Kejadian 15:1

The Cutting of the Covenant

15:1 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram! I am your shield ¹  and the one who will reward you in great abundance.” ² 

Keluaran 18:4

18:4 and the other Eliezer (for Moses had said, ³  “The God of my father has been my help ⁴  and delivered ⁵  me from the sword of Pharaoh”).

Ulangan 33:26

General Praise and Blessing

33:26 There is no one like God, O Jeshurun, ⁶ 

who rides through the sky ⁷  to help you,

on the clouds in majesty.

Ulangan 33:29

33:29 You have joy, Israel! Who is like you?

You are a people delivered by the Lord,

your protective shield

and your exalted sword.

May your enemies cringe before you;

may you trample on their backs.

Mazmur 18:1-2

Psalm 18 ⁸ 

For the music director; by the Lord’s servant David, who sang ⁹  to the Lord the words of this song when ¹⁰  the Lord rescued him from the power ¹¹  of all his enemies, including Saul. ¹² 

18:1 He said: ¹³ 

“I love ¹⁴  you, Lord, my source of strength! ¹⁵ 

18:2 The Lord is my high ridge, ¹⁶  my stronghold, ¹⁷  my deliverer.

My God is my rocky summit where ¹⁸  I take shelter, ¹⁹ 

my shield, the horn that saves me, ²⁰  and my refuge. ²¹ 

Mazmur 27:1-3

Psalm 27 ²² 

By David.

27:1 The Lord delivers and vindicates me! ²³ 

I fear no one! ²⁴ 

The Lord protects my life!

I am afraid of no one! ²⁵ 

27:2 When evil men attack me ²⁶ 

to devour my flesh, ²⁷ 

when my adversaries and enemies attack me, ²⁸ 

they stumble and fall. ²⁹ 

27:3 Even when an army is deployed against me,

I do not fear. ³⁰ 

Even when war is imminent, ³¹ 

I remain confident. ³² 

Mazmur 27:9

27:9 Do not reject me! ³³ 

Do not push your servant away in anger!

You are my deliverer! ³⁴ 

Do not forsake or abandon me,

O God who vindicates me!

Mazmur 33:20

33:20 We ³⁵  wait for the Lord;

he is our deliverer ³⁶  and shield. ³⁷ 

Mazmur 40:17

40:17 I am oppressed and needy! ³⁸ 

May the Lord pay attention to me! ³⁹ 

You are my helper and my deliverer!

O my God, do not delay!

Mazmur 54:4

54:4 Look, God is my deliverer! ⁴⁰ 

The Lord is among those who support me. ⁴¹ 

Mazmur 63:7

63:7 For you are my deliverer; ⁴² 

under your wings ⁴³  I rejoice.

Mazmur 94:17

94:17 If the Lord had not helped me,

I would have laid down in the silence of death. ⁴⁴ 

Mazmur 115:9-11

115:9 O Israel, trust in the Lord!

He is their deliverer ⁴⁵  and protector. ⁴⁶ 

115:10 O family ⁴⁷  of Aaron, trust in the Lord!

He is their deliverer ⁴⁸  and protector. ⁴⁹ 

115:11 You loyal followers of the Lord, ⁵⁰  trust in the Lord!

He is their deliverer ⁵¹  and protector. ⁵² 

Mazmur 118:7-9

118:7 The Lord is on my side ⁵³  as my helper. ⁵⁴ 

I look in triumph on those who hate me.

118:8 It is better to take shelter ⁵⁵  in the Lord

than to trust in people.

118:9 It is better to take shelter in the Lord

than to trust in princes.

Mazmur 124:8

124:8 Our deliverer is the Lord, ⁵⁶ 

the Creator ⁵⁷  of heaven and earth.

Mazmur 146:3

146:3 Do not trust in princes,

or in human beings, who cannot deliver! ⁵⁸ 

Yesaya 41:10

41:10 Don’t be afraid, for I am with you!

Don’t be frightened, for I am your God! ⁵⁹ 

I strengthen you –

yes, I help you –

yes, I uphold you with my saving right hand! ⁶⁰ 

Yesaya 41:14

41:14 Don’t be afraid, despised insignificant Jacob, ⁶¹ 

men of ⁶²  Israel.

I am helping you,” says the Lord,

your protector, ⁶³  the Holy One of Israel. ⁶⁴ 

Roma 8:31

8:31 What then shall we say about these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

[15:1]  ¹ sn The noun “shield” recalls the words of Melchizedek in 14:20. If God is the shield, then God will deliver. Abram need not fear reprisals from those he has fought.

[15:1]  ² tn Heb “your reward [in] great abundance.” When the phrase הַרְבּה מְאֹדֵ (harbeh mÿod) follows a noun it invariably modifies the noun and carries the nuance “very great” or “in great abundance.” (See its use in Gen 41:49; Deut 3:5; Josh 22:8; 2 Sam 8:8; 12:2; 1 Kgs 4:29; 10:10-11; 2 Chr 14:13; 32:27; Jer 40:12.) Here the noun “reward” is in apposition to “shield” and refers by metonymy to God as the source of the reward. Some translate here “your reward will be very great” (cf. NASB, NRSV), taking the statement as an independent clause and understanding the Hiphil infinitive absolute as a substitute for a finite verb. However, the construction הַרְבּה מְאֹדֵ is never used this way elsewhere, where it either modifies a noun (see the texts listed above) or serves as an adverb in relation to a finite verb (see Josh 13:1; 1 Sam 26:21; 2 Sam 12:30; 2 Kgs 21:16; 1 Chr 20:2; Neh 2:2).

[15:1]  sn Abram has just rejected all the spoils of war, and the Lord promises to reward him in great abundance. In walking by faith and living with integrity he cannot lose.

[18:4]  ³ tn The referent (Moses) and the verb have been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:4]  ⁴ tn Now is given the etymological explanation of the name of Moses’ other son, Eliezer (אֱלִיעֶזֶר, ’eli’ezer), which means “my God is a help.” The sentiment that explains this name is אֱלֹהֵי אָבִי בְּעֶזְרִי (’elohe ’avi bÿ’ezri, “the God of my father is my help”). The preposition in the sentiment is the bet (ב) essentiae (giving the essence – see GKC 379 §119.i). Not mentioned earlier, the name has become even more appropriate now that God has delivered Moses from Pharaoh again. The word for “help” is a common word in the Bible, first introduced as a description of the woman in the Garden. It means to do for someone what he or she cannot do for himself or herself. Samuel raised the “stone of help” (Ebenezer) when Yahweh helped Israel win the battle (1 Sam 7:12).

[18:4]  ⁵ sn The verb “delivered” is an important motif in this chapter (see its use in vv. 8, 9, and 10 with reference to Pharaoh).

[33:26]  ⁶ sn Jeshurun is a term of affection referring to Israel, derived from the Hebrew verb יָשַׁר (yashar, “be upright”). See note on the term in Deut 32:15.

[33:26]  ⁷ tn Or “(who) rides (on) the heavens” (cf. NIV, NRSV, NLT). This title depicts Israel’s God as sovereign over the elements of the storm (cf. Ps 68:33). The use of the phrase here may be polemical; Moses may be asserting that Israel’s God, not Baal (called the “rider of the clouds” in the Ugaritic myths), is the true divine king (cf. v. 5) who controls the elements of the storm, grants agricultural prosperity, and delivers his people from their enemies. See R. B. Chisholm, Jr., “The Polemic against Baalism in Israel’s Early History and Literature,” BSac 151 (1994): 275.

[18:1]  ⁸ sn Psalm 18. In this long song of thanks, the psalmist (a Davidic king, traditionally understood as David himself) affirms that God is his faithful protector. He recalls in highly poetic fashion how God intervened in awesome power and delivered him from death. The psalmist’s experience demonstrates that God vindicates those who are blameless and remain loyal to him. True to his promises, God gives the king victory on the battlefield and enables him to subdue nations. A parallel version of the psalm appears in 2 Sam 22:1-51.

[18:1]  ⁹ tn Heb “spoke.”

[18:1]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “in the day,” or “at the time.”

[18:1]  ¹¹ tn Heb “hand.”

[18:1]  ¹² tn Heb “and from the hand of Saul.”

[18:1]  ¹³ tn A number of translations (e.g., NASB, NIV, NRSV) assign the words “he said” to the superscription, in which case the entire psalm is in first person. Other translations (e.g., NAB) include the introductory “he said” at the beginning of v. 1.

[18:1]  ¹⁴ tn The verb רָחַם (rakham) elsewhere appears in the Piel (or Pual) verbal stem with the basic meaning, “have compassion.” The verb occurs only here in the basic (Qal) stem. The basic stem of the verbal root also occurs in Aramaic with the meaning “love” (see DNWSI 2:1068-69; Jastrow 1467 s.v. רָחַם; G. Schmuttermayr, “rhm: eine lexikalische Studie,” Bib 51 [1970]: 515-21). Since this introductory statement does not appear in the parallel version in 2 Sam 22:1-51, it is possible that it is a later addition to the psalm, made when the poem was revised for use in worship.

[18:1]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “my strength.” “Strength” is metonymic here, referring to the Lord as the one who bestows strength to the psalmist; thus the translation “my source of strength.”

[18:2]  ¹⁶ sn My high ridge. This metaphor pictures God as a rocky, relatively inaccessible summit, where one would be able to find protection from enemies. See 1 Sam 23:25, 28.

[18:2]  ¹⁷ sn My stronghold. David often found safety in such strongholds. See 1 Sam 22:4-5; 24:22; 2 Sam 5:9, 17; 23:14.

[18:2]  ¹⁸ tn Or “in whom.”

[18:2]  ¹⁹ sn Take shelter. “Taking shelter” in the Lord is an idiom for seeking his protection. Seeking his protection presupposes and even demonstrates the subject’s loyalty to the Lord. In the psalms those who “take shelter” in the Lord are contrasted with the wicked and equated with those who love, fear and serve the Lord (Pss 5:11-12; 31:17-20; 34:21-22).

[18:2]  ²⁰ tn Heb “the horn of my salvation”; or “my saving horn.”

[18:2]  sn Though some see “horn” as referring to a horn-shaped peak of a hill, or to the “horns” of an altar where one could find refuge, it is more likely that the horn of an ox underlies the metaphor (cf. Deut 33:17; 1 Kgs 22:11; Ps 92:10). The horn of the wild ox is frequently a metaphor for military strength; the idiom “exalt the horn” signifies military victory (see 1 Sam 2:10; Pss 89:17, 24; 92:10; Lam 2:17). In the ancient Near East powerful warrior-kings would sometimes compare themselves to a goring bull that uses its horns to kill its enemies. For examples, see P. Miller, “El the Warrior,” HTR 60 (1967): 422-25, and R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 135-36. Ps 18:2 uses the metaphor of the horn in a slightly different manner. Here the Lord himself is compared to a horn. He is to the psalmist what the horn is to the ox, a source of defense and victory.

[18:2]  ²¹ tn Or “my elevated place.” The parallel version of this psalm in 2 Sam 22:3 adds at this point, “my refuge, my savior, [you who] save me from violence.”

[27:1]  ²² sn Psalm 27. The author is confident of the Lord’s protection and asks the Lord to vindicate him.

[27:1]  ²³ tn Heb “the Lord [is] my light and my deliverance.” “Light” is often used as a metaphor for deliverance and the life/blessings it brings. See Pss 37:6; 97:11; 112:4; Isa 49:6; 51:4; Mic 7:8. Another option is that “light” refers here to divine guidance (see Ps 43:3).

[27:1]  ²⁴ tn Heb “Whom shall I fear?” The rhetorical question anticipates the answer, “No one!”

[27:1]  ²⁵ tn Heb “Of whom shall I be afraid?” The rhetorical question anticipates the answer, “No one!”

[27:2]  ²⁶ tn Heb “draw near to me.”

[27:2]  ²⁷ sn To devour my flesh. The psalmist compares his enemies to dangerous, hungry predators (see 2 Kgs 9:36; Ezek 39:17).

[27:2]  ²⁸ tn Heb “my adversaries and my enemies against me.” The verb “draw near” (that is, “attack”) is understood by ellipsis; see the previous line.

[27:2]  ²⁹ tn The Hebrew verbal forms are perfects. The translation assumes the psalmist is generalizing here, but another option is to take this as a report of past experience, “when evil men attacked me…they stumbled and fell.”

[27:3]  ³⁰ tn Heb “my heart does not fear.”

[27:3]  ³¹ tn Heb “if war rises up against me.”

[27:3]  ³² tn Heb “in this [i.e., “during this situation”] I am trusting.”

[27:9]  ³³ tn Heb “do not hide your face from me.” The idiom “hide the face” can mean “ignore” (see Pss 10:11; 13:1; 51:9) or carry the stronger idea of “reject” (see Pss 30:7; 88:14).

[27:9]  ³⁴ tn Or “[source of] help.”

[33:20]  ³⁵ tn Or “our lives.” The suffixed form of נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “being, life”) is often equivalent to a pronoun in poetic texts.

[33:20]  ³⁶ tn Or “[source of] help.”

[33:20]  ³⁷ tn Or “protector.”

[40:17]  ³⁸ sn See Pss 35:10; 37:14.

[40:17]  ³⁹ tn The prefixed verbal form may be taken as a jussive of prayer (as in the present translation; cf. NIV) or as an imperfect, “The Lord will pay attention to me” (cf. NRSV). The parallel in Ps 70:5 has, “O God, hurry to me!” For this reason some prefer to emend יַחֲשָׁב (yakhashav, “may he pay attention”) to חוּשָׁה (khushah, “hurry!”). The syntax of the Hebrew text is awkward; elsewhere when the Qal of חָשַׁב (khashav, “reckon; consider”) is collocated with the preposition -ל (lamed) and a pronominal suffix there is an accompanying direct object or additional prepositional phrase/adverbial accusative (see Gen 15:6; 2 Sam 19:19; Job 13:24; 19:11; 33:10; Pss 32:2; 41:7; Amos 6:5).

[54:4]  ⁴⁰ tn Or “my helper.”

[54:4]  ⁴¹ tn Or “sustain my life.”

[63:7]  ⁴² tn Or “[source of] help.”

[63:7]  ⁴³ tn Heb “in the shadow of your wings.”

[94:17]  ⁴⁴ tn Heb “If the Lord [were] not my help, quickly my life would have lain down in silence.” The psalmist, perhaps speaking as the nation’s representative, recalls God’s past intervention. For other examples of conditional sentences with the term לוּלֵי (luley, “if not”) in the protasis and a perfect verbal form in the apodosis, see Pss 119:92 and 124:2-5.

[115:9]  ⁴⁵ tn Or “[source of] help.”

[115:9]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “and their shield.”

[115:10]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “house.”

[115:10]  ⁴⁸ tn Or “[source of] help.”

[115:10]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “and their shield.”

[115:11]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “[you] fearers of the Lord.” See Ps 15:4.

[115:11]  ⁵¹ tn Or “[source of] help.”

[115:11]  ⁵² tn Heb “and their shield.”

[118:7]  ⁵³ tn Heb “for me.”

[118:7]  ⁵⁴ tn Heb “among my helpers.” The preposition may indicate identity here, while the plural may be one of majesty or respect.

[118:8]  ⁵⁵ tn “Taking shelter” in the Lord is an idiom for seeking his protection. Seeking his protection presupposes and even demonstrates the subject’s loyalty to the Lord. In the psalms those who “take shelter” in the Lord are contrasted with the wicked and equated with those who love, fear, and serve the Lord (Pss 5:11-12; 31:17-20; 34:21-22).

[124:8]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “our help [is] in the name of the Lord.”

[124:8]  ⁵⁷ tn Or “Maker.”

[146:3]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “in a son of man, to whom there is no deliverance.”

[41:10]  ⁵⁹ tn According to BDB (1043 s.v. שָׁעָה), the verb תִּשְׁתָּע (tishta’) in the second line of the poetic couplet is a Hitpael form from the root שָׁעָה (sha’ah, “gaze,” with metathesis of the stem prefix and the first root letter). Taking the Hitpael as iterative, one may then translate “do not anxiously look about.” However, the alleged Hitpael form of שָׁעָה (sha’ah) only occurs here and in verse 23. HALOT 1671 s.v. שׁתע proposes that the verb is instead a Qal form from the root שׁתע (“fear”) which is attested in cognate Semitic languages, including Ugaritic (discovered after the publishing of BDB), suggests the existence of this root. The poetic structure of v. 10 also supports the proposal, for the form in question is in synonymous parallelism to יָרֵא (yare’, “fear”).

[41:10]  ⁶⁰ tn The “right hand” is a symbol of the Lord’s power to deliver (Exod 15:6, 12) and protect (Ps 63:9 HT [63:8 ET]). Here צֶדֶק (tsedeq) has its well-attested nuance of “vindicated righteousness,” i.e., “victory, deliverance” (see 45:8; 51:5, and BDB 841-42 s.v.).

[41:14]  ⁶¹ tn Heb “O worm Jacob” (NAB, NIV). The worm metaphor suggests that Jacob is insignificant and despised.

[41:14]  ⁶² tn On the basis of the parallelism (note “worm”) and an alleged Akkadian cognate, some read “louse” or “weevil.” Cf. NAB “O maggot Israel”; NRSV “you insect Israel.”

[41:14]  ⁶³ tn Heb “your kinsman redeemer.” A גָּאַל (ga’al, “kinsman redeemer”) was a protector of the extended family’s interests.

[41:14]  ⁶⁴ sn See the note on the phrase “the Holy One of Israel” in 1:4.