This psalm, one of the “Songs of Degrees,” is, like Psalms 122:1, ascribed to David. See the Introductory Notes to that psalm. There is nothing in the one before us to render it improbable that it was composed by him, but it is now impossible to ascertain on what occasion it was written. It would be... [ Continue Reading ]
IF IT HAD NOT BEEN THE LORD WHO WAS ON OUR SIDE - Unless it was Yahweh who was with us. The idea is, that someone had been with them, and had delivered them, and that such was the nature of the interposition that it could be ascribed to no one but Yahweh. It bore unmistakeable evidence that it was h... [ Continue Reading ]
IF IT HAD NOT BEEN THE LORD WHO WAS ON OUR SIDE - Repeating the idea, since the mind was full of it, and carrying the thought forward. This is one of the instances of an ascent of thought in these psalms, from which it has been supposed that the title “Songs of Degrees” was given to this collection.... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN THEY HAD SWALLOWED US UP QUICK - There was no other help, and ruin - utter ruin - would have soon come upon us. The word quick here means alive; and the idea is derived from persons swallowed up in an earthquake, or by the opening of the earth, as in the case of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. Numbe... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN THE WATERS HAD OVERWHELMED US - Our destruction would have been as if the waves of the ocean had overwhelmed us. THE STREAM HAD GONE OVER OUR SOUL - The torrent would have swept us away. Compare Psalms 18:4, Psalms 18:16.... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN THE PROUD WATERS HAD GONE OVER OUR SOUL - Over us. The word proud here is applied to the waters as if raging, swelling, rolling, tumultuous; as if they were self-confident, arrogant, haughty. Such raging billows, as they break and dash upon the shore, are a striking embIem of human passions, wh... [ Continue Reading ]
BLESSED BE THE LORD - The Lord be praised; or, We have reason to praise the Lord because we have been delivered from these calamities. WHO HATH NOT GIVEN US AS A PREY TO THEIR TEETH - The figure is here changed, though the same idea is retained. The imago is now that of destruction by wild beasts -... [ Continue Reading ]
OUR SOUL IS ESCAPED - We have escaped; our life has been preserved. AS A BIRD OUT OF THE SNARE OF THE FOWLERS - By the breaking of the snare, or the gin. The bird is entangled, but the net breaks, and the bird escapes. See the notes at Psalms 91:3. THE SNARE IS BROKEN ... - It was not strong enoug... [ Continue Reading ]
OUR HELP IS IN THE NAME OF THE LORD - In the Lord; in the great Yahweh. See Psalms 121:2. WHO MADE HEAVEN AND EARTH - The great Creator; the true God. Our deliverances have led us up to him. They are such as can be ascribed to him alone. They could not have come from ourselves; from our fellow-men;... [ Continue Reading ]