Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we are escaped.
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Augustine of Hippo
AD 430
9. "Our soul is escaped, even as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers" (ver. 7). Because the Lord was in the soul itself, therefore hath that soul escaped, even as a bird out of the snare of the fowler. Why like a bird? Because it had fallen heedlessly, like a bird; and it could say afterwards, God will forgive me. Unstable bird, rather set thy feet firm upon the rock: go not into the trap. Thou wilt be taken, consumed, crushed. Let the Lord be in thee, and He will deliver thee from greater threats, from the snare of the fowlers. As if thou wert to see a bird about to fall into a snare, thou makest a greater noise that it may fly away from the net; so also, when perhaps some even of the Martyrs were stretching out their neck after the enjoyment of this life, the Lord, who was in them, made the noise of hell, and the bird was delivered from the snare of the fowlers. The snare was the sweetness of this life: they were not entangled in the snare, and were slain; by their slaughter the n...
Sparrow. Hebrew, "bird. "This comparison shows at once the dangers to which the Jews had been exposed, and their miraculous deliverance. (Calmet)
Men may deceive others: but they cannot impose on God. (Worthington)
Grace preserves the soul from the most imminent dangers of temptation, sin (Berthier)
We must therefore fly; but who will give us wings except God? (St. Ambrose)
