Psalm 124
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General Information
Psalm 124 belongs to the so-called Songs of Ascent, in Latin cantica graduum or step songs. There are 15 psalms in the series, apparently referring to the 15 steps of the temple in Jerusalem. Psalm 124 is linked to psalm 121, in that both contain 54 words (in Hebrew), the mathematical value of the verb 'keep', 'guard' - the key theme of both psalms.
In lutheran tradition two chorales exist as metrical version of this psalm: Wo Gott der Herr nicht bei uns hält (Justus Jonas) and Wär Gott nicht mit uns diese Zeit (Martin Luther)
Settings by composers
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Settings by composers (automatically updated)
- Henry Aldrich — If the Lord himself had not been on our side English SATB
- Anonymous — Now Israel may say, and that truly English SATB
- William Child — If the Lord himself had not been on our side English SATB
- Giles Farnaby — Now Israel may say English SATB
- Jacob French — Massachusetts English SATB
- George M. Garrett — Single chant in D major English SATB
- Claude Goudimel — Or peut bien dire Israel (Ps. 124) French SATB
- Israel Holdroyd — Psalm 124 English SATB
- Claude Le Jeune — Or peut bien dire Israel maintenant French ATB
- Claude Le Jeune — Or peut bien dire Israël French SSATTB
- William Knapp — If the Lord himself had not been on our side English SATB
- James Nares — If the Lord himself had not been on our side English SATB
- Nicolas Payen — Nisi quia Dominus Latin STTB
- Thomas Ravenscroft — Now Israel may say, and that truly English SATB
- Daniel Read — Bennington English SATB
- Josef Rheinberger — Vier Motetten, Op. 133 2 SSATTB
- Salamone Rossi — Shir hama'alot l'-David a 6 Hebrew SAATTB
- Claudin de Sermisy — Nisi quia Dominus Latin TTBB,ATTB
- Charles Villiers Stanford — A song of battle English S
- Mikolaj Zielenski — Anima nostra Latin SAATTBB
Text and translations
Clementine Vulgate (Psalm 123) Latin text1 Canticum graduum. Nisi quia Dominus erat in nobis, dicat nunc Israël, |
Church of England 1662 Book of Common Prayer English text1 If the Lord himself had not been on our side, now may Israel say: |
Douay-Rheims Bible (Psalm 123) English textA gradual canticle. If it had not been that the Lord was with us, let Israel now say: |
Káldi fordítás Hungarian textÉnek a fölmenetekre. Ha az Úr velünk nem lett volna, mondja meg most Izrael… |
Statenbijbel (1637)
Dutch text
1 Een lied Hammaaloth, van David. Ten ware de HEERE, Die bij ons geweest is, zegge nu Israël,
2 Ten ware de HEERE, Die bij ons geweest is, als de mensen tegen ons opstonden;
3 Toen zouden zij ons levend verslonden hebben, als hun toorn tegen ons ontstak.
4 Toen zouden ons de wateren overlopen hebben; een stroom zou over onze ziel gegaan zijn.
5 Toen zouden de stoute wateren over onze ziel gegaan zijn.
6 De HEERE zij geloofd, Die ons in hun tanden niet heeft overgegeven tot een roof.
7 Onze ziel is ontkomen, als een vogel uit den strik der vogelvangers; de strik is gebroken, en wij zijn ontkomen.
8 Onze hulp is in den Naam des HEEREN, Die hemel en aarde gemaakt heeft.
Hebrew Hebrew textשִׁיר הַמַּעֲלוֹת לְדָוִד לוּלֵי [אֲדֹנָי] שֶׁהָיָה לָנוּ יֹאמַר־נָא יִשְׂרָאֵל׃ |
Hebrew (transliterated) Hebrew textShir hama'alot l'David, lulay Adonai shehaya lanu, yomarna yisraayl. |
Metrical Paraphrase by Isaac Watts, 1719
English text
A song for the fifth of November.
Had not the Lord, may Israel say,
Had not the Lord maintained our side,
When men, to make our lives a prey,
Rose like the swelling of the tide;
The swelling tide had stopped our breath,
So fiercely did the waters roll,
We had been swallowed deep in death;
Proud waters had o'erwhelmed our soul.
We leap for joy, we shout and sing,
Who just escaped the fatal stroke;
So flies the bird with cheerful wing,
When once the fowler's snare is broke.
For ever blessed be the Lord,
Who broke the fowler's cursed snare,
Who saved us from the murdering sword,
And made our lives and souls his care.
Our help is in Jehovah's name,
Who formed the earth and built the skies:
He that upholds that wondrous frame
Guards His own church with watchful eyes.
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Metrical Paraphrase by William Whittingham, 1561
English text
1. Now Israel may say, and that truly,
If that the Lord had not our cause maintained,
If that the Lord had not our right sustained,
When all the world against us furiously
Made their uproars, and said, we should all die.
2. Then long ago they had devoured us all,
And swallowed quick, for ought that we could deem;
Such was their rage, as we might well esteem
And as the floods with mighty force do fall,
So had they now our lives e'en brought to thrall.
3. The raging streams most proud in roaring noise,
Had long ago o'er-whelmed us in the deep;
Praised be God, which doth us safely keep
From bloody teeth, and their most cruel voice
Which as a prey to eat us would rejoice.
4. E'en as a bird from fowler's gin or pen
Escapes away, right so it fares with us;
Broke are the nets, and we escaped thus
God that made heaven and earth is our help then,
His Name hath saved us from these wicked men.
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Genevan Psalter (Théodore de Bèze 1551)
French text
Or peut bien dire Israel maintenant,
Si le Seigneur pour nous n'eust point esté,
Si le Seigneur nostre droict n'eust porté,
Quand tout le monde à grand fureur venant
Pour nous meurtrir dessus nous s'est jetté:
Pieça fussions vifs devorez par eux,
Veu la fureur ardente des pervers:
Pieça fussions sous les eaux à l'envers,
Et tout ainsi qu'un flot impetueux
Nous eussent tous abysmez & couverts.
Par dessus nous leurs gros & forts torrens
Eussent pieça passé & repassé.
Loué soit Diue, lequel n'a point laissé
Le peuple sien tomber entre leurs dents,
Pour le manger comme ils avoyent pensé.
Comme l'oiseau du filé se deffait
De l'oiseleur, n ous sommes eschappez,
Rompans le laqs ui nous eust attrappez:
çoila comment le grand Dieu ui a fait
Et terre & ciel, mous a desveloppez.