|---|---|---|
| 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. |
The psalm is recited in some communities followingMincha betweenSukkot andShabbat Hagadol.[5]
According to theRule of St Benedict around 530 AD, this psalm was traditionally performed for the office ofsext from Tuesday to Saturday.[6] In the Liturgy of the Hours, Psalm 124 is currently recited at theVespers of the Monday of the third week.[7]
It also is the source of the ubiquitousversicle℣: Our help is in the name of theLord ℟: who created Heaven and Earth, especially used for introductions of any sort, which is the psalm's verse 8.
In theEastern Orthodox Church, Psalm 123 (Psalm 124 in the Masoretic Text) is part of the eighteenthKathisma division of the Psalter, read atVespers on Friday evenings. DuringLent, it is read every weekday evening at Vespers and at theDivine Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts.[8]
This Psalm is the basis of the Second Antiphon of theAnabathmoi sung at Matins on Sundays ofTones 2 and 6.
In theAgpeya, theCoptic Church'sbook of hours, this psalm is prayed in the office ofVespers[9] and the second watch of theMidnight office.[10]
In 1524, the psalm was paraphrased in German by theProtestant reformersJustus Jonas andMartin Luther. Jonas wrote "Wo Gott der Herr nicht bei uns hält", Luther "Wär Gott nicht mit uns diese Zeit".
The 1650Scottish Psalter offers two separate versions of this psalm inmetrical form. The first which opens "Had not the Lord been on our side" is set in thecommon metre while the second version, "Now Israel may say, and that truly" is in 10, 10, 10, 10, 10 metre.
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,Michel-Richard de Lalande composed amotet with regard to Psalm 124 (S. 42), for the services ofLouis XIV, in the royal chapel of theChateau of Versailles.Marc-Antoine Charpentier set in 1690s one "Nisi quia Dominuserat in nobis" H.217, for soloists, chorus and continuo.
Heinrich Schütz composed a setting of the hymn "Wär Gott nicht mit uns diese Zeit",SWV 229, for theBecker Psalter, published first in 1628.
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,[11] andWär Gott nicht mit uns diese Zeit, BWV 14, first performed on 30 January 1735.[12] Many composers wrote chorale preludes for the two hymns.
A setting of the psalm is part of the albumAscents, a collection of setting of Psalms 120-131 written and performed byDennis Culp in the 1990s, and released in 2000. Psalm 124 is titled "My Help". A setting of the psalm is part of the albumFractures, a collection of psalms settings (16, 60, 68, 134, 34 and 124) bySons of Korah, and released in 2017. The concluding Psalm 124 is titled "Out of the Snare".
The gravestone of the artistFlorence St John Cadell bears a line from Psalm 124: "even as a bird out of the fowler's snare".
