Psalms

Psalm 124:1–8

¹A song of ascents. Of David.

If the LORD had not been on our side—

let Israel now declare—

²if the LORD had not been on our side

when men attacked us,

³when their anger flared against us,

then they would have swallowed us alive,

⁴then the floods would have engulfed us,

then the torrent would have overwhelmed us,

⁵then the raging waters

would have swept us away.

⁶Blessed be the LORD,

who has not given us as prey to their teeth.

⁷We have escaped like a bird from the snare of the fowler;

the net is torn, and we have slipped away.

⁸Our help is in the name of the LORD,

the Maker of heaven and earth.

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
A song	שִׁ֥יר	šîr	Noun - masculine singular construct	H7892 song
of ascents	הַֽמַּעֲל֗וֹת	ham·ma·‘ă·lō·wṯ	Article; Noun - feminine plural	H4609 what comes up
Of David	לְדָ֫וִ֥ד	lə·ḏā·wiḏ	Preposition-l; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H1732 David
If the LORD	יְ֭הוָה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
had not	לוּלֵ֣י	lū·lê	Conjunction	H3884 if not, unless
been	שֶׁהָ֣יָה	še·hā·yāh	Pronoun - relative; Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
on our side	לָ֑נוּ	lā·nū	Preposition; first person common plural
let Israel	יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃	yiś·rā·’êl	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3478 Israel
now	נָ֝א	nā	Interjection	H4994 I (we) pray, now
declare	יֹֽאמַר־	yō·mar-	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
if the LORD	יְ֭הוָה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
had not	לוּלֵ֣י	lū·lê	Conjunction	H3884 if not, unless
been	שֶׁהָ֣יָה	še·hā·yāh	Pronoun - relative; Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
on our side	לָ֑נוּ	lā·nū	Preposition; first person common plural
when men	אָדָֽם׃	’ā·ḏām	Noun - masculine singular	H120 man, mankind
attacked	בְּק֖וּם	bə·qūm	Preposition-b; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H6965 arise, stand up, stand
us	עָלֵ֣ינוּ	‘ā·lê·nū	Preposition; first person common plural	H5921 height

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
when their anger	אַפָּ֣ם	’ap·pām	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine plural	H639 nostril, nose, face, anger
flared	בַּחֲר֖וֹת	ba·ḥă·rō·wṯ	Preposition-b; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H2734 burn, be kindled
against us	בָּֽנוּ׃	bā·nū	Preposition; first person common plural
then	אֲ֭זַי	’ă·zay	Adverb	H233 then, in that case
they would have swallowed us	בְּלָע֑וּנוּ	bə·lā·‘ū·nū	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural; first person common plural	H1104 swallow down, swallow up, engulf
alive	חַיִּ֣ים	ḥay·yîm	Noun - masculine plural	H2416 alive, living

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
then	אֲ֭זַי	’ă·zay	Adverb	H233 then, in that case
the floods	הַמַּ֣יִם	ham·ma·yim	Article; Noun - masculine plural	H4325 water, juice, urine
would have engulfed us	שְׁטָפ֑וּנוּ	šə·ṭā·p̄ū·nū	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural; first person common plural	H7857 overflow, rinse or wash off
the torrent	נַ֗֜חְלָה	naḥ·lå̄h	Noun - masculine singular; third person feminine singular	H5158 torrent, torrent-valley, wady
would have overwhelmed	עָבַ֥ר	‘ā·ḇar	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H5674 pass over, through, by, pass on
us	נַפְשֵֽׁנוּ׃	nap̄·šê·nū	Noun - feminine singular construct; first person common plural	H5315 soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, appetite, emotion, and passion

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
then	אֲ֭זַי	’ă·zay	Adverb	H233 then, in that case
the raging	הַזֵּֽידוֹנִֽים׃	haz·zê·ḏō·w·nîm	Article; Noun - masculine plural	H2121 insolent, raging
waters	הַ֝מַּ֗יִם	ham·ma·yim	Article; Noun - masculine plural	H4325 water, juice, urine
would have swept us away	עָבַ֣ר	‘ā·ḇar	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H5674 pass over, through, by, pass on

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Blessed	בָּר֥וּךְ	bā·rūḵ	Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular	H1288 kneel, bless
the LORD	יְהוָ֑ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
who has not	שֶׁלֹּ֥א	šel·lō	Pronoun - relative; Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
given us	נְתָנָ֥נוּ	nə·ṯā·nā·nū	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular; first person common plural	H5414 give, put, set
as prey	טֶ֝֗רֶף	ṭe·rep̄	Noun - masculine singular	H2964 prey, food; leaf
to their teeth	לְשִׁנֵּיהֶֽם׃	lə·šin·nê·hem	Preposition-l; Noun - cdc; third person masculine plural	H8127 tooth, ivory

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
We	נַפְשֵׁ֗נוּ	nap̄·šê·nū	Noun - feminine singular construct; first person common plural	H5315 soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, appetite, emotion, and passion
have escaped	נִמְלְטָה֮	nim·lə·ṭāh	Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person feminine singular	H4422 slip away
like a bird	כְּצִפּ֥וֹר	kə·ṣip·pō·wr	Preposition-k; Noun - common singular	H6833 bird
from the snare	מִפַּ֪ח	mip·paḥ	Preposition-m; Noun - masculine singular construct	H6341 bird-trap
of the fowler	י֫וֹקְשִׁ֥ים	yō·wq·šîm	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural	H3369 lay a bait or lure
the net	הַפַּ֥ח	hap·paḥ	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H6341 bird-trap
is torn	נִשְׁבָּ֗ר	niš·bār	Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine singular	H7665 break, break in pieces
and we	וַאֲנַ֥חְנוּ	wa·’ă·naḥ·nū	Conjunctive waw; Pronoun - first person common plural	H587 we
have slipped away	נִמְלָֽטְנוּ׃	nim·lā·ṭə·nū	Verb - Nifal - Perfect - first person common plural	H4422 slip away

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Our help	עֶ֭זְרֵנוּ	‘ez·rê·nū	Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common plural	H5828 help, succour
is in the name	בְּשֵׁ֣ם	bə·šêm	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct	H8034 name
of the LORD	יְהוָ֑ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
the Maker	עֹ֝שֵׂ֗ה	‘ō·śêh	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular construct	H6213 do, make
of heaven	שָׁמַ֥יִם	šā·ma·yim	Noun - masculine plural	H8064 sky, aloft
and earth	וָאָֽרֶץ׃	wā·’ā·reṣ	Conjunctive waw; Noun - feminine singular	H776 earth, land