unfoldingWord_en_tn/psa/124/001.md

# General Information:

Parallelism is common in Hebrew poetry. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/writing-poetry]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-parallelism]])

# song of ascents

Possible meanings are 1) "song people sang while going up to Jerusalem for a celebration" or 2) "song people sang while going up the steps into the temple" or 3) "song whose words are like steps." See how you translated this in [Psalms 120:1](../120/001.md)

# If Yahweh had not been on our side ... then they would have swallowed us up alive

This is a hypothetical statement that describes a result that did not happen, because Yahweh was actually on their side. AT: "Yahweh was on our side ... so they were not able to swallow us up alive" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-hypo]])

# If Yahweh had not been on our side ... if it had not been Yahweh who was on our side

These two phrases mean the same thing. AT: "Without Yahweh's help ... without Yahweh's help" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-parallelism]])

# swallowed us up alive

This metaphor describes how the Israelites could have died to how a fierce animal would attack a smaller animal to eat. AT: "killed us" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]])

# their anger raged against us

Here "their anger" refers to the enemies who were angry. AT: "they were very angry with us!" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy]])

# translationWords

* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/names/david]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/yahweh]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/israel]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/other/raise]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/kt/life]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/other/angry]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/other/rage]]