Albert Barnes Commentary Psalms 94:17

"Unless Jehovah had been my help, My soul had soon dwelt in silence." — Psalms 94:17 (ASV)

Unless the Lord had been my help—At the time referred to. If I had not had a God to whom I could have gone—if my mind had not been directed to Him—if I had not actually found Him a refuge and strength—I would have despaired altogether. There was no other one to whom I could go; there was nothing else but the help of God on which I could rely.

My soul had almost dwelt in silence—Margin, "quickly." The original expression, “It was, as it were, but little,” means that very little was lacking to bring this about: a little heavier pressure, a little more added to what I was then suffering, or a little longer delay before relief was obtained, would have brought me down to the land of silence—to the grave.

The Latin Vulgate renders this, “My soul had dwelt in inpherno.” The Septuagint translates it, “in Hades”—τᾤ ἅδῃ tō Hadē. .

The grave is represented as a place of silence, or as the land of silence: The dead praise not the Lord, neither any that go down into silence (Psalms 115:17). .