Tim Maas Retired Quality Assurance Specialist with the U.S. Army

A fowler is someone who hunts wild fowl (that is, game birds, such as pheasants, ducks, turkeys, geese, or quail) for food or sport. A fowler's snare would be a trap (such as a net or box) baited with seed or other items that such birds eat) in order to attract the birds, which could then be sprung in some fashion (either by an act of the hunter in hiding or by a trip mechanism) in order to trap the birds when they stopped to consume the bait.

February 20 2019 • 1 response • Vote Up • Share • Report

Jack Gutknecht ABC/DTS graduate, guitar music ministry Baptist church

First see the context:

Psalm 124:

David thanks God, who has been Israel's help and deliverer from all its woes, and encourages a right relationship with him.

I. THE WORST OF ALL POSSIBLE WORLDS (Ps 124:1-5): "If the LORD had not been on our side-"
A. The wicked would have swallowed Israel up (Ps 124:1-3).
B. The waters would have engulfed Israel (Ps 124:4-5).

II. "THE BEST OF ALL POSSIBLE WORLDS" -- Phrase coined by Gottfried Leibniz (Ps 124:6-8): "Our help is from the LORD."
A. They are not torn apart by their foes! (Ps 124:6).
B. They are delivered from their foes, as a bird escapes a hunter's trap (Ps 124:7-8). Wilmington

This is David's promise that the Almighty will deliver us from the evil plans laid to ruin us, as a bird sometimes in its struggles slips the hair and escapes from the "snare" set for it. Psalm 124:7: → 

"Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers: The snare is broken, and we are escaped."

"In the days previous to firearms, birds were captured with nets spread on the ground, in traps and snares. There was a method of taking young birds from a nest, raising them by hand, and when they had become very tame, they were confined in hidden cages so that their voices would call others of their kind to the spot and they could be killed by arrows of concealed bowmen or the use of the throw-stick (Ecclesiasticus 11:30) This was a stick 1 1/2 feet in length and 1/2 inches in diameter, hurled with a rotary motion at the legs of the birds and was very effective when thrown into flocks of ground birds, such as partridge or quail, especially if the birds were running up hill." --ISBE

"Over half a dozen Hebrew words are used to indicate different methods of taking birds and animals, of which the snare (pach) is mentioned oftener than any other. It was a noose of hair for small birds, of wire for larger birds or smaller animals. The snares were set in a favorable location and grain scattered to attract the attention of feathered creatures. They accepted the bribe of good feeding and walked into the snare, not suspecting danger. For this reason, the snare became particularly applicable in describing a tempting bribe offered by men to lead their fellows into trouble, and the list of references is a long one, all of the same nature. See Exodus 10:7; 1 Samuel 18:21; 1 Samuel 28:9; Psalm 11:6; Psalm 18:5, "snares of death"; used symbolically of anything that may kill: Psalm 91:3; 124:7." --ISBE

"We must use the Word of God to throw light on our paths so we can detect and avoid the Devil’s traps (Ps 119:105; 91:1-3; 1 Tim. 3:7; 6:9; 2 Tim. 2:24-26). The picture is that of a helpless bird who walked into the trap in order to eat the food. Satan always has fascinating bait to offer. The Lord may allow us to fall into a trap, but nobody can keep us when He wants us to be free. The Lord not only opened the trap but also broke it so it cannot be used again! The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ has broken the dominion of sin and death, and we can walk in freedom through Jesus Christ." —Wiersbe, "The Hidden Trap, (vv. 7-8)" [Psalm 124:7-8]

February 21 2019 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report