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Commentary on Psalms 121 verses 1–8
1 ¶ A Song of degrees. I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
2 My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.
3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand.
6 The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.
7 The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.
8 The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.
This psalm teaches us,
I. To stay ourselves upon God as a God of power and a God all-sufficient for us. David did so and found the benefit of it. 1. We must not rely upon creatures, upon men and means, instruments and second causes, nor make flesh our arm: "Shall I lift up my eyes to the hills?" - so some read it. "Does my help come thence? Shall I depend upon the powers of the earth, upon the strength of the hills, upon princes and great men, who, like hills, fill the earth, and hold up their heads towards heaven? No; in vain is salvation hoped for from hills and mountains, Jer 3:23. I never expect help to come from them; my confidence is in God only." We must lift up our eyes above the hills (so some read it); we must look beyond instruments to God, who makes them that to us which they are. 2. We must see all our help laid up in God, in his power and goodness, his providence and grace; and from him we must expect it to come: "My help comes from the Lord; the help I desire is what he sends, and from him I expect it in his own way and time. If he do not help, no creature can help; if he do, no creature can hinder, can hurt." 3. We must fetch in help from God, by faith in his promises, and a due regard to all his institutions: "I will lift up my eyes to the hills" (probably he meant the hills on which the temple was built, Mount Moriah, and the holy hill of Zion, where the ark of the covenant, the oracle, and the altars were); "I will have an eye to the special presence of God in his church, and with his people (his presence by promise) and not only to his common presence." When he was at a distance he would look towards the sanctuary (Psa 28:2; Psa 42:6); thence comes our help, from the word and prayer, from the secret of his tabernacle. My help cometh from the Lord (so the word is, Psa 121:2), from before the Lord, or from the sight and presence of the Lord. "This (says Dr. Hammond) may refer to Christ incarnate, with whose humanity the Deity being inseparably united, God is always present with him, and, through him, with us, for whom, sitting at God's right hand, he constantly maketh intercession." Christ is called the angel of his presence, that saved his people, Isa 63:9. 4. We must encourage our confidence in God with this that he made heaven and earth, and he who did that can do any thing. He made the world out of nothing, himself alone, by a word's speaking, in a little time, and all very good, very excellent and beautiful; and therefore, how great soever our straits and difficulties are, he has power sufficient for our succour and relief. He that made heaven and earth is sovereign Lord of all the hosts of both, and can make use of them as he pleases for the help of his people, and restrain them when he pleases from hurting his people.
II. To comfort ourselves in God when our difficulties and dangers are greatest. It is here promised that if we put our trust in God, and keep in the way of our duty, we shall be safe under his protection, so that no real evil, no mere evil, shall happen to us, nor any affliction but what God sees good for us and will do us good by. 1. God himself has undertaken to be our protector: The Lord is thy keeper, Psa 121:5. Whatever charge he gives his angels to keep his people, he has not thereby discharged himself, so that, whether every particular saint has an angel for his guardian or no, we are sure he has God himself for his guardian. It is infinite wisdom that contrives, and infinite power that works, the safety of those that have put themselves under God's protection. Those must needs be well kept that have the Lord for their keeper. If, by affliction, they be made his prisoners, yet still he is their keeper. 2. The same that is the protector of the church in general is engaged for the preservation of every particular believer, the same wisdom, the same power, the same promises. He that keepeth Israel (Psa 121:4) is thy keeper, Psa 121:5. The shepherd of the flock is the shepherd of every sheep, and will take care that not one, even of the little ones, shall perish. 3. He is a wakeful watchful keeper: "He that keepeth Israel, that keepeth thee, O Israelite! shall neither slumber nor sleep; he never did, nor ever will, for he is never weary; he not only does not sleep, but he does not so much as slumber; he has not the least inclination to sleep." 4. He not only protects those whom he is the keeper of, but he refreshes them: He is their shade. The comparison has a great deal of gracious condescension in it; the eternal Being who is infinite substance is what he is in order that he may speak sensible comfort to his people, promises to be their umbra - their shadow, to keep as close to them as the shadow does to the body, and to shelter them from the scorching heat, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land, Isa 32:2. Under this shadow they may sit with delight and assurance, Sol 2:3. 5. He is always near to his people for their protection and refreshment, and never at a distance; he is their keeper and shade on their right hand; so that he is never far to seek. The right hand is the working hand; let them but turn themselves dexterously to their duty, and they shall find God ready to them, to assist them and give them success, Psa 16:8. 6. He is not only at their right hand, but he will also keep the feet of his saints, Sa1 2:9. He will have an eye upon them in their motions: He will not suffer thy foot to be moved. God will provide that his people shall not be tempted above what they are able, shall not fall into sin, though they may be very near it (Psa 73:2, Psa 73:23), shall not fall into trouble, though there be many endeavouring to undermine them by fraud or over throw them by force. He will keep them from being frightened, as we are when we slip or stumble and are ready to fall. 7. He will protect them from all the malignant influences of the heavenly bodies (Psa 121:6): The sun shall not smite thee with his heat by day nor the moon with her cold and moisture by night. The sun and moon are great blessings to mankind, and yet (such a sad change has sin made in the creation) even the sun and moon, though worshipped by a great part of mankind, are often instruments of hurt and distemper to human bodies; God by them often smites us; but his favour shall interpose so that they shall not damage his people. He will keep them night and day (Isa 27:3), as he kept Israel in the wilderness by a pillar of cloud by day, which screened them from the heat of the sun, and of fire by night, which probably diffused a genial warmth over the whole camp, that they might not be prejudiced by the cold and damp of the night, their father Jacob having complained (Gen 31:40) that by day the drought consumed him and the frost by night. It may be understood figuratively: "Thou shalt not be hurt either by the open assaults of thy enemies, which are as visible as the scorching beams of the sun, or by their secret treacherous attempts, which are like the insensible insinuations of the cold by night." 8. His protection will make them safe in every respect: "The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil, the evil of sin and the evil of trouble. He shall prevent the evil thou fearest, and shall sanctify, remove, or lighten, the evil thou feelest. He will keep thee from doing evil (Co2 13:7), and so far from suffering evil that whatever affliction happens to thee there shall be no evil in it. Even that which kills shall not hurt." 9. It is the spiritual life, especially, that God will take under his protection: He shall preserve thy soul. All souls are his; and the soul is the man, and therefore he will with a peculiar care preserve them, that they be not defiled by sin and disturbed by affliction. He will keep them by keeping us in the possession of them; and he will preserve them from perishing eternally. 10. He will keep us in all our ways: "He shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in. Thou shalt be under his protection in all thy journeys and voyages, outward-bound or homeward-bound, as he kept Israel in the wilderness, in their removes and rests. He will prosper thee in all thy affairs at home and abroad, in the beginning and in the conclusion of them. He will keep thee in life and death, thy going out and going on while thou livest and thy coming in when thou diest, going out to thy labour in the morning of thy days and coming home to thy rest when the evening of old age calls thee in," Psa 104:23. 11. He will continue his care over us from this time forth and even for evermore. It is a protection for life, never out of date. "He will be thy guide even unto death, and will then hide thee in the grave, hide thee in heaven. He will preserve thee in his heavenly kingdom." God will protect his church and his saints always, even to the end of the world. The Spirit, who is their preserver and comforter, shall abide with them for ever.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 1–8. Public domain.
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Augustine of HippoAD 430
Exposition on Psalm 121
"May the Lord shield you upon the hand of your right hand" [Psalm 121:6]. I have said, and I believe you have recognised it. For had ye not recognised it, and that from the Scriptures, you would not signify your understanding of it by your voices. Since then you have understood, brethren, consider what follows; wherefore the Lord shields you "upon the hand of your right hand," that is, in your faith, wherein we have received "power to become the sons of God," and to be on His right hand: wherefore should God shield us? On account of offenses. Whence come offenses? Offences are to be feared from two quarters, for there are two precepts upon which the whole Law hangs and the Prophets, the love of God and of our neighbour. [Matthew 22:37-40] The Church is loved for the sake of our neighbour, but God for the sake of God. Of God, is understood the sun figuratively: of the Church, is understood the moon figuratively. Whoever can err, so as to think otherwise of God than he ought, believing not the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost to be of one Substance, has been deceived by the cunning of heretics, chiefly of the Arians. If he has believed anything less in the Son or in the Holy Spirit than in the Father, he has suffered an offense in God; he is scorched by the sun. Whoever again believes that the Church exists in one province only, and not that she is diffused over the whole world, and whoso believes them that say, "Lo here," and "Lo there, is Christ," [Matthew 24:23] as you but now heard when the Gospel was being read; since He who gave so great a price, purchased the whole world: he is offended, so to speak, in his neighbour, and is burnt by the moon. Whoever therefore errs in the very Substance of Truth, is burnt by the sun, and is burnt through the day; because he errs in Wisdom itself...God therefore has made one sun, which rises upon the good and the evil, that sun which the good and the evil see; but that Sun is another one, not created, not born, through whom all things were made; where is the intelligence of the Immutable Truth: of this the ungodly say, "the Sun rose not upon us." Whosoever errs not in Wisdom itself, is not burnt by the sun. Whosoever errs not in the Church, and in the Lord's Flesh, and in those things which were done for us in time, is not burnt by the moon. But every man although he believes in Christ, errs either in this or that respect, unless what is here prayed for, "The Lord is your defence upon the hand of your right hand," is realized in him. He goes on to say, "So that the sun shall not burn you by day, nor the moon by night" [Psalm 121:6]. Your defence, therefore, is upon the hand of your right hand for this reason, that the sun may not burn you by day, nor the moon by night. Understand hence, brethren, that it is spoken figuratively. For, in truth, if we think of the visible sun, it burns by day: does the moon burn by night? But what is burning? Offence. Hear the Apostle's words: "Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is offended, and I burn not?" [2 Corinthians 11:29]
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Psalms 121:6, a pivotal verse within the pilgrim's "Song of Ascents," offers a profound declaration of God's comprehensive and unceasing protection over His people. It assures the traveler, and by extension every believer, that the Almighty's guardianship extends to every moment, shielding them from the overt dangers of the day and the subtle, often unseen, perils of the night. This verse encapsulates the psalmist's unwavering trust in a sovereign God who actively preserves and keeps His beloved from all harm, whether from natural elements or spiritual adversaries, providing constant vigilance and security.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: Psalms 121 is one of the fifteen "Songs of Ascents" (Psalms 120-134), a collection traditionally sung by pilgrims journeying to Jerusalem for the annual festivals. These psalms often reflect themes of journey, trust, divine help, and the security found in God's presence. Psalms 121 itself begins with the pilgrim looking to the mountains, pondering the source of help (Where does my help come from?), and then immediately answers that help comes from the Lord (My help comes from the Lord). The psalm then develops into a series of affirmations of God's active guardianship, moving from the general assurance that God "will not suffer thy foot to be moved" to the specific, comprehensive protection detailed in verse 6, and concluding with a promise of protection "from all evil" and "thy going out and thy coming in" forevermore. Verse 6 thus serves as a powerful, concrete illustration of the "keeping" or "preserving" work of the Lord introduced in the preceding verses, particularly Psalms 121:5, which states, "The Lord is thy keeper."
Historical & Cultural Context: The journey to Jerusalem in ancient Israel was often arduous and fraught with dangers. Pilgrims traversed rugged terrain, exposed to the elements, including the scorching sun during the day and the chilling cold of the desert nights. Beyond natural hazards like sunstroke, dehydration, or exposure, there were also threats from wild animals and, more significantly, bandits who preyed on travelers. In the ancient Near East, celestial bodies were often viewed with a mixture of reverence and apprehension; while the sun's intense heat was an obvious danger, the moon was sometimes associated with various ailments or even mental instability ("lunacy"). Although the biblical text does not explicitly endorse such superstitions regarding the moon's harmful influence, its inclusion alongside the sun in this verse completes the imagery of comprehensive, round-the-clock protection from all perceived or actual environmental threats, both obvious and subtle, that a traveler might face on their pilgrimage to the holy city.
Key Themes: Psalms 121:6 powerfully contributes to several overarching themes within the psalm and the broader biblical narrative. The most prominent theme is Divine Protection and Preservation, emphasizing God's active role as the ultimate guardian who shields His people from all harm. This protection is presented as Comprehensive and Continuous, covering both day and night, signifying God's unceasing vigilance over every aspect of life. The verse also underscores the theme of Trust and Reliance on God, inviting believers to rest securely in His sovereign care, rather than succumbing to fear of the elements or other dangers. Furthermore, it reinforces the concept of God as the Keeper (שֹׁמֵר, shomer), a recurring motif in the psalm (The Lord is your keeper, The Lord shall preserve you from all evil, The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in), highlighting His personal and active involvement in safeguarding His covenant people throughout their earthly pilgrimage.
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Psalms 121:6 employs several powerful literary devices to convey its message of comprehensive divine protection. The most prominent is Merism, where two contrasting parts ("sun by day" and "moon by night") are used to represent the whole, signifying God's protection at all times, covering every conceivable danger, twenty-four hours a day. This creates a sense of absolute totality and completeness in God's guardianship. There is also a subtle use of Personification, as the sun and moon are depicted as having the agency to "smite" or inflict harm, even though they are inanimate objects. This personification heightens the sense of external threats from which God delivers, making the divine intervention more vivid and impactful. Finally, the verse uses Hyperbole to emphasize the absolute and unwavering nature of God's protection. While believers may still experience hardship, the emphatic declaration that neither sun nor moon "shall smite" highlights the ultimate security and preservation God provides, ensuring that no natural force can ultimately thwart His protective purpose for His people.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Psalms 121:6 stands as a powerful testament to God's active and comprehensive providence over His creation and, specifically, His covenant people. It underscores the biblical truth that God is not a distant deity but an ever-present, vigilant Guardian who personally involves Himself in the daily lives and journeys of those who trust in Him. This verse speaks to the divine attribute of omnipresence and omnipotence, demonstrating God's sovereign control over natural forces and His ability to shield His beloved from both overt and subtle dangers. It builds upon the theme of God as the ultimate "Keeper" (שֹׁמֵר), a concept that permeates the entire psalm, assuring believers that their security is rooted not in their own strength or foresight, but in the unwavering commitment of their divine Protector. This promise of round-the-clock, all-encompassing care fosters deep spiritual confidence, encouraging a life lived in trust rather than fear, knowing that God's preserving hand is continually at work.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Psalms 121:6 offers profound comfort and practical guidance for the believer navigating the complexities of life. It reminds us that our journey, much like the ancient pilgrim's, is under the constant, unwavering gaze of an all-powerful and loving God. In a world filled with anxieties—from health concerns to financial instability, from natural disasters to relational strife—this verse calls us to shift our gaze from the perceived dangers to the unfailing faithfulness of our Divine Keeper. It does not promise an absence of trials, but rather an assurance that through every trial, God's protective hand is upon us, preserving us for His ultimate purposes. This means we can face the "sun" of life's intense pressures and the "moon" of its hidden fears with a quiet confidence, knowing that nothing can ultimately separate us from God's preserving love. Our security is not found in avoiding all harm, but in resting in the One who works all things for our good and guarantees our ultimate preservation. This truth empowers us to live boldly, serve faithfully, and trust implicitly, knowing that our "going out and coming in" are eternally secured by the Lord Himself.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Does "the moon shall not smite thee by night" imply ancient superstitions about the moon causing harm?
Answer: While some ancient cultures held superstitions about the moon's influence on health or sanity (e.g., "lunacy"), the biblical text of Psalms 121:6 does not explicitly endorse or validate such beliefs. Instead, the inclusion of the moon alongside the sun serves primarily as a literary device, specifically merism, to convey the totality and comprehensiveness of God's protection. By mentioning both the most obvious daytime danger (the sun's heat) and the less obvious, or simply nocturnal, dangers (represented by the moon's presence at night), the psalmist emphasizes that God's guardianship is continuous and all-encompassing, covering every moment and every potential threat, whether from natural elements, hidden dangers, or even the anxieties associated with darkness. It assures the pilgrim that God's watchful eye extends over all aspects of their journey, day and night, from all forms of harm.
Does this verse promise that believers will never experience harm or suffering?
Answer: No, this verse does not promise absolute immunity from all physical harm, suffering, or death in this earthly life. The Bible clearly teaches that believers, like all people, will experience trials, tribulations, and the effects of a fallen world (In the world you will have tribulation, The groaning of creation). Rather, Psalms 121:6, in conjunction with the entire psalm, promises God's ultimate preservation and spiritual security. It assures that no harm, whether from natural forces or spiritual adversaries, can ultimately thwart God's sovereign plan for His people or separate them from His love and eternal purpose (Nothing can separate us from God's love). God preserves the believer's soul and ensures their safe arrival in His eternal presence, working even difficult circumstances for their good and His glory (All things work together for good). It is a promise of divine care through trials, not necessarily from all trials.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
The comprehensive protection promised in Psalms 121:6 finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in Jesus Christ. While the psalm speaks of God's physical preservation from earthly dangers, Christ embodies the ultimate "Keeper" who guards His people from the far greater spiritual dangers of sin, death, and the power of darkness. He is the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for His sheep (The Good Shepherd) and promises that no one can snatch them out of His hand or the Father's hand (No one can snatch them out of My hand). Just as the sun and moon represented all dangers, Christ's victory on the cross triumphs over all spiritual adversaries, ensuring that neither the "sun" of life's fiercest temptations nor the "moon" of its darkest fears can ultimately "smite" those who are in Him. Through His atoning sacrifice and resurrection, He has disarmed the principalities and powers (Triumph over principalities), offering not just temporary physical safety but eternal spiritual security. Believers are preserved by His power (Kept by the power of God) until the day of His return, when they will be presented blameless before His glorious presence with exceeding joy (To Him who is able to keep you from stumbling). Thus, the ancient pilgrim's hope for protection is fully realized in the person and work of Jesus, who is our ultimate refuge and strength, our ever-present help in trouble.