Teks -- Psalms 121:1-8 (NET)
Nama Orang, Nama Tempat, Topik/Tema Kamus
kecilkan semuaTafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per frasa)
To Sion and Moriah, which are called the holy mountains.
To keep thee from the burning heat of the sun.
With excessive heat.
Wesley: Psa 121:6 - Moon With that cold and moisture which come into the air by it. Intemperate heats and colds are the springs of many diseases.
With that cold and moisture which come into the air by it. Intemperate heats and colds are the springs of many diseases.
JFB -> Psa 121:1; Psa 121:1; Psa 121:2; Psa 121:3-4; Psa 121:3-4; Psa 121:5; Psa 121:6-8; Psa 121:6-8; Psa 121:8; Psa 121:8
God's guardian care of His people celebrated. (Psa 121:1-8)
JFB: Psa 121:1 - I will lift up mine eyes Expresses desire (compare Psa 25:1), mingled with expectation. The last clause, read as a question, is answered,
Expresses desire (compare Psa 25:1), mingled with expectation. The last clause, read as a question, is answered,
JFB: Psa 121:2 - -- By avowing God to be the helper, of whose ability His creative power is a pledge (Psa 115:15), to which,
By avowing God to be the helper, of whose ability His creative power is a pledge (Psa 115:15), to which,
His sleepless vigilance is added.
A protector's place (Psa 109:31; Psa 110:5).
God keeps His people at all times and in all perils.
JFB: Psa 121:6-8 - nor the moon by night Poetically represents the dangers of the night, over which the moon presides (Gen 1:16).
Poetically represents the dangers of the night, over which the moon presides (Gen 1:16).
All thy ways (Deu 28:19; Psa 104:23).
Includes a future state.
Clarke: Psa 121:1 - Unto the hills Unto the hills - Jerusalem was built upon a mountain; and Judea was a mountainous country; and the Jews, in their several dispersions, turned toward...
Unto the hills - Jerusalem was built upon a mountain; and Judea was a mountainous country; and the Jews, in their several dispersions, turned towards Jerusalem when they offered up their prayers to God.
Clarke: Psa 121:2 - My help cometh from the Lord My help cometh from the Lord - There is no help for me but in my God; and I expect it from no other quarter.
My help cometh from the Lord - There is no help for me but in my God; and I expect it from no other quarter.
Clarke: Psa 121:3 - He will not suffer thy foot to be moved He will not suffer thy foot to be moved - The foundation, God’ s infinite power and goodness, on which thou standest, cannot be moved; and whil...
He will not suffer thy foot to be moved - The foundation, God’ s infinite power and goodness, on which thou standest, cannot be moved; and whilst thou standest on this basis, thy foot cannot be moved.
Clarke: Psa 121:4 - He that keepeth Israel He that keepeth Israel - The Divine Being represents himself as a watchman, who takes care of the city and its inhabitants during the night-watches;...
He that keepeth Israel - The Divine Being represents himself as a watchman, who takes care of the city and its inhabitants during the night-watches; and who is never overtaken with slumbering or sleepiness. There is a thought in the Antigone of Sophocles, that seems the counterpart of this of the psalmist
Ακαματοι τε θεω
Antig. ver. 613, Edit. Johnson
Shall men below control great Jove above,
Whose eyes by all-subduing slee
Are never closed, as feeble mortals’ are;
But still their watchful vigil kee
Through the long circle of th’ eternal year
Franklin.
||&&$Clarke: Psa 121:6 - The sun shall not smite thee by day The sun shall not smite thee by day - Thus expressed by the Chaldee: "The morning spectres shall not smite thee by day, during the government of the...
The sun shall not smite thee by day - Thus expressed by the Chaldee: "The morning spectres shall not smite thee by day, during the government of the sun; nor the nocturnal spectres by night, during the government of the moon."I believe the psalmist simply means, they shall not be injured by heat nor cold; by a sun-stroke by day, nor a frost-bite by night.
Clarke: Psa 121:7 - The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil - Spiritual and corporeal, natural and moral
The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil - Spiritual and corporeal, natural and moral
Clarke: Psa 121:7 - He shall preserve thy soul He shall preserve thy soul - Take care of thy life, and take care of thy soul.
He shall preserve thy soul - Take care of thy life, and take care of thy soul.
Clarke: Psa 121:8 - Thy going out and thy coming in Thy going out and thy coming in - Night and day - in all thy business and undertakings; and this through the whole course of thy life: for evermore
Thy going out and thy coming in - Night and day - in all thy business and undertakings; and this through the whole course of thy life: for evermore
Calvin: Psa 121:1 - I will lift up my eyes to the mountains lI will lift up my eyes to the mountains The inspired writer, whoever he was, seems, in the opening of the Psalm, to speak in the person of an unbelie...
lI will lift up my eyes to the mountains The inspired writer, whoever he was, seems, in the opening of the Psalm, to speak in the person of an unbelieving man. As God prevents his believing people with his blessings, and meets them of his own accord, so they, on their part, immediately east their eyes directly upon him. What then is the meaning of this unsettled looking of the Prophet, who casts his eyes now on this side and now on that, as if faith directed him not to God? I answer, that the thoughts of the godly are never so stayed upon the word of God as not to be carried away at the first impulse to some allurements; and especially when dangers disquiet us, or when we are assailed with sore temptations, it is scarcely possible for us, from our being so inclined to the earth, not to be moved by the enticements presented to us, until our minds put a bridle upon themselves, and turn them back to God. The sentence, however, may be explained as if expressed in a conditional form. Whatever we may think, would the Prophet say, all the hopes which draw us away from God are vain and delusive. If we take it in this sense, he is not to be understood as relating how he reasoned with himself, or what he intended to do, but only as declaring, that those lose their pains who, disregarding God, gaze to a distance all around them, and make long and devious circuits in quest of remedies to their troubles. It is indeed certain, that in thus speaking of himself, he exhibits to us a malady with which all mankind are afflicted; but still, it will not be unsuitable to suppose, that he was prompted to speak in this manner from his own experience; for such is the inconstancy natural to us, that so soon as we are smitten with any fear, we turn our eyes in every direction, until faith, drawing us back from all these erratic wanderings, direct us exclusively to God. All the difference between believers and unbelievers in this respect is, that although all are prone to be deceived, and easily cheated by impostures, yet Satan bewitches unbelievers by his enchantments; whereas, in regard to believers, God corrects the vice of their nature, and does not permit them to persevere in going astray. The meaning of the Prophet is abundantly obvious, which is, that although all the helps of the world, even the mightiest, should offer themselves to us, yet we ought not to seek safety anywhere but in God; yea, rather, that when men shall have long wearied themselves in hunting after remedies, now in one quarter and now in another, they will at length find from experience, that there is no assured help but in God alone. By the mountains, the Prophet means whatever is great or excellent in the world; and the lesson he teaches is, that we ought to account all such favor as nothing.
Farther, these two verses ought to be read connectedly, bringing out this sense: When I shall have lifted up my eyes to the mountains, then I will at length experience that I have fallen into a rash and unprofitable mistake, until I direct them to God alone, and keep them fixed upon him. It is at the same time to be observed, that God in this place is not in vain honored with the title of Creator of heaven and earth; it being intended hereby tacitly to rebuke the ingratitude of men, when they cannot rest contented with his power. Did they in good earnest acknowledge him as Creator, they would also be persuaded, that as he holds the whole world in his hand, and governs it as seemeth good in his sight, he is possessed of infinite power. But when, hurried away by the blind impetuosity of their passions, they have recourse to other objects besides him, they defraud him of his right and empire. In this way ought we to apply this title of God to the case in hand. The amount is, that whilst we are naturally more anxious than is needful in seeking alleviation and redress to our calamities, especially when any imminent danger threatens us, yet we act a foolish and mistaken part in running up and down through tortuous mazes: and that therefore we ought to impose a restraint upon our understandings, that they may not apply themselves to any other but God alone. Nor is the opinion of those unsuitable, who think that the Hebrew word
Calvin: Psa 121:3 - He will not suffer thy foot to stumble 3.He will not suffer thy foot to stumble Here the Prophet, in order to recall the faithful to the right path, and to defeat the influence of all the ...
3.He will not suffer thy foot to stumble Here the Prophet, in order to recall the faithful to the right path, and to defeat the influence of all the allurements which are wont to distract their minds, affirms that whatever advantages worldly men are accustomed to desire or hope for from the world, true believers will find abundantly and at hand in God alone. He not only attributes power to God, but also teaches that He is so affectioned towards us, that he will preserve us in all respects in perfect safety. As often as the power of God is extolled, there are many who immediately reply, It is very true that he can do such and such things if he is so inclined, but we do not certainly know what is his intention. In this passage, therefore, God is exhibited to the faithful as their guardian, that they may rest with assured confidence on his providence. As the Epicureans, in imagining that God has no care whatever about the ‘world, extinguish all piety, so those who think that the world is governed by God only in a general and confused manner, and believe not that he cherishes with special care each of his believing people, leave men’s minds in suspense, and are themselves kept in a state of constant fluctuation and anxiety. In short, never will the hearts of men be led in good earnest to call upon God, until a persuasion of the truth of this guardianship is deeply fixed in their minds. The Psalmist declares that the purpose for which God is our keeper, is, that he may hold us up. The Hebrew word,
Calvin: Psa 121:4 - Behold! he who keepeth Israel will not slumber nor sleep 4.Behold! he who keepeth Israel will not slumber nor sleep 64 To recall each individual to the consideration of the common covenant, he represents th...
4.Behold! he who keepeth Israel will not slumber nor sleep 64 To recall each individual to the consideration of the common covenant, he represents the Divine providence as extending to the whole body of the Church. In order that each of us for himself may be assured that God will be gracious to him, it behoves us always to begin with the general promise made to all God’s people,. This form of expression, he will not slumber nor sleep, would be improper in other languages, according to the idiom of which it should rather be, He will not sleep, yea, he will not slumber: but when the Hebrews invert this order, they argue from the greater to the less. The sense then is, that as God never slumbers even in the smallest degree, we need not be afraid of any ham befalling us while he is asleep. The design of the Prophet is now obvious. To persuade true believers that God has a special care of each of them in particular, he brings forward the promise which God made to the whole people, and declares God to be the guardian of his Church, that from this general principle, as from a fountain, each might convey streams to himself. Accordingly immediately after, (Psa 121:5,) addressing himself to each in particular, he repeats, Jehovah is thy keeper, that no person might hesitate to apply to himself that which belonged to the whole community of Israel. Besides, God is called a defense at the right hand, to teach us that it is not necessary for us to go far in seeking him, but that he is at hand, or rather stands at our side to defend us.
Calvin: Psa 121:6 - The sun shall not smite thee by day 6.The sun shall not smite thee by day By these forms of expression the Psalmist magnifies the advantages which result to us from our having God prese...
6.The sun shall not smite thee by day By these forms of expression the Psalmist magnifies the advantages which result to us from our having God present with us; and, by the figure synecdoche, under one particular, he declares in general that the faithful shall be safe from all adversities, defended as they are by Divine power. The language is metaphorical, the cold of night and the heat of day denoting all kind of inconveniences. The sense then is, that although God’s people may be subject in common with others to the miseries of human life, yet his shadow is always at their side to shield them from thereby receiving any harm. The Prophet does not, however, promise the faithful a condition of such felicity and comfort as implies an exemption from all trouble; he only, for the purpose of assuaging their sorrows, sets before them this consolation — that being interested in the Divine layout, they shall be secure from all deadly harm; a point which he unfolds more distinctly in the following verses, where he tells us that God will so keep his own people from all evils, as to maintain their life in safety. The statement in the text before us is indeed general, but he afterwards specifies the chief parts of human life.
Calvin: Psa 121:8 - Jehovah will keep thy going out and thy coming in 8.Jehovah will keep thy going out and thy coming in The sense is, Whatever thou shalt undertake or engage in during thy life shall come to a happy an...
8.Jehovah will keep thy going out and thy coming in The sense is, Whatever thou shalt undertake or engage in during thy life shall come to a happy and successful termination. God no doubt directs by his Holy Spirit the, deliberations of his servants; but it appears to me, that this passage is rather to be referred to prosperous issues. If, however, any one would give it a more extended meaning I have no objection. It is enough for me to embrace that sense which is indisputably certain and solid, That God will be the continual guide of his people, so that stretching out his hand to them he will conduct them according to their hearts’ desire from the beginning even to the end. Farther, it is of importance to mark the reason why the Prophet repeats so often what he had briefly and in one word expressed with sufficient plainness. Such repetition seems at first sight superfluous; but when we consider how difficult it is to correct our distrust, it will be easily perceived that he does not improperly dwell upon the commendation of the divine providence. How few are to be found who yield to God the honor of being a keeper, in order to their being thence assured of their safety, and led to call upon him in the midst of their perils! On the contrary, even when we seem to have largely experienced what this protection of God implies, we yet instantly tremble at the noise of a leaf falling from a tree, as if God had quite forgotten us. Being then entangled in so many unholy misgivings, and so much inclined to distrust, we are taught from the passage that if a sentence couched in a few words does not suffice us, we should gather together whatever may be found throughout the whole Scriptures concerning the providence of God, until this doctrine-” That God always keeps watch for us” — is deeply rooted in our hearts; so that depending upon his guardianship alone we may bid adieu to all the vain confidences of the world.
Defender: Psa 121:1 - unto the hills This psalm is frequently misunderstood. There is no "help" in the hills ( Deu 12:2, Deu 12:3; Jer 3:6, Jer 3:23). In fact, such "high places" often pr...
This psalm is frequently misunderstood. There is no "help" in the hills ( Deu 12:2, Deu 12:3; Jer 3:6, Jer 3:23). In fact, such "high places" often proved a snare to Israel. The last part of the verse should be read as a question: "From whence cometh my help?" The answer is: "Not from the hills, where men worship their false gods, but from the God of creation.""
Defender: Psa 121:2 - made heaven and earth This assurance is repeated in Psa 124:8. Only the Creator can be the Savior. "He shall preserve thy soul!" (Psa 121:7) and He alone can preserve you f...
TSK: Psa 121:1 - I will // lift up I will : etc. or, Shall I lift up my eyes to the hills, whence should my help come? Jer 3:23
lift up : Psa 2:6, Psa 68:15, Psa 68:16, Psa 78:68, Psa 8...
TSK: Psa 121:2 - My help My help : Psa 46:1, Psa 124:8, Psa 146:5, Psa 146:6; Isa 40:28, Isa 40:29, Isa 41:13; Jer 20:11; Hos 13:9; Heb 13:6
TSK: Psa 121:4 - he that // shall he that : Psa 27:1, Psa 32:7, Psa 32:8, Psa 127:1; Isa 27:3
shall : 1Ki 18:27; Ecc 8:16; Rev 7:15
TSK: Psa 121:5 - thy shade // upon thy shade : Exo 13:21; Isa 4:5, Isa 4:6, Isa 25:4, Isa 32:2; Mat 23:37
upon : Psa 16:8, Psa 109:31
the sun : Psa 91:5-10; Isa 49:10; Rev 7:16
TSK: Psa 121:7 - preserve // he shall preserve : Psa 91:9, Psa 91:10; Job 5:19-27; Pro 12:21; Mat 6:13; Rom 8:28, Rom 8:35-39; 2Ti 4:18
he shall : Psa 34:22, Psa 41:2, Psa 97:10, Psa 145:2...
preserve : Psa 91:9, Psa 91:10; Job 5:19-27; Pro 12:21; Mat 6:13; Rom 8:28, Rom 8:35-39; 2Ti 4:18
he shall : Psa 34:22, Psa 41:2, Psa 97:10, Psa 145:20
TSK: Psa 121:8 - thy going out // from this time thy going out : Deu 28:6, Deu 28:19; 2Sa 5:2; Ezr 8:21, Ezr 8:31; Pro 2:8, Pro 3:6; Jam 4:13-16
from this time : Psa 113:2, Psa 115:18
thy going out : Deu 28:6, Deu 28:19; 2Sa 5:2; Ezr 8:21, Ezr 8:31; Pro 2:8, Pro 3:6; Jam 4:13-16
from this time : Psa 113:2, Psa 115:18
kecilkan semuaTafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per Ayat)
From God alone, and therefore to him alone will I turn mine eyes.
Poole: Psa 121:3 - To be moved // Will not slumber He speaketh as it were from God to himself, but withal to the encouragement of his followers and of all good men.
To be moved to wit, so as fall i...
He speaketh as it were from God to himself, but withal to the encouragement of his followers and of all good men.
To be moved to wit, so as fall into mischief.
Will not slumber will not overlook nor neglect any thing which is necessary for thy preservation.
Poole: Psa 121:5 - Thy shade // Upon thy right hand Thy shade both to refresh thee and keep thee from the burning heat of the sun, as it is expressed in the next verse, and to protect thee by his power...
Thy shade both to refresh thee and keep thee from the burning heat of the sun, as it is expressed in the next verse, and to protect thee by his power from all thine enemies; for which reason God is oft called a shadow in Scripture.
Upon thy right hand partly to uphold thy right hand, which is the chief instrument of action; and partly to defend thee in that place where thine enemies oppose thee; of which on Psa 109:6 . And compare Psa 16:8 109:31 .
Poole: Psa 121:6 - The sun shall not smite thee // nor the moon The sun shall not smite thee with excessive heat,
nor the moon with that cold and moisture which comes into the air by it and with it. Intemperate ...
The sun shall not smite thee with excessive heat,
nor the moon with that cold and moisture which comes into the air by it and with it. Intemperate heats and colds are the two springs of many diseases. He alludes both to the conditions of soldiers or travellers, who are exposed to the open air by day and by night, and also to the cloudy pillar which defended the Israelites both by day and by night. The sense is, He shall protect thee from all evils both by day and night.
Poole: Psa 121:8 - Shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in Shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in shall guard and assist thee in all thy expeditions, and affairs, and actions, either at home or abroad...
Haydock: Psa 121:1 - I The desire and hope of the just for the coming of the kingdom of God, and the peace of his Church.
I. Hebrew adds, "I will now;" (Montanus) or rath...
The desire and hope of the just for the coming of the kingdom of God, and the peace of his Church.
I. Hebrew adds, "I will now;" (Montanus) or rather, "I have now spoken." (Berthier) ---
I was forbidden to beg for the peace of Chanaan, Deuteronomy vii. 3. But Jeremias (xxix. 7.) exhorts the captives to desire this blessing for the city, to which they were going, as it would redound to their own advantage. (Calmet) ---
Christ leaves his peace to his apostles, and to their successors; and in heaven, all good thing are prepared for the elect. (Worthington)
Haydock: Psa 121:1 - Canticle // Lord Canticle. Hebrew, Chaldean, and Syriac add, "of David," (Calmet) who saw in spirit the glory of the temple under Solomon, or the return of the capti...
Canticle. Hebrew, Chaldean, and Syriac add, "of David," (Calmet) who saw in spirit the glory of the temple under Solomon, or the return of the captives, and the felicity of souls in heaven. (Berthier) ---
See Psalm xli. ---
What is said of the earthly Jerusalem, is beautifully applied to heaven by St. Augustine, &c. The captive Levites might write this psalm. (Calmet) ---
Lord. Many prophets assured the Jews of their speedy deliverance, as preachers still set before the people the joys of heaven; all which filled the psalmist with rapture. (Worthington) ---
The motive for this joy is disinterested and edifying. The captives had begged for redress in the former psalms. (Calmet) ---
Before they had been chastised, they profane the temple. (St. Chrysostom)
Haydock: Psa 121:2 - Were // Courts Were. Hebrew also, "shall," &c. Yet many of the Levites had officiated in the temple, 1 Esdras iii. 12. ---
Courts, or gates, where justice was a...
Were. Hebrew also, "shall," &c. Yet many of the Levites had officiated in the temple, 1 Esdras iii. 12. ---
Courts, or gates, where justice was administered. (Calmet) ---
We may better (Haydock) rejoice in the Church, (Worthington) and in the prospect of heaven. (Haydock) ---
"At the news, it seemed as if our feet had been, " &c. (Berthier)
Haydock: Psa 121:3 - Together Together. Well built and inhabited. The Jews throughout the world considered it as their most dear country. (Calmet) ---
The participation of spi...
Together. Well built and inhabited. The Jews throughout the world considered it as their most dear country. (Calmet) ---
The participation of spiritual graces (Psalm cxviii. 63., &c.) is a great comfort to Catholics, (Worthington) who look upon the chair of St. Peter at Rome as the centre of unity. (Haydock) ---
David established order in Jerusalem, when he had made the conquest, and various families contributed to the rebuilding of it. (Berthier) ---
All the tribes were united under the dominion of David. (Houbigant)
Haydock: Psa 121:4 - The The. This was the testimony, (Haydock) or ordinance of the Lord, (Calmet) which Israel had solemnly engaged to perform. (Haydock) ---
All were o...
The. This was the testimony, (Haydock) or ordinance of the Lord, (Calmet) which Israel had solemnly engaged to perform. (Haydock) ---
All were obliged to repair thither thrice in the year; (Exodus xxiii. 17.; Menochius) and this contributed most to the splendour of the city. (Calmet) ---
Houbigant would translate "the congregations of Israel;" or juxta may be understood, "according to the testimony." (Berthier) ---
The tribes shall be all united, (Calmet) and come to Jerusalem, as all mankind should embrace the true faith in the Catholic Church. (Worthington)
Haydock: Psa 121:5 - Upon Upon. Or "over." (Haydock) ---
The Jews made their sanhedrim superior to the kings, as the Chaldean here insinuates. But the text rather means th...
Upon. Or "over." (Haydock) ---
The Jews made their sanhedrim superior to the kings, as the Chaldean here insinuates. But the text rather means that both the ecclesiastical and civil courts shall be re-established, and bring an immense concourse of people to the city. (Calmet) ---
The Church is empowered to pass sentence, (Worthington) and the apostles shall judge both men and angels. (Haydock)
Haydock: Psa 121:6 - Pray // And Pray. Septuagint, "ask Jerusalem for," &c., (Haydock) as if she were to give it. (Calmet) ---
And may there be abundance. Hebrew, "those who l...
Pray. Septuagint, "ask Jerusalem for," &c., (Haydock) as if she were to give it. (Calmet) ---
And may there be abundance. Hebrew, "those who love thee shall be at rest." (Haydock) ---
Christ encourages us to ask; as Catholics exhort each other to pray for the Church. (Worthington)
Haydock: Psa 121:7 - Strength // Towers Strength. Fortifications, (Berthier) or army. ---
Towers, or "palaces." (Hebrew) (Jeremias xxxi. 23.) (Calmet) ---
He insists so much on the b...
Strength. Fortifications, (Berthier) or army. ---
Towers, or "palaces." (Hebrew) (Jeremias xxxi. 23.) (Calmet) ---
He insists so much on the blessing of peace, because he foresaw that Jerusalem would one day neglect it, Luke xix. 42. Charity dwells in the towers or saints, (Berthier) and makes us resemble God. (St. Chrysostom, de Laud. S. Paul. iii.)
Gill: Psa 121:1 - I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills // from whence shall my help come I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills,.... Not to the hills and mountains in Judea, looking about to see if the inhabitants of them, or any bodies o...
I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills,.... Not to the hills and mountains in Judea, looking about to see if the inhabitants of them, or any bodies of men, appeared upon them to his help in distress; rather to the hills of Moriah and Zion, where the ark of God, the symbol of his presence, was, and to whom he looked for assistance and deliverance: or to heaven, the holy hill of the Lord, and to him that dwelleth there; see Psa 3:2. The lifting up of the eyes is a prayer gesture, Joh 11:41; and is expressive of boldness and confidence in prayer, and of hope and expectation of help and salvation, Job 11:15; when, on the contrary, persons abashed and ashamed, hopeless and helpless, cannot look up, or lift up their eyes or face to God, Ezr 9:6. Some read the words, "I will lift up mine eyes upon the hills" f; standing there and looking up to the heavens, and God in the heavens; who is the most High over all the earth, higher than the highest, and above all gods. Others render them interrogatively, "shall I lift up mine eyes to the hills?" g to the idols worshipped on hills and mountains, and pray unto them, and expect help from them? No, I will not; salvation is not to be had from them, Jer 3:23; or to the kings of the nations, as R. Obadiah interprets it; and to powerful kingdoms and states he was in alliance with, comparable to mountains and hills, Psa 46:2? No, I will not; "it is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes", Psa 118:9. And so the following clause may be read,
from whence shall my help come? h not from hills and mountains; not from men, for vain is the help of man; not from kings and princes, the great men of the earth, nor from the most powerful nations; but from the Lord, as in Psa 121:2, which may be an answer to this.
Gill: Psa 121:2 - My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. Who helps his people out of the hands of all their enemies, and out of all their troubles ...
My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. Who helps his people out of the hands of all their enemies, and out of all their troubles and afflictions; he helps them in the performance of duty, in the exercise of grace, in bearing the cross, in fighting the Lord's battles, and on in their journey; he helps them to all blessings, temporal and spiritual; to all needful supplies of grace here, and glory hereafter; and this help he gives is quick and present, suitable and seasonable, is sufficient, and sometimes with, and sometimes without means; and they have great encouragement to expect it from him, since he is able to give it, being the Maker of heaven and earth; for what is it that he cannot do, who has made both them? And besides, he has promised to help them, and he is faithful that has promised; he has laid help on Christ for them, and set up a throne of grace, where they may hope to find grace and mercy, to help them in time of need; and they have had past experiences of his help and salvation. Arama connects this with the preceding psalm, and interprets this help of help from an evil tongue.
Gill: Psa 121:3 - He wilt not suffer thy foot to be moved // he that keepeth thee will not slumber He wilt not suffer thy foot to be moved,.... This is either an address of the psalmist to his own soul; or to any other good man, his friend and acqua...
He wilt not suffer thy foot to be moved,.... This is either an address of the psalmist to his own soul; or to any other good man, his friend and acquaintance, assuring of stability, and of final perseverance in grace to glory. The Lord keeps the feet of his saints from falling: he will not suffer them to be moved out of the spiritual estate in which they stand; nor off of the Foundation and Rock of ages, on which their feet are set, and their goings established; nor out of the house of God, where they are as pillars; nor out of his ways, where he upholds their goings; moved in some sense they may be, yet not "greatly moved"; their feet may be "almost" gone, and their steps "well nigh" slipped, and yet shall not fall finally and totally, or so as to perish; see Psa 62:2;
he that keepeth thee will not slumber; neither angels nor men are the keepers of the saints, but the Lord himself; he is the keeper of every individual saint, of every regenerate person, of everyone of his sheep, of every member of his church; he keeps them by his power, he preserves them by his grace, he holds them with his right hand; guides them by his counsel, keeps their feet from falling, and brings them safe to glory: and a watchful keeper he is, he does not so much as slumber; he keeps them night and day, lest any harm them, Isa 27:3. Gussetius reads the whole as a prayer, "let him not suffer thy foot", &c. "let not thy keeper slumber" i; to which the answer follows.
Gill: Psa 121:4 - Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. He that kept Israel or Jacob, when asleep, and appeared to him in a dream, and promise...
Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. He that kept Israel or Jacob, when asleep, and appeared to him in a dream, and promised to keep him in all places, and did; who found his posterity in the wilderness, and kept them as the apple of his eye: he keeps his spiritual Israel, whom he has chosen, redeemed, and calls; and he that is in general their keeper, is the keeper of every particular believer, who may promise themselves the utmost safety under his care; since, though he may sometimes seem to sleep, when he withdraws his gracious presence, defers help, and does not arise so soon to the assistance of his people as they wish for and expect; yet does not in reality sleep, nor is any ways negligent of them; no, not so much as slumber, nor is in the least indifferent about them, and careless of them; see Gen 28:15. So Homer k represents Jupiter as not held by sleep, while other gods and men slept all night; and hence Milton l has the phrase of "the unsleeping eyes of God": but the Phrygians had a notion that their god slept in winter, and was awake in summer m.
Gill: Psa 121:5 - The Lord is thy keeper // the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand The Lord is thy keeper,.... This explains more fully who it is that keeps Israel and particular believers, and confirms the same; not a creature, but...
The Lord is thy keeper,.... This explains more fully who it is that keeps Israel and particular believers, and confirms the same; not a creature, but the Lord; the Word of the Lord, as the Targum, in Psa 121:7, Christ, the Word and Wisdom of God; who is the keeper of his people by the designation of his Father, who has put them into his hands to be kept by him; and by their full will and consent, who commit the keeping of their souls to him; for which he is abundantly qualified, being able as the mighty God; faithful to him that has appointed him; tender and compassionate to those under his care, whom he keeps as the apple of his eye; and diligent and constant, for he keeps them night and day, lest any hurt them: he keeps them as they are his flock, made his care and charge; as they are the vineyard of the Lord of hosts; as they are a city, which, unless the Lord keeps, the watchmen watch in vain; as they are his body and members of it, and as they are his jewels and peculiar treasure: these he keeps in the love of God; in his own hands; in the covenant of grace; in an estate of grace; and in his own ways, safe to his kingdom and glory;
the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand; he is at the right hand of his people, to hold their right hand; to teach them to go, lead them into communion with himself, and hold them up safe; and to strengthen their right hand, assist them in working, without whom they can do nothing; and to counsel and direct them, and to protect and defend them against all their enemies. So a shadow signifies defence; see Num 14:9, Ecc 7:12; and such great personages are to others; in which sense Virgil n uses the word "shadow"; and much more true is this of God himself. And he is like the shadow of a great rock in a weary land; or of a spreading tree, which is a protection from heat, and very reviving and refreshing; see Isa 32:2. The allusion may be to the pillar of cloud by day, which guided and guarded the Israelites in the wilderness, and was a shadow from the heat, Isa 4:5; as Christ is from the heat of a fiery law, the flaming sword of justice, the wrath of God, and the fiery darts of Satan.
Gill: Psa 121:6 - The sun shall not smite thee by day // nor the moon by night The sun shall not smite thee by day,.... With its rays, which it shoots forth like darts, and which fly swiftly, and pierce and hurt: hence Apollo, th...
The sun shall not smite thee by day,.... With its rays, which it shoots forth like darts, and which fly swiftly, and pierce and hurt: hence Apollo, the same with the sun, is represented with a bow and arrows o; so the rays of the sun seem to be called in Hab 2:11;
nor the moon by night; this clause should be supplied, as a learned man p observes, thus, "neither shall the moon cool thee by night"; for that has no warmth in it, and cannot smite with heat, as the sun does: for even, as he observes, its rays focused by a magnifying glass will not communicate the least degree of sensible heat to bodies objected thereunto; yet some say q the moon is not only moist, but heats bodies as the sun. And Isaac Vossius r observes, that there can be no light, which, separately considered, does not contain some heat at least: and Macrobius s speaks of the lunar heat; and Plutarch t ascribes heat and inflammation to it, and asserts it to be fire. It is said u that some men of good credit, in a voyage to Guinea, strongly affirmed, that, in the night season, they felt a sensible heat to come from the beams of the moon. The Septuagint version is, "the sun shall not burn thee by day, nor the moon by night". And burning may be ascribed to the cold frosty air in a moonlight night, as to the north wind, as in the Apocrypha:
"20 When the cold north wind bloweth, and the water is congealed into ice, it abideth upon every gathering together of water, and clotheth the water as with a breastplate. 21 It devoureth the mountains, and burneth the wilderness, and consumeth the grass as fire.'' (Sirach 43)
see Gen 31:40; and our English poet w expresses a sentiment to this effect; yet not what affects the bodies of men, but plants, trees, &c. and this not owing to the moon, but to the air. However, these clauses are not to be understood literally; for good men may be smitten and hurt by the heat of the one and the cold of the other, as Jacob and Jonah, Gen 31:40; but mystically, of persecuting antichristian tyrants, which are sometimes signified by the sun and moon, as both in Rome Pagan and Papal, Rev 6:12; and of persecution and tribulation itself, Mat 13:6; and is sometimes applied to the perfect state of the saints, either in the New Jerusalem, or ultimate glory, when there will be nothing more of this kind, Rev 7:15. And there are some periods in the present state, when those entirely cease; nor are the saints ever really hurt by them, they being always for their good; or, however, not so as to affect their eternal happiness. The Targum is,
"in the day, when the sun rules, the morning spirits shall not smite thee; nor the nocturnal ones in the night, when the moon rules.''
Gill: Psa 121:7 - Thee Lord shall preserve them from all evil // he shall preserve thy soul Thee Lord shall preserve them from all evil,.... The Word of the Lord, as the Targum. Not from the evil of affliction, though from that as a penal evi...
Thee Lord shall preserve them from all evil,.... The Word of the Lord, as the Targum. Not from the evil of affliction, though from that as a penal evil; or as a real one, it being made to work for good: but from the evil of sin; not from the being or commission of it; but from its dominion and damning power, or from a final and total falling away by it: and from the evil of the world; not from tribulation in it, nor from the reproach or persecution of it; but from the wickedness and lusts that are in it, and from the wicked men of it, their power, rage, and fury: and from the evil one, Satan; not from his temptations, but from sinking under them, and perishing by them; see Joh 17:12;
he shall preserve thy soul: he preserves the bodies of his people, oftentimes from diseases and disasters, and from death, till the appointed time comes; and then he preserves their dust in the grave, and raises it up at the last day; but more especially their souls, the redemption and salvation of which he undertook, and has effected; and which are preserved by him safe to his coming, kingdom, and glory.
Gill: Psa 121:8 - The Lord shall preserve thy going out, and thy coming in // from this time forth, and even for evermore The Lord shall preserve thy going out, and thy coming in,.... In transacting all the business of life, in going in and out about it; in all ways, work...
The Lord shall preserve thy going out, and thy coming in,.... In transacting all the business of life, in going in and out about it; in all ways, works, and conversation; in journeying and travelling; in all affairs, civil and religious; and not only preserve, but prosper in all, Psa 1:3; the Lord blessing him, coming in and going out, Deu 28:6; and such, with the poet x, are said to go with a good or prosperous foot. And such persons, in the Punic language, are called Namphanians, as Austin observes y; who says the word signifies a man of a good foot: and the word seems to be the contraction of
"the Lord will keep thy going out to business, and thy coming in to study in the law.''
from this time forth, and even for evermore; for the Lord not only preserves his people in life and at death, but in heaven, to all eternity; in the utmost safety and peace from all molestations by men or devils, and from their wrath and malice: not only his purpose and decree, but his power and providence, are the vast gulf between the one and the other; by means of which the wicked cease from troubling, and the weary are at rest, Luk 16:26.