Psalm 124 7

Psalm 124:7 kjv

Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we are escaped.

Psalm 124:7 nkjv

Our soul has escaped as a bird from the snare of the fowlers; The snare is broken, and we have escaped.

Psalm 124:7 niv

We have escaped like a bird from the fowler's snare; the snare has been broken, and we have escaped.

Psalm 124:7 esv

We have escaped like a bird from the snare of the fowlers; the snare is broken, and we have escaped!

Psalm 124:7 nlt

We escaped like a bird from a hunter's trap.
The trap is broken, and we are free!

Psalm 124 verses

Psalm 124 7 Meaning

Psalm 124:7 powerfully declares the Lord's complete and miraculous deliverance of His people from overwhelming danger. The imagery of a helpless bird narrowly escaping a fowler's deadly snare vividly illustrates the extreme vulnerability of God's people and the cunning malice of their adversaries. The crucial phrase, "The snare is broken," emphasizes that it was not by human strength or cunning, but by divine intervention, that the means of destruction itself was rendered useless, ensuring a decisive and total escape. This verse is a song of profound gratitude and a testimony to God's unfailing protective power.

Psalm 124 7 Context

Psalm 124 is a Psalm of Ascent, a song sung by Jewish pilgrims journeying up to Jerusalem for the annual feasts. It is a corporate song of thanksgiving for deliverance, acknowledging that Israel's survival was solely due to God's intervention against overwhelming threats. The psalm collectively recounts past national deliverances, emphasizing that if the Lord had not been on their side (vv. 1-2), their enemies would have devoured them completely (vv. 3-5). Verse 7, therefore, serves as the culminating testimony to the decisive nature of God's rescue, leading into the concluding declaration of dependence on God’s name (v. 8). Historically, this Psalm could be connected to various periods of national crisis, such as the return from Babylonian exile, deliverance from a major invading army, or even ongoing threats that characterized much of Israel's history, serving as a reminder of God’s consistent faithfulness.

Psalm 124 7 Word analysis

• Our soul (נַפְשֵׁנוּ - nap̄šěnū): Refers to "our very life," "our being," or "ourselves." It implies the totality of who "we" are, emphasizing that the danger threatened their existence. It's not just part of them, but their entire being was at stake.
• has escaped (נִמְלָטְנוּ - nimlāṭnû): From the verb malat (to escape, be delivered). The Nif'al conjugation here denotes that the escape was achieved, not by their own power, but by a power outside themselves, emphasizing God's enabling act in their deliverance. It implies a narrow, perhaps miraculous, avoidance of destruction.
• as a bird (כְּצִפּוֹר - kəṣippōr): The particle kə- means "as" or "like," indicating a comparison. A ṣippōr is a small, vulnerable, often weak bird. This imagery powerfully conveys the defenselessness and helplessness of Israel in the face of their enemies. Just as a bird is easily trapped, Israel felt utterly vulnerable to their adversaries.
• from the snare (מִפַּח - mippakh): Mî- is "from," and paḥ refers to a trap or net, specifically one used by fowlers to capture birds. This represents the deceptive, dangerous, and often hidden methods used by their enemies to entrap and destroy them.
• of the fowlers (יוֹקְשִׁים - yôqəšîm): Refers to those who set traps, the "hunters" or "snarers." They represent cunning and malicious enemies who devise elaborate plans for the destruction of God's people, seeking to exploit their vulnerabilities.
• The snare (הַפַּח - happaḥ): The same "trap" or "net" mentioned previously, now specifically highlighted as the object of divine action. The definite article "the" indicates it is that very snare designed for their destruction.
• is broken (נִשְׁבָּר - nišbār): From the verb shabar (to break). Like nimlaṭnû, this is also a Nif'al perfect form, denoting a completed action that implies divine agency. It signifies that the instrument of destruction, the enemy's means of attack, was completely shattered, rendered inoperative, and incapacitated by God. It wasn't merely avoided, but permanently disarmed.
• and we have escaped (וַאֲנַחְנוּ נִמְלָטְנוּ - wa’anaḥnû nimlāṭnû): The repeated phrase reinforces the absolute certainty and completeness of their deliverance. The emphatic "we" (wa’anaḥnû) highlights that the beneficiaries of this broken snare are precisely those who were previously in danger, securing their safety and freedom. It brings the focus back to the direct experience of God's people.

Psalm 124 7 Bonus section

The "snare of the fowler" can be understood metaphorically to represent various forms of spiritual bondage, temptation, or plots against the righteous. This includes the deceitful temptations of sin, the ensnaring influence of false doctrines, or the malicious strategies of spiritual adversaries. The breaking of the snare signifies God's power to free His people from these unseen, yet very real, spiritual traps. In a New Testament context, Christ’s work on the cross fundamentally "broke the snare" of sin and death (Heb 2:14-15), ensuring the ultimate escape for those who believe in Him. Thus, believers find spiritual application of this Psalm, seeing God's constant readiness to deliver them from the wiles of the evil one and the entanglements of the world, much like He delivered Israel from their physical enemies.

Psalm 124 7 Commentary

Psalm 124:7 captures the dramatic turning point in a moment of extreme peril. The psalmist vividly paints a picture of dire vulnerability – a soul, like a defenseless bird, caught in a hunter's deadly snare. This "fowler" represents any potent adversary, earthly or spiritual, that designs ruin with cunning and force. The immediate and sudden breaking of the snare by an unseen power is the climax, emphasizing that their deliverance was not by human effort or foresight but by direct, divine intervention. The verse serves as a declaration of God's sovereign power over all schemes of evil. When the Lord is for His people, no weapon formed against them can prosper, and even the very instruments intended for their downfall are shattered into futility. This evokes deep gratitude and reaffirms unwavering trust in the Lord as the only source of true and lasting salvation. Practically, this verse assures believers that even when facing seemingly insurmountable obstacles or cunning adversaries, God can, and often does, intervene to break the grip of destruction and set His people free.