Psalm 124:6 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Blessed be the Lord, who has not given us as prey to their teeth!

NIV: Praise be to the Lord, who has not let us be torn by their teeth.

NASB: Blessed be the Lord, Who has not given us to be torn by their teeth.

CSB: Blessed be the Lord, who has not let us be ripped apart by their teeth.

NLT: Praise the Lord, who did not let their teeth tear us apart!

KJV: Blessed be the Lord, who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth.

NKJV: Blessed be the Lord, Who has not given us as prey to their teeth.

This psalm began by declaring how Israel would have fallen to its enemies were it not for God's intervention (Psalm 124:1–2). There, the psalmist included a reference to being "swallowed" (Psalm 124:3), before comparing Israel's enemies to a massive flood (Psalm 124:4–5). Here, the song praises the Lord for what He has done. His work has prevented the nation from being torn like the victim of a ferocious predator.

Just as overwhelming force is often compared to a flood (Isaiah 8:7–8; Jeremiah 46:7–8), aggressive enemies are sometimes compared to predatory animals. Jeremiah made this association with Babylon (Jeremiah 4:7; 51:38). The apostle Peter did the same with Satan, warning Christians about the Devil's attempts to overwhelm believers (1 Peter 5:8). Just as ancient Israel had to rely on the Lord for survival, so too must Christians use God's power against Satan. This means resisting evil "in" faith (1 Peter 5:9) and using the tools God has provided for our protection (Ephesians 6:11–18). The strength of the Lord is much greater than that of the Devil (1 John 4:4). One day, God will banish the evil one to the lake of fire (Revelation 20:7–10).

Psalm 124:6–8 praises the Lord for victory over angry, vicious enemies. Earlier verses celebrated God's intervention which kept Israel from being destroyed by many enemies (Psalm 124:1–5). The psalm began by noting what would have happened to the nation without God. At the end, the psalmist indicates what happened because of the Lord's actions.

The psalmist emphasizes that enemies would have overwhelmed Israel were it not for the Lord's intervention (Deuteronomy 4:37–38). The power of hostile nations is compared to a massive flood. Yet God prevented Israel from suffering that fate. Because of this, Israel should recognize that their ultimate source of strength is their Lord, the Creator of all things.

As with a few other psalms labelled "of David" (Psalm 86:1), this may or may not have been directly written by him. The song may have been composed in David's style by a much later psalmist. Neither possibility changes the meaning of the text; Israel suffered threats from neighboring countries throughout its entire history. Psalm 124 is one of fifteen songs "of ascents" (Psalm 120—134) associated with major festivals (Deuteronomy 16:16).

The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.