1Cântico dos degraus, de Davi: Diga, Israel: O que [seria de nós] se o SENHOR não estivesse conosco?
2Se o SENHOR não estivesse conosco, quando os homens se levantaram contra nós,
3Eles teriam nos devorado vivos, quando o furor deles se acendeu contra nós.
4As águas teriam nos coberto, [e] a corrente de águas teria passado por sobre nossas almas.
5Águas violentas teriam passado por sobre nossas almas.
6Bendito seja o SENHOR, que não nos entregou como presa aos dentes deles.
7Nossa alma escapou como um pássaro da armadilha dos caçadores; a cadeia se quebrou, e nós escapamos.
8Nosso socorro está no nome do SENHOR, que fez o céu e a terra.
📖 Chapter study
Summary
A song of collective gratitude imagining what would have happened 'if the LORD had not been on our side' during a violent attack, comparing the deliverance to a bird escaping the fowler's snare.
Explanation
This fifth 'Song of Degrees,' attributed to David, uses a rhetorical technique of contrast: it vividly describes the disaster that could have happened (being swallowed alive, swept away by the waters) in order to celebrate with even greater intensity the real deliverance God granted. The final image of the bird escaping the broken snare (v.7) is a simple yet powerful metaphor for sudden and complete liberation. The application for today is to practice gratitude by concretely imagining what could have happened without God's help and protection at key moments in life.
Fun facts
- The metaphor of the bird escaping the broken snare (v.7) is used across various ancient Near Eastern cultures to represent sudden and unexpected freedom.
- This psalm, like many 'Songs of Degrees,' is attributed to David in its original Hebrew title, though the exact historical context of the attack mentioned remains uncertain.