if the LORD had not been on our side when men attacked us,
Parallel translations
- WEB if it had not been Yahweh who was on our side, when men rose up against us;
- KJV If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, when men rose up against us:
- NKJV “If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, When men rose up against us,
- NASB “Had it not been the Lord who was on our side When people rose up against us,
- NLT What if the Lord had not been on our side when people attacked us?
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Again: if Yahweh had not been on their side when enemies rose against them. God's presence was the decisive factor in the face of attack.
Overview
The repeated 'if it had not been Yahweh' heightens the sense of how grave the danger was when 'men rose up against us.' Only God's intervention stood between the people and destruction. This points to the gospel reality that God's being for us in Christ means no foe can ultimately prevail.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- Ps 22:12–13Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.
- Ps 22:16For dogs surround me; a band of evil men encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet.
- Ps 37:32Though the wicked lie in wait for the righteous, and seek to slay them,
- Ps 21:1–2For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. O LORD, the king rejoices in Your strength. How greatly he exults in Your salvation!
- Ps 3:1A Psalm of David, when he fled from his son Absalom. O LORD, how my foes have increased! How many rise up against me!
- Num 16:2–3a rebellion against Moses, along with 250 men of Israel renowned as leaders of the congregation and representatives in the assembly.
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.
How Psalms 124:2 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.