Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 124:3
Then they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us:
3. Then had they swallowed us up alive, as the earth swallowed Korah (Num 16:30); or as Sheol devours its victims (Pro 1:12), or a monster its prey (Jer 51:34). Cp. Psa 55:15; Lam 2:16.
when their wrath &c.] Cp. Neh 4:1: Sanballat “was wroth and exceedingly vexed,” Psa 4:7 “they were exceedingly wroth.”
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Then they had swallowed us up quick – There was no other help, and ruin – utter ruin – would have soon come upon us. The word quick here means alive; and the idea is derived from persons swallowed up in an earthquake, or by the opening of the earth, as in the case of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. Num 16:32-33. Compare Psa 106:17. The meaning here is, that they would have been destroyed as if they were swallowed up by the opening of the earth; that is, there would have been complete destruction.
When their wrath was kindled against us – Hebrew, In the kindling of their wrath against us. Wrath is often represented in the Scriptures as burning or heated – as that which consumes all before it.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
They had swallowed us up quick; they had speedily and utterly destroyed us, as Korah, &c. were, Num 16.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
3. Thenthat is, the time ofour danger.
quickliterally,”living” (Num 16:32;Num 16:33), description offerocity.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Then they had swallowed us up quick,…. Or “alive”; as the earth swallowed up Korah and his company; or as the fish swallowed up Jonah; or rather as ravenous beasts swallow their prey; to which the allusion is. The people of God are comparable to sheep and lambs, and such like innocent creatures: and the wicked to lions, tigers, wolves, bears, and such like beasts of prey that devour living creatures;
when their wrath was kindled against us; which is cruel and outrageous; there is no standing against it, nor before it; it is like a fierce flame of fire that burns furiously, and there is no stopping it; none but God can restrain it.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
When he says, (Psa 124:3,) They had swallowed us up alive, (78) he not only expresses barbarous cruelty, but also disproportion of strength. He describes then in the first place how violent was the onset of the enemy, and secondly, how feeble and inadequate the Jews were to withstand them, since these cruel beasts had no need of swords for slaughter, but without a battle or an effort of strength, could easily devour that unwarlike and defenceless flock.
(78) “The metaphor may be taken from famished wild beasts attacking and devouring men, (Comp. 5:5,) or the reference may ‘be to the case of a man shut up alive in a sepulcher, (Pro 1:12,) and left there to perish, or (Num 16:30) swallowed up by an earthquake ” — Cresswell. “A figurative expression to intimate the savageness of the adversaries, alluding to the practice of many predatory animals of swallowing their victims alive. Such is the well-known habit of many of the predatory kinds of fish.” — Phillips.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(3) Then.Critics are at issue both as to the form and meaning of the wordwhether it is an archaism or an aramaism, expressing time or logical sequence.
Swallowed . . . quick (alive).No doubt an allusion to the fall of Korah (Num. 16:32-33), where the same verb and adjective occur together. (See also Psa. 55:15.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
3. Swallowed us up quick Literally, Swallowed us up alive. The allusion seems to be to Korah and his company, (Num 16:30,) “If the Lord make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth and swallow them up and they go down alive into the pit.” See also Psa 55:15; Psa 69:15
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Psa 124:3 Then they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us:
Ver. 3. Then had they swallowed us up quick ] As the great fish do the little ones, as hungry lions, or wolves, ravin up their prey. Ptolemy Lathurus, king of Egypt, slew thirty thousand Jews, and compelled the living to feed upon the dead. Adrian the emperor made a decree, that he who had not slain a Jew should himself be slain (Gualth Praef. in Marc. R. Obad. Gaon in Psa 124:1-8 ).
When their wrath was kindled against us
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
quick = alive.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Then they: Psa 27:2, Psa 35:25, Psa 56:1, Psa 56:2, Psa 57:3, Psa 74:8, Psa 83:4, Est 3:6, Est 3:12, Est 3:13
swallowed: Num 16:30-34, Pro 1:12, Jer 51:34, Jon 1:17
their wrath: Psa 76:10, 1Sa 20:30-33, Dan 3:19, Mat 2:16, Act 9:2
Reciprocal: Jos 7:9 – environ 2Sa 18:31 – the Lord 2Sa 20:19 – swallow Job 29:17 – and plucked Psa 93:3 – the floods lift Isa 49:19 – they that Lam 2:16 – We have swallowed 2Co 2:7 – swallowed
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Psa 124:3-6. They had swallowed us up quick They had speedily and utterly destroyed us, as Korah and his company were, Numbers 16. The proud waters had gone over, &c. Our enemies, compared to proud waters for their great multitude, swelling rage, and mighty force. The Lord hath not given us a prey to their teeth A metaphor taken from wild beasts, which tear and devour their prey with their teeth. It is here intimated that the enemies of Gods people have no power whatever against them, but what is given them from above. God, however, sometimes suffers them to prevail very far against them, that his own power may appear the more illustrious in their deliverance.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
124:3 Then they had swallowed us up {b} quick, when their wrath was kindled against us:
(b) So unable were we to resist.