— Psalm 124 (Hebrew / English)
Nisi quia Dominus erat in nobis
By GRAHAM JOHN
A communal psalm of survival and gratitude, reflecting on near-disaster averted not by strength or strategy, but by the sustaining presence of the Lord.
8 verses total
VERSUS 1–8 (Latin + Literal English + Word Notes)
1
Nisi quia Dominus erat in nobis, dicat nunc Israel,
If it had not been that the Lord was with us, let Israel now say,
Word Notes:
- nisi — if not, unless
- erat — was (imperfect of sum)
- in nobis — with us / in our midst
- dico, dicere — to say
2
Nisi quia Dominus erat in nobis, cum exsurgerent homines in nos,
If it had not been that the Lord was with us, when people rose up against us,
Word Notes:
- exsurgo, exsurgere — to rise up
- homo, hominis m. — human being
- in nos — against us
3
Forsitan vivos deglutissent nos, cum irasceretur furor eorum in nos.
Then they would perhaps have swallowed us alive, when their fury was kindled against us.
Word Notes:
- forsitan — perhaps, surely
- deglutio, deglutire — to swallow
- vivus, -a, -um — alive
- irascor, irasci — to become angry (deponent)
- furor, furoris m. — rage
4
Forsitan aqua absorbuisset nos; torrentem pertransisset anima nostra.
Then the waters would have engulfed us; the torrent would have passed over our soul.
Word Notes:
- absorbeo, absorbere — to swallow up
- torrens, torrentis m. — torrent, flood
- pertranseo, pertransire — to pass through / over
- anima, -ae f. — soul, life
5
Forsitan pertransisset anima nostra aquam intolerabilem.
Then our soul would have passed through intolerable waters.
Word Notes:
- intolerabilis, -e — unbearable, overwhelming
6
Benedictus Dominus, qui non dedit nos in captionem dentibus eorum.
Blessed be the Lord, who did not give us as prey to their teeth.
Word Notes:
- benedico, benedicere — to bless
- captio, -onis f. — capture, prey
- dens, dentis m. — tooth
7
Anima nostra sicut passer erepta est de laqueo venantium; laqueus contritus est, et nos liberati sumus.
Our soul has been rescued like a sparrow from the snare of the hunters; the snare was broken, and we were freed.
Word Notes:
- passer, passeris m. — sparrow
- eripio, eripere — to snatch away, rescue
- laqueus, -i m. — snare, trap
- venator, -oris m. — hunter
- contero, conterere — to break, shatter
- libero, liberare — to free
8
Adiutorium nostrum in nomine Domini, qui fecit caelum et terram.
Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
Word Notes:
- adiutorium, -ii n. — help, aid
- nomen, nominis n. — name (authority, presence)
- facio, facere — to make
MORPHOLOGY EXERCISES (8)
Identify tense, voice, mood, and principal parts:
- erat
- exsurgerent
- deglutissent
- irasceretur
- absorbuisset
- dedit
- erepta est
- liberati sumus
MORPHOLOGY EXERCISES — KEY
- erat
- Verb: sum, esse, fui
- Tense: imperfect
- Voice: active
- Mood: indicative
- Meaning: was
- exsurgerent
- Verb: exsurgo, exsurgere, exsurrexi
- Tense: imperfect
- Voice: active
- Mood: subjunctive (temporal clause)
- Meaning: were rising up
- deglutissent
- Verb: deglutio, deglutire
- Tense: pluperfect
- Voice: active
- Mood: subjunctive (counterfactual)
- Meaning: would have swallowed
- irasceretur
- Verb: irascor, irasci (deponent)
- Tense: imperfect
- Voice: deponent
- Mood: subjunctive
- Meaning: was becoming angry
- absorbuisset
- Verb: absorbeo, absorbere, absorpsi, absorptum
- Tense: pluperfect
- Voice: active
- Mood: subjunctive
- Meaning: would have engulfed
- dedit
- Verb: do, dare, dedi, datum
- Tense: perfect
- Voice: active
- Mood: indicative
- Meaning: gave
- erepta est
- Verb: eripio, eripere, eripui, ereptum
- Tense: perfect
- Voice: passive
- Mood: indicative
- Meaning: has been rescued
- liberati sumus
- Verb: libero, liberare, liberavi, liberatum
- Tense: perfect
- Voice: passive
- Mood: indicative
- Meaning: we have been freed
TRANSLATION EXERCISES (8)
Translate into Latin:
- If the Lord had not been with us.
- People rose up against us.
- They would have swallowed us alive.
- The waters would have overwhelmed us.
- Blessed be the Lord.
- He did not give us as prey.
- We were rescued like a sparrow.
- Our help is in the name of the Lord.
TRANSLATION EXERCISES — KEY
- Nisi quia Dominus erat in nobis.
- Cum exsurgerent homines in nos.
- Vivos deglutissent nos.
- Aqua absorbuisset nos.
- Benedictus Dominus.
- Non dedit nos in captionem.
- Sicut passer erepti sumus.
- Adiutorium nostrum in nomine Domini est.
SUMMARY (≈100 words)
Psalm 123 is a retrospective psalm, shaped by memory rather than immediate threat. Its repeated conditional clauses rehearse an alternative history — what would have happened had the Lord not been present. Violence and chaos are imagined vividly, not to glorify danger but to sharpen gratitude. The metaphors escalate from predation to flood, before narrowing to the fragile image of a sparrow freed from a trap. Deliverance is presented as narrow and undeserved, emphasising vulnerability rather than heroism. The psalm closes by grounding security not in past escape, but in ongoing reliance on the Creator.
REFLECTION QUESTION
Where in your own life do you recognise moments that could have ended very differently — and how does remembering that shape humility rather than fear?