Psalm 121:5-8
We can see the poem consists of 16 lines, 8 verses, 4 tetrastich. And it seems that I'm suggesting the poet is using a lot of words to basically say 2 declarations. But that's my opinion and it might change by the end of this post. The main purpose of these exegetic studies is to identify figures of speech that give us indications for a better understanding of each line in itself and in relation to each other. And then we want to find scripture that backs that up. We may find scripture that disagrees with it along the way. From here each individual can decide for themselves what is being said.
By now the poem has made manifest its structure through this layout A/B A/B with Parallelism/Correspondence . The next four verses follow in suit.
₅The Lord(YHWH) is my protector, ₅Hashem shomrecha,
He is the shade upon my right hand. Hashem tzilcha al yad yeminecha
₆ The sun will not smight me by day, ₆Yomam ha-shemesh lo yakekah,
nor the moon by night. v'yareach ba-layla
Verse 5 and 6 are the most difficult to interpret in this psalm.
Lets start with verse 5, which is a confused combination of metonymy and metaphor. I get the feeling that when this was written, these expressions were well understood. But approaching it from the modern cultural context makes things blurry. So I want to linger and really look over the idioma and expressions connecting these ideas. In this way we give ourselves better ground with which to make conjecture.
Let's start with addressing the metaphor 'He is the shade'. A metaphor is a declaration that one thing is another; Representation to invoke a strong feeling concerning the point of association (Bullinger, p.735).
This word tzil - shade or shadow is used for literal shade, from shelter or plant or covering by cloud or forest. As for figuratively, we do see instances in which shadow is put to express fleeting, transient things e.g. man is but a shadow, his days are but a shadow. Here are some verses we see this: Ps. 144:4, Job 8:9,14:2, Ps. 102:11, Ps. 109:11, Ecc. 6:12.
These other two instances are more likely what is meant. Shade could be understood to mean refreshment or rest. Or it could be put for covering or protection.
SHADE - put for refreshment and rest.
Song of Solomon 2:3 "Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest is my beloved among the young men. I delight to sit in his shade, and his fruit is sweet to my taste".
Hosiah 14:5-7 "I will be like the dew to Israel; he will blossom like the lily and take root like the cedars of Lebanon. His shoots will sprout, and his splendor will be like the olive tree, his fragrance like the cedars of Lebanon. They will return and dwell in his shade; they will grow grain and blossom like the vine".
SHADE/SHADOW - put for covering, shelter, protection or defense.
Psalm 57:1 "Oh God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusts in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast".
Psalm 91:1 "He who dwells in the shelter of the Lord Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, 'My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust'”.
Psalm 17:8-9 "keep me as the apple of your eye, hide me in the shadow of your wings from the wicked who assail me, from deadly enemies who surround me".
Some other verses that are interesting: Isaiah 49:2, 51:15-16, Ps 36:7, Ps 109:23
Since the Lord being a shade is predicated of the poet's right hand, at this moment, we can understand that the verse is saying - either the Lord is refreshment/rest on the right hand. Or, the Lord is a covering, protection on the right hand. Our subject is the poet's right hand and we want to know what is being said of it.
al - a preposition, can be translated as upon, over or above. Sometimes gets translated as at or on.
Hand or yad, itself is often used in exchange for other ideas. Many cultures see the Hand symbolically as ability, power, strength and authority. Yad is often translated in scripture with these words. Lets look for example at Gen 9:2 when God gives dominion of the land and animals to Noah and his sons saying "into your hand they are delivered", or "I have placed them in your power".
Bullinger says "The word hand is used in various ways (both idiomatically and by metonymy) to express the instrument by which a thing is done: and this in order to put emphasis on the fact that the power did not lie in the instrument, but to him who used it" (p.410). For example, " thou speakest by the hand of Moses thy servant"; the Lord was the speaker, Moses was the instrument (1 Kings 8:53). Or Luke 22:21 “the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table” - hand for the person (Judas). Judas being the instrument that carries out the work of the adversary.
HAND is used by metonymy in the sense of actions performed by it. It is seen as the doer, creator, maker. Some of the ideas put by metonymy are - finding, counselling, thought, help, gifts, purpose, impulse, effort, agency, attempt, or care etc. (p. 546). There are so many and various occasions of this we will not list them all out.
Here are some idiomatic expressions using hand (pg. 879):
to stretch forth the hand → to send forth judgement upon. Ex. 7:5, Ps.138:7, Ps. 144:6-7, Isa. 5:25
to make heavy or light the hand → to make chastisement severe or less. Ps.32:4, 1 Sam 6:5
to open the hand → to bestow or give bountifully. Ps. 104:28, Ps. 145:16-18
to lift up the hand → to swear an oath. Ex. 6:8, Ps.106:26
the hand of the Lord upon → the Spirit of the Lord is upon (denoting the power of the prophetic spirit upon). 1 King 18:46, 2King 3:15, Ezek. 1:3, 8:1
Here are some expressions by metonymy using hand (pg. 607):
to give the hand → is put for voluntary submission. 1 Chron. 29:24, 2 Chron. 30:8
to put hands on the head → is put for grieving. Jer. 2:37, 2 Sam 13:19
to fill the hand/hands → is put for consecrating anyone to sacred office. Ex. 28:41, Lev. 8:33
to strike hands → is put for making a promise or a bargain. Job. 17:3
Some other interesting ones are:
not discerning the right hand from the left→ is put for immaturity or foolishness/ ignorance. Jonah 4:11, Ecc 10:2
the right hand of fellowship → is put for alliance, allied support. Gal 2:9
Let's look at two of the most common and well understood ways that HAND is used before zeroing in on 'the right hand'.
✋WORKS OF HANDS - for all that a person does, deeds, actions, dealings, things made or accomplished (this can be literal or figurative/spiritual)
Isa. 2:8 "Their land is full of idols; they bow down to the work of their hands, to what their fingers have made" i.e. idols.
Psalm 28:4 "Repay them for their deeds and for their evil work; repay them for what their hands have done and bring back on them what they deserve" i.e. for works of iniquity, wicked deeds.
Psalm 90:17 "May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; established the work of our hands for us - yes, established the work of our hands". Put for all that they may multiply, crops, flocks, buildings, good relationships, flourishing community etc. The call to the Lord that he establish puts forth that awareness that "It is neither the one who plants nor the one who waters anything, but only God, who makes things grow" (1 Cor 3:7).
Duet 8:11-18 "Beware that you do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping His commandments...otherwise when you have eaten and are satisfied, and have built good houses and lived in them, and your herds and your flocks multiply, and all that you have multiplies, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God...you may say in your heart, 'my power and the strength of my hand made me this wealth". The works of the hands are all that which encompasses establishing a household and community - food (harvests), houses, flocks i.d. the wealth and power. And the Lord reminded them to remember that "it is [He] who has given you the power to make wealth". He is the one who establishes these works. ref. Duet 2:7
HAND - for ownership, power, authority, charge/charge of affairs.
In Gen 14:19,20 when Melchizedek blessed Abraham and said “blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered thine enemies into thine hand” - into thine power.
Gen 39:3-6 concerning Joseph in Potiphar's house, “now his master saw that the Lord was with him and how the Lord caused all that he did to prosper in his hand. So Joseph found favor in his master's sight and was made overseer in his house over all his master owned...so he left everything he owned in Joseph's hand” - put for charge/authority.
Mark 8:31 "the son of man will be delivered into the hands of men" put for power or authority/rule.
Psalm 106:12,41 "He redeemed them from the hand of the enemy" - freed them from the power and authority of Egypt. In verse 41, "He delivered them into the hand of the nations", gave them over to the nations control/power.
Jesus is famously quoted here saying "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit" for deliverance, protection, divine authority (Luke 23:46, Ps 31:5).
Job 12:10 "in whose hand is the life of every living thing".
Ex 32:11 talks about when the Lord brought the people out of Egypt (out from under its hand) "with great power, and with a mighty hand" - for divine deliverance, divine salvation, divine supernatural power.
Psalm 95:5 "Your hands formed the dry land, the mountain peaks belong to you also" - put for 'by Your power'. Or 'authority', as we see the mountain peaks are declared as under His authority as well. This case is also considered anthropopatheia - the ascribing human attributes, etc. to God. "The Hebrews had a name for this figure of speech and called it derech benai adam 'the way of the sons of man' (p.871).
Isaiah 64:8 "But now, O LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand" for divine creation and divine authority.
Neh 2:8 "the king grant me, according to the good hand of my God upon me" - for divine prosperity.
More interesting verses to look at: Psalm 111:6-7, Ps 8:3-4, Ps 136:12, Ecc 2:24 & 9:1, Hab 3:4, Job 10:3, Ps 19:1, Ps 138:8
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Moving into the main point of focus - the RIGHT HAND or yamin. Which has been associated with positive connotations in many different cultures as well. Some such associations as - dominance, optimal performance, honour, respect, dignity, goodness, brightness, strength, better, right(morally), authority, counsel etc. It is seen as the hand of favor, or the hand of counsel. A modern idiom using right hand is the righthand man - someone who is indispensable, trustworthy, involved in every aspect, an asset and accomplice. The right hand is indicated for a favored position.
If we think of this materially, the right hand is an instrument that completes the persons plans/desires. It is the more capable instrument. This is how it became a representation for - skill, completion, capability. The right hand is expeditious. The right hand, the right eye were considered more valuable - because they represented that stronger more capable part. So the right hand is the one with the skill to execute with precision and it is the instrument that executes. So that when it is applied in a passage it can also represent the accomplishment itself, that which was executed.
chaimbentorah brought to light some deeper spiritual meanings in their word study on the right hand. They mention that the word for 'beloved friend' is yadyad literally meaning hand in hand. Adding, the right hand "was the right that you extended when you shake hands with someone as it was believed your heart was in your right hand. Hence when you shake hands you are sharing your heart with someone. The handshake had a much stronger meaning in those days."
They go on to point out that the right hand was often lifted to praise the Lord "inviting [the Lord] to take hold of their right hand so [that] they can share their hearts with each other". Consider this verse with that in mind "For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, fear not; I will help thee" Isaiah 41:13.
Let's look at Ecc 10:2 "the heart of a wise man is at his right hand, but the heart of a fool is at his left". Heart is often used by metonymy and put for nature or inward character or consciousness. So maybe what we are getting is something like 'the character of a wise man leads him to good choices, but the character of a fool will lead him to bad ones'. Or 'a wise man counsels his inward character by right things, but the fool counsels his character with wrong things". Or, "the consciousness of a wise man identifies profitable choices, while the consciousness of a fool does not'. What do you think?
👉Right HAND - for counsel and support, helper, mediator. The right hand as a position is where one's protector would be standing, or trusted counsel, advocate.
Psalm 16:7-8 "I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel, even at night my heart instructs me. I have set the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will dwell securely. For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, nor will you let Your holy one see decay".
Psalm 73:22-24 "When my heart was grieved and I was pierced within, I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before You. Yet I am always with You; You hold my right hand. You guide me with Your counsel". Similar to the idea put forth in psalm 139, though we fail or are blemished the Lord's skill does/is not, His ability does/is not. He is always with us leading us and helping us in the right direction even when we are in the dark.
→ court room counsel. In Psalm 109:6-7 our poet David, makes a complaint to the Lord seeking justice. David or the righteous man, asks the Lord to help him by, "sett[ing] over him(the wicked man) a wicked man; let the accuser stand at his right hand. When he is tried, let him be found guilty...". Our poet is the plaintiff, the wicked man is the defendant. The Lord is the righteous judge. Our Poet asks that the Lord appoint the wicked man the accuser as his advocate/counsel. The accuser will surely bring condemnation. The word for accuser can also be translated as adversary and the Hebrew word is satan. Maybe even prosecutor in this sense for at his right hand, or one with a malignant heart.
Albert Barnes added, "The language used would seem to make it not improbable that David here refers particularly to someone who had occupied this position in reference to himself, and who had betrayed his trust; who had given him crafty and malignant counsel; who had led him into bad measures; who had used his position to promote his own interest at the expense of his master's/kings. David had such counselors, as anyone in authority may have".
Further in this petition for help, the poet asks the Lord to deliver him and deal kindly with him saying "For I am poor and needy; my heart is wounded within me. I am an object of scorn to them, when they see me, they shake their heads" (vs. 22,25). And again "Help me, O LORD my God; save me according to Your loving devotion. Let them know that this is Your hand, that You, O LORD, have done it. Though they curse, You will bless. When they rise up, they will be put to shame, but Your servant will rejoice" (vs. 27-29). For Your hand - the Lord's will, the Lord's authority. the Lord's power that brings the result, the Lord's judgement/verdict. Your servant (the poet) will rejoice - have the victory. For they will be put to shame - receive judgement/condemnation.
And with the Last verse wraps everything up by saying "For [The lord] stands at the right hand of the needy one, to save him from the condemners of his soul" (verse 31). Right hand for counsel, advocacy. As standing at the right hand of the needy one - the poet speaks of himself as the needy, thus at his right hand. Further this would also imply the Lord's people. So that what is expressed is that the Lord will not leave him/them in the power of wicked hands, bringing His justice and salvation. For a side study read psalm 109 with Romans 8:26-39 and think about these legal and judicial positions.
Zechariah 3:1 "Then the angel showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, with the adversary standing at his right hand to accuse him". As a prosecutor, as in a position in the judicial courts (as what is of the earthly realm is a reflection of the spiritual realm, not the other way around).
Psalm 144:11 "Rescue me and deliver me from the hand of foreigners, whose mouth speaks lying words, and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood". This is interesting because the right hand is being described as a right hand. Right hand for counsel or strength and counsel/strength of falsehood. So that what is being said is 'whose skill/strength is a skill/strength of deception' also including wicked/false plans of execution.
psalm 142:3-5 "Although my spirit grows faint within me, You know my way. Along the path I travel they have hidden a snare for me. Look and see, there is no one at my right hand; no one is concerned for me. I have no refuge; no one cares for my soul. I cry to you, LORD; I say, “You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living” - no one I can trust, no one in my trust, close counsel, friendly aid, no one who is enacting my plans/will. Consider Ps. 62:3-4 for a picture of what a type of man might look like who is not at the right hand (but supposed to be). "How long will you set upon a man, all of you who are like a leaning wall or a tottering fence? These are those that only counsel a man to thrust him down from his high place. They delight in lies. Outwardly they bless with their mouths but inwardly they curse with their hearts".
RIGHT HAND- put for trust, support, strength.
Ps 91:7 "though a thousand may fall at my side and ten thousand at my right hand side, fear shall not approach me" - put for the best and most powerful/skilled fighters or best and trusted allies or powerful/skilled allies. Those in his trust, those who add to his strength.
Isaiah 41:12-15 "Those who wage war against you will come to nothing. For I am the Lord Your God, who takes hold of your right hand and tells you; do not fear, I will help you...Your redeemer is the Holy One of Israel. Behold, I will make you into a threshing sledge, new and sharp, with many teeth. You will thresh the mountains and crush them, and reduce the hills to chaff" - put for I will make sure you succeed. I will make sure your ability and power is executed, make sure all your plans and desires are accomplished, I will watch over that which brings victory.
Isaiah 63:12 "Who caused His glorious arm to go at the right hand of Moses. Who divided the waters before them to make for Himself an everlasting name". The glorious arm for the divine strength and might. So the divine might of the Lord is what allowed Moses to execute His divine tasks, brought fulfillment of the tasks. Right hand for all that Moses did (all the divine supernatural things) in the wilderness.
Psalm 110:5-6 "The Lord is at Your right hand; He will crush kings in the day of His wrath. He will judge the nations, heaping up the dead; He will crush the leaders far and wide" - put for strength, ability, power. The Lord is in agreement, on your side, helps you to achieve victory.
Here are some other interesting uses of the right hand:
right hand of blessing → Gen 48;13-14,17-18 "And Joseph took both of them - with Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel's left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel's right hand - and brought them close to him. But Israel stretched out his right hand and put it on the head of Ephraim, the younger and crossing his hands put his left on Manasseh's head, although Manasseh was the firstborn...When Joseph saw that his father had placed his right hand on Ephraim's head he was displeased and took his father's hand to move it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's. 'Not so, my father!' Joseph said. 'This one is the first born, put your right hand on his head'”. So the right hand represents honour, inheritance rights, favor, position, the better portion.
Proverb 3:13-17 "Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. She is more precious than rubies, nothing you desire can compare with her". verse 16 "Long life is in her right hand, in her left hand are riches and honor". "Her ways are pleasant ways and all her paths are peace". Here we see Wisdom personified. Prosopopoeia/Personification - is when a thing is represented as a person. We may have the use of synecdoche as well, i.d. that right hand and left hand are put for the whole (hands or being). As in verse 16 we have a use of parallelism as well and the left hand is not being put for the opposite of the right hand. Everything prospers when you have wisdom; Everything prospers in Wisdom's hands might be the idea being put forth with this expression.
Similarly in Song of Solomon 2:6 , we see both hands doing something positive. The Bride speaks about being comforted, loved on by the Bridegroom. "His left hand is under my head, and his right hand doth embrace me".
Mathew 25:32-34 "All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate the people one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on His right hand and the goats on His left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world". For position, placement. Now the Father is the righteous Judge and this verse talks about judgement. The placing on right or left is executing a judgement. Then the position indicates righteous or wicked. The verse makes this distinction with the metaphor of sheep and goats as well. The right hand side is the favored position, the place of blessing and inheritance.
Psalm 137:4-5 "How can we sing King Alpha's song in a strange land? If I forget thee, oh Jerusalem, may my right hand forget her skill". Bullinger says concerning this use of ellipsis, "surely more is implied than mere skill or workmanship. Surely it means, 'if I forget thee oh Jerusalem, let my right hand forget me!' Let it forget to work for me to feed me and to defend me, if I forget to pray for thee and to defend thee" (pg. 10). "Ellipsis is the Greek word for - a leaving in. The figure is so called because some gap is left in the sentence which means a word or words are left out or omitted... So this term is also called Omission. The omission arises not from want or thought, or lack of care, or from accident but from design in order that we may not stop to think of or lay stress on the omitted word, but rather dwell on the other words which are thus emphasized" (pg. 1). The word omitted in this verse is - her skill or her cunning.
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🎆Concerning the right hand of the Lord, something more is put, the divine right hand. The right hand of the Lord represents Jehovah Nissi, divine deliverance, fulfillment & completion, divine truth, provision for all needs, divine council, divine blessing, divine skill.
To be at the right hand of the Lord was to be in close relationship (sharing hearts), where He speaks to you, leads you, gives you divine revelation.
Psalm 118:10-16 "All the nations surround me, but in the name of the Lord I cut them off. They surround me on every side, but in the name of the Lord I cut them off. They swarm around me like bees, but they were extinguished like burning thorns, in the name of the Lord I cut them off. I was pushed so hard I was falling, but the Lord helped me. He is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation. Shouts of joy and salvation resound in the tents of the righteous. The right hand of the Lord performs with valor! The right hand the Lord is exalted! The right hand of the Lord performs with valor!" for divine skill, divine execution, divine power, divine strength, divine capability. For divine ultimate power and ultimate authority to execute. The people acknowledge that it was by the Lord's hand that they succeeded. They are praising Him for the victory.
Consider the use of the right hand in the verses (see above) in Isaiah 41:13-15 where the Lord takes hold of their right hand and this verse "Do not fear, for I am with you: Do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will also help you, I will also uphold you with My right hand of righteousness...Indeed those who contend with you will be reduced to nothing and perish" (Isaiah 41:10-11). Right hand for divine righteousness, divine justice, divine protection, divine salvation, divine judgement on the nations, those who come against them.
Isaiah 62:8 "The LORD has sworn by His right hand and by His mighty arm: “Never again will I give your grain to your enemies for food, nor will foreigners drink the new wine for which you have toiled" put for by His power and authority.
Ex 15:6 "Your right hand, Oh Lord, has become glorious in power. Your right hand, Oh Lord has dashed the enemy in pieces" put for force/power, force of deliverance.
Psalm 20:6 "Now I know that the Lord saves His anointed; He will answer him from His holy sanctuary with mighty right hand". also translated as 'mighty deeds of the victory of his right hand".
Psalm 89:13 "You have a mighty arm; strong is your hand, and high is Your right hand". Mighty arm for strength/power, Your hand for will/authority and Your right hand for skill and execution. In cases that use hand and right hand in unison to express an idea correspondence is often at work. We don't necessarily have two things being said, but one and it is backed up with emphasis to drive home the weight of the words. That does seem to be the case here and below in Ps. 139. The strong hand and the high right hand seem to be put for one idea - that there is no other God or being as powerful, capable.
Psalm 98:1 "Oh, sing to the Lord a new song! For He has done marvelous things, His right hand and His holy arm have gained the victory".
Ps 138:7 "Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch out Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and Your right hand will save me". Stretch out Your hand for bring judgement and right hand for divine ability, divine justice.
Psalm 139:7-10 "where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, Even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me". Hand leading and right hand laying hold of put for divine authority. Divine guiding, divine watching over. Despite our sin, or when we sin, the Lord's right hand has ultimate authority over us thus over any authority the adversary gains through our sin. No matter how sinful we are, no matter how far we walk away for the Lord, his right hand can and will take hold of us. And bring us back. And also, no matter how much the enemy comes against us, or how the wicked come after us, the Lord can save us from it - divine salvation, divine power.
Jesus seated at the right hand of God. Is put for a position of the heir. The position of authority and power. The head of all rule and authority (earthly and heavenly realms). Let's look at some verses.
Psalm 110 is referenced 7 times in the new testament linked to Jesus. It says “the Lord says to my Lord: sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”.
1 Peter 3:22 gives us that full picture of this position of power over/authority that Jesus has. "Who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God - with angels, authorities, and powers subject to Him".
And here the scripture makes clear how unique and special this position is. "To which of the angels said He at any time, 'Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool'?" (Heb. 1:13).
Ephesians 1:18-22 "ask that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know the hope of His calling, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and the surpassing greatness of His power to us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of His mighty strength, which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God put everything under His feet and made Him head over everything for the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all".
More verses: Rom 8:28-39, Rev 3:20-22, Heb 1, Col 3:1-4, Acts 2:29-36
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₅The Lord (YHWH) is my protector,
He is the shade upon my right hand.
Conclusion on the right hand:
If this is a case of ellipsis, then the verse might be more correctly translated as: "Jehovah is thy shade, (he is) on thy right hand". Does this change any of the meaning?
So I want to start with asking the question - what's the difference between hand and right hand? Hand for - the doer, the deeds, the authority. So we might translate it as God is the protection/overseer of my authority/things I do/deeds that get done. or that the Lord makes everything prosper in my hands. But with right hand something more is meant. The right hand for - skill and execution, best assets, that which brings victory. So it's more like, the Lord brings success to all that my hands execute.
YHWH is the shade on my right hand → put for divine guidance, divine execution over the power/authority and the deeds/works of the person. Better translated as "You bring all my decision and deeds to fulfillment". The right hand of the poet is his skill, his plans, his ability. So the Lord covering it is a way to say bringing it to victory, success, protecting against that which would hinder it.
The imagery that comes to mind is of the solider on the battlefield. Warfare tactics had the sword in the right hand and shield in the left, so that the person to your right, their shield was covering your right hand. When a solider would thrust, there was a covering.
What about counsel? Could this verse be saying 'The Lord is a covering over me by being my advocate/counselor? The right hand of counsel, guidance, support thus also operation, overseeing.
Either way, all things the Lord puts in motion will end the way He intends it too. This is implied when a passage speaks of His right hand. So when He is over our (human) right hand, He brings this divine execution into play for the person's right hand. Let's get a better understanding of verses 6 to get a clearer picture.
₆ The sun will not smight me by day, ₆Yomam ha-shemesh lo yakekah,
nor the moon by night. v'yareach ba -layla
Verse 6 – use of synedoche. Here the terms day and night are put for the whole day, meaning a full day. Sun and moon are used to express times of the day and thus imply the dangers or things that come against one during those times. This is very reminiscent Psalm 91:5-6 “I will not fear the terror that comes in the night, nor the arrows that fly by midday. Nor will I fear the plague that walks in darkness, nor the calamity that destroys at noon”.
Day and night. They both have positive and negative connotations. This verse is speaking about the negative ones for both.
The idea is that there is a covering(shade) against these things. We see the same type of imagery in Psalm 27:5-6 when our psalmist says, 'In the day of trouble, He will hide me in His shelter' and then 'He will set me high upon a rock. Then my head will be lifted high above my enemies around me'. The Psalmist of 121 is not implying that trouble will never come, only that the Lord, by being Protector, will bring the psalmist success/victory over whatever comes against them.
So I think we have a good understanding of both verses applying correspondence:
5 The Lord is over me, so I succeed/have victory (my plans succeed because of the Lord's protection)
6 Everything/anything that is thrown at me won't succeed (thus, rather my plans succeed because of the Lord's protection).
Let's stop and address some of the literal interpretations and meanings. I do think that there is a literal meaning in this verse as well. The whole psalm is hinting at all thyself being covered and this would mean a protection of one's physical being and physical needs. Verses 3-6 are speaking on this in part. If our psalmist is David, we know that his physical wellbeing was almost always in jeopardy as he was a warrior king and throughout his reign had much war. People were actively trying to kill him.
Psalm 27:2-3 gives us a picture when it says, "When my enemies and foes rose up against me to devour my flesh they stumbled and fell. Though a host encamp against me, my heart shall not fear. Though war rise up against me, in spite of it I will still be confident". Stumbled and fell for - do not succeed (ref. vs. 3-4 in previous post). Now he was confident because the Lord protected him. Because the Lord covered his right hand - his plans, his abilities, his people, brought his work to completion.
We see the same kind of declaration using erotesis as verse 1 here in verse 27:1 "The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life whom shall I dread?".
Is verse 6 talking about sun stroke? To some degree, as this was a factor in this area. This would be encompassed in the idea that the Lord will take care of the needs; water, food, shelter, clothing (ref. Gen 28:10-22 in the previous post). Is the psalmist trying to say, 'I won't get sunburnt because the Lord is a shade like a tree to me'? I think this misinterpretation only arises when the exegeter forgets to take in mind that though this is a song of ascent, it wasn't written by a pilgrim making the ascent for the purpose of reciting upon one's ascent. Whether these words became used in this sense later I do not know. Traveling along the roads, sun stroke was a factor. In Jonah's story we read that while on the road he grew so faint because of the sun beating down on him that he said “it is better for me to die then to live”.
The sun being strong and having strong affects on a person on their pilgrimage was a factor. Is a factor for anyone who is out doing things under the sun. Would have been a factor for David during any campaign/war.
so we can look at a few verses in which hint at this aspect, which show the Lord recognized the concerns of this.
Isaiah 49:10 "They will not hunger or thirst, nor will scorching heat or sun beat down on them. For He who has compassion on them will guide them and lead them beside springs of water".
Revelation 7:16 reiterates this previous prophecy, "Never again will they hunger, and never will they thirst; nor will the sun beat down upon them, nor any scorching heat".
Isaiah 25:4 "For You have been a defense for the helpless, A defense for the needy in his distress, A refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat; For the breath of the ruthless Is like a rain storm against a wall". Wow, interesting expressions. Okay, focusing on how this verse brings the words shade and heat together. I am realizing how little I understand the value of shade in this area, to these people. I have grown up in the pacific northwest with abundant trees. I don't know a great deal about the topography of Israel but it seems to be a dry desert like area with sparse vegetation. And the shade of a tree was literal protection from death (as this seems to be hinted at in Jonah ch. 4 in the conversation between God and Jonah about the plant). Here in Isaiah 16:3 Moab says, “Give us counsel; render a decision. Shelter us at noonday with shade as dark as night. Hide the refugees; do not betray the one who flees". The sun was a type of enemy.
And maybe this verse could be saying something like 'my life is safe because the Lord is a tree over me', a safe haven that protects my life. tree for shade & me for right hand.
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₇The Lord will keep you from all evil, ₇ Hashem yishmorcha mikol ra,
He will protect your soul. Yishmor et nafshecha
₈The Lord will watch over ₈ Hashem yishmor tzeitcha
your going out & coming in.
from now until eternity. u-vo'echa me'ata v'ad olam
In verse 7 - for my soul, your soul, their souls is the Hebrew idiom, for myself, yourself, yourselves (pg.838). Idioma is the peculiar usage of words and phrases. Hopefully the more we go through the scripture, the more the mind will be able to identify between idioma, metonymy & synecdoche which seem very similar.
The word for soul - nefesh - is used in different ways for the general meaning of life/person. This can also be considered a use of synecdoche as the soul is an integral part of man, being put for the whole.
It is important that we do not mix Greek philosophy with the ancient Hebrew. So we don't need to digress on the Greek words and concept of soul. I do think there is a double entendre (duel meaning) here. the straight forward meaning is one's life/person. But there is an underlying meaning of one's eternal life. Which in the next verse gets fully flushed out.
ra - for evil or bad. Can be put for calamity, adversity, wickedness, distress. Some translations say "keep you from all harm' or 'all danger'. I like the idea that is might imply the schemes of the wicked (thus also the adversary). That this is covering over plans of wickedness (green ones and burning one ps. 58) against the person and physical dangers.
Verse 8 we have the use of synecdoche. 'To go out and come in' is used for official actions or of life in general. Verse 8 links us back to verse 4 with the concept of always watching, never resting.
Let's apply that Parallelism/correspondence for a quick simple interpretation which we can readdress and tweak later if needs be.:
7 the Lord guards your life against
all trouble/calamity
8 the Lord guards over my life daily,
now and always
Let's take a closer look at this word for eternity - olam. This word implies permanence, or perpetuity. It's literal meaning is "beyond the horizon". sometimes translated as ancient or everlasting. For this verse, most translations put - forevermore, forever or always. The least used translation is 'unto the age', or 'even for all time' and 'eternity'.
It's good to take a moment to consider that verse 8 usage of the word 'eternity' leads the mind to focus on one particular meaning, that might persist from the wrong perspective. Let's start by considering if this expression, 'from now unto eternity' is idiomatic. Used in a peculiar a way to beautify the expression of 'always' and 'forever'. Is this phrase being put for eternal life or life everlasting? These are words we see in the NT but not in the OT. Some translations put them in place of forevermore, but the root word is olam which doesn't encompass that Greek Platonic form - eternal.
Jeff Benner writes "The word olam is used for time for the distant past or the distant future as a time that is difficult to know or perceive. This word is frequently translated as "eternity", meaning a continual span of time that never ends. In the Hebrew mind it is simply what is at or beyond the horizon, a very distant time. A common phrase in the Hebrew is "L'olam va'ed" and is usually translated as "forever and ever," but in the Hebrew it means "to the distant horizon and again" meaning "a very distant time and even further."
Check out FreeBibleCommentary's post on PSALM 121 to look at the additional links covering the Hebrew and Greek words for eternity. Let's look at a few other verses just for due diligence.
Prov 8:23 "From ages ago I was established, from the beginning, before the earth began", sometimes translated as from everlasting.
Isaiah 43:13 "Yes, and from ancient days I am He. No one can deliver out of my hand. When I act, who can reverse it?” sometimes translated as from eternity to eternity.
Psalm 133:3 "It is like the dew of Hermon falling on the mountains of Zion. For there the LORD has bestowed the blessing of life forevermore" sometimes translated as life eternal.
Isaiah 55:3 "
Speaking of Jesus, Isaiah 9:7 says "Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this". Almost all translated this verse with this interpretation; some say henceforth and forever or from now even for all time.
With the research that I've done, I've seen both arguments, for and against, wether the ancient Hebrew had a concept of the afterlife or eternal soul. Here is a great atricle to read on the topic Survival of the Soul . I think this is not the time to really get into this discussion. But I will share that based off my biblical study and time in the word, it seems to me that the ancient Hebrew took their eternal life very seriously and even longed for the courts of the Lord. Maybe the view of one's being, body and soul was one in the same (not separated like the Greek concept). People in ancient times seemed to understand that they were spiritual beings first and that everything was spiritual. The ancient Hebrew understood the vast space between them and a holy being - THE MOST HIGH. They also understood the concept and return on separation from Him or Being in His presence, not just in this life but one after the body.
It appears to me that there is a lack of conversation concerning spiritual realms and realities in the Bible that was so commonplace verbally expressed and understood in those days which played a big part in their cultural norms. I think many things are missed and glossed over during exegesis because of a lack of understanding in this area. I personally can attest to this. Some theologist today suggest that this is due to the enlightenment period which brought in 'rational' thinking and debased spiritual truths because 'you couldn't prove them'. And further that this was a move played by the adversary causing lack in the believer due to lack in understanding. This is something more I want to discuss and related to that thing about mountains.
I see that the ancient Hebrew placed great dread and weight over being cut off from Israel thus blotted out from the book of life. This was an aspect of which compelled them to keep the torah. The law, given by YHWH, was never a stand alone do and don't do list. This was the way the Lord gave them at that time to be in relationship with Him and have their names written in the book of life. To conform them into His holy image and cut off that which God can have no part in (sin). A big part of keeping the covenant was making yearly sin sacrifice for cleansing. Which was necessary in order not be cut off. This is the high significance of Yom kippor. This ritual cleansing was a loophole given to them because the Lord knew the people would never be able to keep His law perfectly. He chose them. He wanted them. He wants us to be with Him. The old covenant did cover the eternal life, this wasn't a new concept brought in with the new covenant. Further, scripture says of Jesus that "all things have been created through him and for him” (Col 1:17, Heb 1:3). By which we know that the Lord always had eternity on His heart for us. Eternity wasn't the mystery kept hidden.
Now the mystery was not given to the ancient Hebrew. "The mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people"(col 1:26). This mystery was the upgrade of the new covenant. A new high priest who was always available to the soul/person. Who made one sacrifice once and for all. Who was able to keep the law perfectly. And in addition, this eternal salvation was now offered to the gentile along with the Jew and there no longer was distinction between Jew and gentile - now both deriving their last name from the Most High and being transformed by the blood of Christ. Again, this part of the conversation will need to be discussed in length at another time. The most interesting thing this brings to light is that the salvation of the soul was only offered gentile after Jesus. And before Jesus was only offered to the Jew.
Though this poem was written before Jesus, it was still a word that the Lord gave and planted for those who are/would be in Jesus. And that in these words we can see that the Lord had/has a plan for guarding our eternal life. And though the old testament was written for a people, at a time before Jesus - it is alive and active and speaks to another people, at a time after Jesus too.
If we are to take the eternal life to be put forth then our simple interpretation could also be something like this:
₇ YHWH watches over your mortal and immortal life against all trouble
₈ YHWH watches over your mortal and immortal life against all trouble always
If this is the case, both verses include the earthly and heavenly realm and the psalmist weaves the realities wonderfully, his earthly life and heavenly life, that the Lord is in control and guardian of them both.
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Because it's easy to immediately get stuck on 'eternity', interesting points of conversation get lost. Let's consider ones extended life or life on the horizon through children. Genealogy is something most cultures and nations have valued across time. So it didn't immediately come to my mind that this might be talking about lineage. The ancient Hebrew was concerned for their lineage, their children and their children's children. Verse 8 could easily be taken to mean 'The Lord looks after us through all generations'. We have become a short-sighted people, but these people understood and lived in an awareness that dreams, visions for their people/nation, the success of the works of the hand – are meant to go out and be long lasting through the generations. Moses brought the people to the river but it was Joshua who would bring them into the land. David acquired the material for the temple but it was his son who built it. The future of the individual was the future of the family and the future of the tribe and the future of the nation. That the Lord continually promised faithfulness throughout all generations was a highly valued provision/protection (ps. 90,100,145). Our poet in this sense would be declaring that protection over his family through the recitation of this song. Though I think this is highly plausible I don't think it is what was actually intended here.
Verses 7-8 are similar to Psalm 91:9-16
“Because you Most High are my dwelling place, no evil will come near me, no disaster will come near my home, for you will command your angels concerning me and they will come and guard and encamp around me. They will lift me up high so my foot will not strike a stone. I will tread the cobra and the lions down, I will trample them down. 'Because you know My name' [says the Lord], 'I will protect you. I will help you in the day of trouble. I will deliver you and honour you. Long life shall be yours and you will look upon my salvation".
Psalm 121 is also similar to Psalm 17:5-9
"My steps have held to Your paths, my feet have not slipped. I call on you, my God, for You will answer me; turn Your ear to me and hear my prayer. Show me the wonders of Your great love, You who saves by Your right hand those who take refuge in You from Your foes. Keep me as the apple of Your eye; hide me in the shadow of Your wings from the wicked who are out to destroy me, from my mortal enemies who surround me".
Let's look at our structure:
A] verse 1&5 – bold declaration
B] verse 2&6 – amplified, reverence directed to YHWH
A] verse 3&7 – bold declaration
B] verse 4&8 – amplified, reverence directed to YHWH
If we summed this up into 4 declarations, we'd have something like this:
Verses 1-2 1] YHWH is where my help comes from
Verses 3-4 2] I succeed/have victory because of the Lord's help
Verses 5-6 3] He protects me from all trouble (spiritual and physical)
Verses 7-8 4] My protector watches over my life forever (spiritual and physical)
Does it seem like four or two declarations are being made? I can't tell at this point because my mind feels like mush.
If you got this far, thanks and good job😂💪😘🎆
Personal meditation questions and exercises:
- What do you think is meant by the 'right hand' in verse 5? And what do you think is meant by the Lord being the shade upon it?
- Further, look at passages concerning the arm of the Lord. Meditate on what it signifies, what is being expressed juxtaposed with the right hand or hand of the Lord.
- Do you think the Poet is discussing a mortal and immortal life in verse 7&8?
- Do you agree or disagree with the proposal and interpretation I made through the use of parallelism/correspondence? If not, how do you translate the verses and the whole message of the poem?
- Do you agree or disagree with my suggestion on what the main message of the poem is? If not, what do you think it is?
Journal what insights come up, any scripture that comes to mind and any word from the Lord that is given.
- Recite this psalm daily. Do you feel like you are being strengthened in the Lord? Do you feel any spiritual fruit being born? which ones? Did it provoke you to affection? Did it stir up gratitude?
•Think on these questions and journal your responses:
What does this tell me about who God is? Who He is to me personally?
What does this tell me about our relationship? what does this tell me about who I am in the Lord?
Does this help me to make changes in my life? Have I received any help or encouragement?
Are any old patterns of thinking and old patterns of behaving being broken down?
what new ones are being put in place? What scripture comes to mind that bolsters these as in the Lord?
works citied:
The Bible. many different translations.biblehub.com
Bullinger, E.W. Figures of Speech used in the Bible. 1898.
Martino Publishing. Eyre & Spottiswoode London.
author - n/a. date - n/a. Chaim bentorah. Retrieved from URL: www.chaimbentorah.com/2021/01/word-study-right-hand-2/
Albert Barnes. Notes on the Old Testament. 1884. Retrieved from URL: www.biblehub.com/commentaries/psalms/109-6.htm
Benner, Jeff. 1999. Ancient Hebrew Research Center. Retrieved from URL: www.ancient-hebrew.org/definition/eternity.htm
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