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Psalms 121:5
Verse
Context
Sermons
Thomas Watson
Andrew Murray
George Fox
Henry Law
John Henry JowettSummary
Commentary
- Keil-Delitzsch
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
- John Gill
Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch Old Testament Commentary
That which holds good of "the Keeper of Israel" the poet applies believingly to himself, the individual among God's people, in Psa 121:5 after Gen 28:15. Jahve is his Keeper, He is his shade upon his right hand (היּמין as in Jdg 20:16; Sa2 20:9, and frequently; the construct state instead of an apposition, cf. e.g., Arab. jânbu 'l-grbı̂yi, the side of the western = the western side), which protecting him and keeping him fresh and cool, covers him from the sun's burning heat. על, as in Psa 109:6; Psa 110:5, with the idea of an overshadowing that screens and spreads itself out over anything (cf. Num 14:9). To the figure of the shadow is appended the consolation in Psa 121:6. הכּה of the sun signifies to smite injuriously (Isa 49:10), plants, so that they wither (Psa 102:5), and the head (Jon 4:8), so that symptoms of sun-stroke (Kg2 4:19, Judith 8:2f.) appears. The transferring of the word of the moon is not zeugmatic. Even the moon's rays may become insupportable, may affect the eyes injuriously, and (more particularly in the equatorial regions) produce fatal inflammation of the brain. (Note: Many expositors, nevertheless, understand the destructive influence of the moon meant here of the nightly cold, which is mentioned elsewhere in the same antithesis. Gen 31:40; Jer 36:30. De Sacy observes also: On dit quelquefois d'un grand froid, comme d'un grand chaud, qu'il est brulant. The Arabs also say of snow and of cold as of fire: jaḥrik, it burns.) From the hurtful influences of nature that are round about him the promise extends in Psa 121:7-8 in every direction. Jahve, says the poet to himself, will keep (guard) thee against all evil, of whatever kind it may be and whencesoever it may threaten; He will keep thy soul, and therefore thy life both inwardly and outwardly; He will keep (ישׁמר־, cf. on the other hand ישׁפּט־ in Psa 9:9) thy going out and coming in, i.e., all thy business and intercourse of life (Deu 28:6, and frequently); for, as Chrysostom observes, ἐν τούτοις ὁ βίος ἅπας, ἐν εἰσόδοις καὶ ἐξόδοις, therefore: everywhere and at all times; and that from this time forth even for ever. In connection with this the thought is natural, that the life of him who stands under the so universal and unbounded protection of eternal love can suffer no injury.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
upon thy right hand--a protector's place (Psa 109:31; Psa 110:5).
John Gill Bible Commentary
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.'' (o) Macrob. Saturnal. l. 1. c. 17. (p) Scheuchzer. Physic. Sacr. p. 976, 977. (q) Suidas in voce so Theodoret. (r) De Motu Marium & Vent. c. 6. Vid. Senecae Nat. Quaest. l. 5. c. 9. (s) Saturnal. l. 7. c. 16. (t) De Facie Lunae, in tom. 2. p. 933. (u) The Second Voyage in Eden's Travels, p. 350. 2. (w) "----The parching air----Burns frore (frosty) and cold performs the effect of fire". Milton's Paradise Lost, l. 2. v. 594.
Psalms 121:5
I Lift Up My Eyes to the Hills
4Behold, the Protector of Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. 5The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is the shade on your right hand. 6The sun will not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.
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How Satan Destroys a Church - Part 1 (Guard Your Garden)
By Don Courville1.6K41:31Spiritual WarfareGEN 2:15PSA 121:5MAT 6:332CO 11:32CO 11:14EPH 5:22EPH 5:25In this sermon, the preacher shares a story about a hunter encountering a bear and how they negotiate their desires. He then goes on to talk about his experiences and travels, which have given him insights into the most important things he has learned in 42 years. He briefly touches on the submission of the wife, referring to Genesis chapter 2, and emphasizes the importance of following God's commands. The sermon concludes with a lesson about the dangers of being in places we shouldn't be, using a humorous anecdote about a child carrying swimming trunks to school.
The Spiritual Watch
By Thomas Watson0JOB 1:11PSA 119:11PSA 121:5PRO 4:23PRO 23:172CO 2:11EPH 3:17EPH 6:161PE 5:5Thomas Watson preaches about the importance of keeping our hearts diligently, as they are the source of life and the seat of our thoughts, desires, and actions. He emphasizes the duty, manner, and reason for keeping our hearts with all diligence, using various analogies like keeping a temple, treasure, garden, garrison, and prisoner. Watson provides practical advice on how to keep our hearts by setting up fences, using means like the Word of God, watching over our passions, and seeking God's help. He warns about the consequences of not keeping our hearts, as the devil will try to deceive and control them, leading to spiritual devastation and loss of peace.
Jesus the Keeper
By Andrew Murray0Trust in JesusGod's ProtectionPSA 121:5PSA 121:7ISA 54:17JHN 10:28ROM 8:31PHP 4:132TI 1:12HEB 13:51PE 5:71JN 5:4Andrew Murray emphasizes the profound truth that the Lord is our keeper, urging young disciples to trust in God's ability to preserve and protect them. He draws from Psalm 121 and 2 Timothy 1:12, encouraging believers to deposit their lives and struggles as pledges to Jesus, who is fully capable of keeping them secure. Murray highlights the importance of knowing Jesus personally, as this knowledge strengthens faith and assurance in His power. He calls on believers to relinquish control and trust in God's omnipotence, reminding them that true victory comes from faith in Him. Ultimately, he reassures that the Lord will keep us from all evil, inviting us to embrace this promise daily.
Epistle 216
By George Fox0Faithfulness in TrialsPower Of GodPSA 121:5JHN 1:12JHN 15:1ROM 1:161CO 2:5EPH 2:16PHP 1:5COL 1:202TI 1:10HEB 7:27George Fox emphasizes the power of God and the importance of standing firm in faith amidst persecution and trials. He encourages believers to remain united in the gospel, which brings life and immortality to light, and to spread the truth of Christ to those lost in darkness. Fox highlights the necessity of living in the power of God, which enables believers to overcome sin and maintain fellowship with one another. He calls for a commitment to the cross of Christ, urging the faithful to be valiant in their witness and to cultivate a pure conscience. Ultimately, he reassures that despite earthly oppression, believers possess the eternal power of God, which secures their inheritance in Christ.
Psalm 17
By Henry Law0PSA 91:3PSA 121:5ROM 6:11ROM 8:13GAL 5:16COL 3:101PE 5:8F. B. Meyer, Andrew Murray, and A. J. Gordon delve into the profound truths of Romans 6:11, emphasizing the believer's death to sin and life in Christ. They discuss the sensitivity to sin that comes with living closer to God, the distinction between temptation and sin, and the importance of resisting the Tempter through faith in Christ. They highlight the need for believers to continually surrender to God, rely on the Holy Spirit's power, and seek refuge in Jesus when faced with temptation. They also address the ongoing battle against the sinful nature within, stressing the importance of recollecting God's protection and trusting in His keeping power.
The Home-Bird
By John Henry Jowett0PSA 27:5PSA 36:7PSA 46:1PSA 91:1PSA 121:5John Henry Jowett emphasizes the importance of dwelling in the secret place of the Almighty, contrasting those who merely pay courtesy-calls to God with those who have a deep, intimate relationship with Him. He illustrates the difference between a flirtatious visitor and a settled friend who finds satisfaction in a close bond with God. The reward of abiding under the shadow of the Almighty is highlighted, where the soul is continually protected and surrounded by God's grace and love.
- Keil-Delitzsch
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
- John Gill
Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch Old Testament Commentary
That which holds good of "the Keeper of Israel" the poet applies believingly to himself, the individual among God's people, in Psa 121:5 after Gen 28:15. Jahve is his Keeper, He is his shade upon his right hand (היּמין as in Jdg 20:16; Sa2 20:9, and frequently; the construct state instead of an apposition, cf. e.g., Arab. jânbu 'l-grbı̂yi, the side of the western = the western side), which protecting him and keeping him fresh and cool, covers him from the sun's burning heat. על, as in Psa 109:6; Psa 110:5, with the idea of an overshadowing that screens and spreads itself out over anything (cf. Num 14:9). To the figure of the shadow is appended the consolation in Psa 121:6. הכּה of the sun signifies to smite injuriously (Isa 49:10), plants, so that they wither (Psa 102:5), and the head (Jon 4:8), so that symptoms of sun-stroke (Kg2 4:19, Judith 8:2f.) appears. The transferring of the word of the moon is not zeugmatic. Even the moon's rays may become insupportable, may affect the eyes injuriously, and (more particularly in the equatorial regions) produce fatal inflammation of the brain. (Note: Many expositors, nevertheless, understand the destructive influence of the moon meant here of the nightly cold, which is mentioned elsewhere in the same antithesis. Gen 31:40; Jer 36:30. De Sacy observes also: On dit quelquefois d'un grand froid, comme d'un grand chaud, qu'il est brulant. The Arabs also say of snow and of cold as of fire: jaḥrik, it burns.) From the hurtful influences of nature that are round about him the promise extends in Psa 121:7-8 in every direction. Jahve, says the poet to himself, will keep (guard) thee against all evil, of whatever kind it may be and whencesoever it may threaten; He will keep thy soul, and therefore thy life both inwardly and outwardly; He will keep (ישׁמר־, cf. on the other hand ישׁפּט־ in Psa 9:9) thy going out and coming in, i.e., all thy business and intercourse of life (Deu 28:6, and frequently); for, as Chrysostom observes, ἐν τούτοις ὁ βίος ἅπας, ἐν εἰσόδοις καὶ ἐξόδοις, therefore: everywhere and at all times; and that from this time forth even for ever. In connection with this the thought is natural, that the life of him who stands under the so universal and unbounded protection of eternal love can suffer no injury.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
upon thy right hand--a protector's place (Psa 109:31; Psa 110:5).
John Gill Bible Commentary
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.'' (o) Macrob. Saturnal. l. 1. c. 17. (p) Scheuchzer. Physic. Sacr. p. 976, 977. (q) Suidas in voce so Theodoret. (r) De Motu Marium & Vent. c. 6. Vid. Senecae Nat. Quaest. l. 5. c. 9. (s) Saturnal. l. 7. c. 16. (t) De Facie Lunae, in tom. 2. p. 933. (u) The Second Voyage in Eden's Travels, p. 350. 2. (w) "----The parching air----Burns frore (frosty) and cold performs the effect of fire". Milton's Paradise Lost, l. 2. v. 594.