Psalm 124:3 meaning, Cross Ref, ai commentary KJV NIV ESV NLT

Psalm 124:3 kjv

Then they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us:

Psalm 124:3 nkjv

Then they would have swallowed us alive, When their wrath was kindled against us;

Psalm 124:3 niv

they would have swallowed us alive when their anger flared against us;

Psalm 124:3 esv

then they would have swallowed us up alive, when their anger was kindled against us;

Psalm 124:3 nlt

They would have swallowed us alive
in their burning anger.

Psalm 124 3 Cross References

Verse	Text	Reference
Ps 3:7	...you have struck all my enemies on the cheek; you have broken the teeth of the wicked.	God defends against enemies.
Ps 27:2	When evildoers assail me... they stumbled and fell.	Enemies failing in their destructive intent.
Ps 35:25	...let them not say in their hearts, "Aha, our desire!" Let them not say, "We have swallowed him up."	Enemies desiring total consumption.
Ps 55:23	...You, O God, will cast them down into the pit of destruction...	Divine judgment prevents the wicked's victory.
Ps 69:15	Let not the flood sweep over me, nor the deep swallow me up, nor the pit close its mouth over me.	Fear of overwhelming destruction.
Ps 118:6-7	The LORD is on my side; I will not fear... The LORD is on my side as my helper...	Trust in God's help against adversaries.
Prov 1:12	...like Sheol, swallow them alive and whole, like those who go down into the pit.	The wicked's desire for swift, total destruction.
Isa 5:14	Therefore Sheol has enlarged its appetite and opened its mouth beyond measure...	Sheol's insatiable capacity for the dead.
Isa 43:2	When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you...	God's protection in overwhelming circumstances.
Jer 51:34	"Nebuchadnezzar... has devoured me, he has crushed me, he has made me an empty vessel; he has swallowed me like a monster..."	Powerful enemy (Babylon) acting as a swallowing beast.
Lam 2:2	The Lord has swallowed up without pity all the habitations of Jacob...	God's own judgment can be described as swallowing.
Hos 8:7	...if it were to yield, foreigners would swallow it up.	Economic ruin leading to total loss by adversaries.
Mic 3:3	...who eat the flesh of my people and flay their skin from them...	Extreme, predatory imagery of oppressors.
Hab 1:14-17	...you make mankind like the fish of the sea... they take them all up with a hook... they gather them with their net...	Ruthless enemies, like fishermen, consume their prey.
Joel 2:5	Like chariots they leap on the tops of the mountains, like the crackling of a flame of fire consuming stubble...	Enemies as a consuming force like fire.
Matt 7:15	Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.	Enemies disguised with destructive intent.
Rom 8:31	What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?	God's protective sovereignty over believers.
1 Cor 15:54	When the perishable puts on the imperishable... then shall come to pass the saying... "Death is swallowed up in victory."	Death's ultimate defeat by being "swallowed up."
Eph 6:11-12	Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil...	The reality of powerful, destructive spiritual enemies.
1 Pet 5:8	Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.	Satan's intent to consume and destroy.
Heb 2:14	...through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil.	Christ's victory over the one who "swallows."
Rev 12:16	But the earth came to the help of the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river...	Earth's action of swallowing to protect.

Psalm 124 verses

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Psalm 124 3 Meaning

Psalm 124:3 profoundly illustrates the dire consequence Israel would have faced if the Lord had not intervened against their enemies. The verse paints a vivid picture of sudden, complete destruction, describing the adversaries as being so enraged and powerful that they would have utterly consumed Israel, swallowing them alive, leaving no trace. It underscores the immense peril averted solely by God's gracious and powerful protection.

Psalm 124 3 Context

Psalm 124 is one of the "Songs of Ascents" (Psalms 120-134), traditionally sung by pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem for annual feasts or by Levites as they ascended the temple steps. The psalm is a communal hymn of thanksgiving, reflecting Israel's grateful acknowledgment that their survival and deliverance from overwhelming enemies was due solely to the Lord. It poses a rhetorical question: "If it had not been the LORD who was on our side...?" The following verses then detail the extreme nature of the danger, highlighting the absolute certainty of Israel's destruction without divine intervention. Verse 3, therefore, vividly describes the brutal and comprehensive fate Israel would have suffered, setting the stage for the praise and trust in the verses that follow. Historically, this psalm could resonate with various periods of Israel's national struggle, from the Exodus, the Judges, the monarchy's wars, to the return from Babylonian exile, emphasizing that God's faithful preservation has always been their ultimate defense against human and spiritual foes whose wrath sought their total annihilation.

Psalm 124 3 Word analysis

Then (Azay אֲזַי): This adverb introduces a strong hypothetical consequence or a temporal marker, signifying "At that time" or "Indeed, if that were the case." In context, it immediately presents the dire scenario that would have occurred had the Lord not intervened as implied in previous verses, highlighting a sudden and complete catastrophe.
they: Refers to the powerful and enraged adversaries, or "men," from the preceding verse. The impersonal pronoun highlights their overwhelming number or unified malicious intent.
had swallowed us up (b'la'unu בְּלָעוּנוּ): Derived from the Hebrew verb bal'a (בלע), meaning "to swallow," "gulp down," "devour," or "consume entirely." This potent, visceral verb communicates utter annihilation, leaving no remnant. It implies a swift, decisive, and irreversible act of destruction, signifying total absorption and disappearance rather than a mere defeat. This imagery extends beyond conventional battle to suggest a monstrous or chasm-like consumption.
quick (chayyim חַיִּים): The Hebrew word chayyim means "life," "living," or "alive." When paired with "swallowed up," it intensely emphasizes that the adversaries intended to consume Israel while still alive, before any resistance could be offered. It underscores the suddenness, brutality, and terrifying finality of the planned destruction, portraying an instantaneous and overwhelming conquest.
when (wa וַ): A conjunction, usually "and," which here connects the act of swallowing with the intense emotion driving it. It introduces a concurrent or causal condition.
their wrath (ap'am אַפָּם): From the Hebrew af (אף), primarily meaning "nose" or "nostril," and idiomatically, "anger" or "wrath" (evoking the visible signs of anger like flaring nostrils or snorting). This signifies a fierce, burning, passionate fury, an unbridled and deep-seated animosity driving their desire to destroy.
was kindled (vayyichar וַיִּחַר): From the verb charah (חרה), meaning "to burn," "to be hot," or "to be enraged." It describes wrath that is not just present but actively intensifying, burning like an unquenchable fire. This highlights the consuming and destructive power of their unleashed anger.
against us (banu בָּנוּ): The preposition "in" or "against" combined with "us." This directs the intense wrath and destructive intent precisely at Israel, emphasizing the personal and targeted nature of the animosity.

Words-group analysis:

Azay chayyim b'la'unu (Then alive they swallowed us): This powerful opening phrase starkly depicts the counter-factual scenario, emphasizing an abrupt, overwhelming, and unresisting end. The chilling combination of "alive" and "swallowed" highlights Israel's extreme vulnerability and the sheer, devouring force of their enemies. It conjures an image akin to falling into an insatiable pit or being consumed by a giant beast.
Vayyichar appam banu (when their wrath was kindled against us): This clause reveals the profound intensity and motivation behind the adversaries' actions. It portrays an active, burning rage directed specifically at Israel, underscoring that the intent was not just conquest but complete, emotionally-driven annihilation, leaving no hope or chance of escape.

Psalm 124 3 Bonus section

The imagery of being "swallowed alive" (Hebrew bal'a chayyim) resonates with ancient Near Eastern motifs of chaotic primordial monsters or Sheol's insatiable maw, which sought to engulf and destroy. The psalmist subtly evokes these deep-seated fears to magnify God's unique power. This positioning of God above such consuming forces reinforces His absolute sovereignty, presenting Him as the one who alone controls and restrains these destructive powers, be they physical empires or spiritual adversaries. The description of their "kindled wrath" further reveals the profound malice underlying human opposition, suggesting that unrestrained human anger often takes on a quality akin to a demonic drive for complete annihilation, a drive that only divine intervention can effectively thwart. This verse transcends a mere historical account, offering a timeless theological truth about humanity's inherent vulnerability and God's ever-present, all-powerful preservation.

Psalm 124 3 Commentary

Psalm 124:3 vividly details the horrifying and certain fate that awaited Israel if not for the Lord's intervention. It portrays the enemies with a monstrous, insatiable hunger, intent on total absorption and eradication—to swallow their victims while they still lived. This powerful, graphic imagery emphasizes Israel's utter powerlessness against such overwhelming wrath and destructive intent. The verse serves as a chilling backdrop, intensifying the gratitude expressed in the verses that follow, highlighting God's mighty and specific deliverance. It humbles humanity, affirming that any preservation from utter destruction—whether from human malice or spiritual forces—is not due to self-reliance but entirely to the powerful and restraining hand of God. This verse teaches absolute dependence on the Lord as the only true source of safety against the consuming fires of evil.