Psalms 123:4
Perhaps the waters had swallowed us up.
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- Vulgate (Clementine)
- forsitan aqua absorbuisset nos ;
- Septuagint (Swete)
- ἄρα τὸ ὕδωρ κατεπόντισεν ἡμᾶς, χείμαρρον διῆλθεν ἡ ψυχὴ ἡμῶν·
- Hebrew (WLC) shown from Psalms 124:4
- אֲ֭זַי הַמַּ֣יִם שְׁטָפ֑וּנוּ נַ֗֜חְלָה עָבַ֥ר עַל נַפְשֵֽׁנוּ
The Fathers on this verse
St Augustine Expositions on the Book of Psalms, Psalm CXXIV
4. …“When their fury was enraged upon us.” They are now in anger, they now openly rage: “perchance the water had drowned us” ( ver. 4 ). By water he meaneth ungodly nations: and we shall see what sort of water in the following verses. Whoever had consented unto them, water would have overwhelmed him. For he would die by the death of the Egyptians, he would not pass through after the example of the Israelites. For ye know, brethren, that the people of Israel passed through the water, by which the Egyptians were overwhelmed. But what sort of water is this? It is a torrent, it flows with violence, but it will pass by…Hence He, our Head, first drinketh, of whom it is said in the Psalms, “He shall drink of the torrent in the way: therefore shall He lift up His head.” For our Head is already exalted, because He drank of the torrent by the way; for our Lord hath suffered. …
St Ambrose Concerning Repentance, Chapter XIV. St. Ambrose explains that the flesh given to Satan for destruction is eaten by the serpent when the soul is set free from carnal desires. He gives, therefore, various rules for guarding the senses, points out the snares laid for us by means of pleasures, and exhorts his hearers not to fear the destruction of the flesh by the serpent
74. Let us then pass through the fires of youth and the glow of early years; let us pass through the waters, let us not remain therein, lest the deep floods shut us in. Let us rather pass over, that we too may say: “Our soul has passed over the stream,” for he who has passed over is safe. And lastly, the Lord speaks thus: “If thou pass through the water, I am with thee, the rivers shall not overflow thee.” And the prophet says: “I have seen the wicked exalted above the cedars of Libanus, and I passed by, and lo, he was not.” Pass by things of this world, and you will see that the high places of the wicked have fallen. Moses, too, passing by things of this world, saw a great sight and said: “I will turn aside and see this great sight,” for had he been held by the fleeting pleasures of this world he would not have seen so great a mystery.