Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 121:3
He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
3. It is maintained by some grammarians that the negative particle ’al “sometimes expresses merely the subjective feeling and sympathy of the speaker with the act” (Davidson, Syntax, 128, R. 2), and consequently the rendering of the A.V. is retained in the R.V. Psa 121:4 will then repeat the ‘subjective feeling’ of Psa 121:3 as a categorical assertion. But here at any rate it is preferable, with R.V. marg., to retain the usual deprecative meaning of ’al; May he not suffer thy foot to be moved; may he that keepeth thee not slumber! and in Psa 121:4 the speaker as it were corrects himself, or possibly another speaker chimes in: ‘Nay, there is no need for such a prayer, for Israel’s keeper never sleeps.’ Israel’s watchman is not like a human sentinel, liable to be overcome by sleep upon his watch; He is not such as the heathen suppose their gods to be (1Ki 18:27), but unceasing in His vigilance. He that keepeth Israel may be an allusion to Gen 28:15.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
3, 4. It is possible to suppose that the speaker of Psa 121:1-2 . addresses himself, but it is more natural to hear in these verses the voice of another speaker, answering the first with words of encouragement.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
He will not suffer thy foot to be moved – He will enable you to stand firm. You are safe in his protection. Compare the notes at Psa 38:16. This, with the remainder of the psalm, seems to be of the nature of an answer to the anxious question in Psa 121:1 – an answer which the author of the psalm, in danger and trouble, makes to his own soul, imparting confidence to himself.
He that keepeth thee will not slumber – He will be ever watchful and wakeful. Compare Isa 27:3. All creatures, as far as we know, sleep; God never sleeps. Compare Psa 139:11-12. His eyes are upon us by day, and in the darkness of the night – the night literally; and also the night of calamity, woe, and sorrow.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Psa 121:3
He will not suffer thy foot to be moved.
He will not suffer thy foot to be moved
Any of you who have tried to climb the hills know that that is just the great danger of it. One slip, and you may go sheer down hundreds of feet, and be dashed to pieces. Do we not use this expression to cover the idea of safety? We talk about the sure-footed guide, and the sure-footed mountaineer, the man of keen eye and cool nerve, and of muscles like iron all over his body; a man who can be depended on. If he gets a foothold for his foot, he will put his foot there, and keep it there, until he gets another as good. So is the Christian. Why, in one sense, we are engaged in a perilous journey. We are going up. We are climbing. To brace yourself to climb the Matterhorn is a small thing compared with this girding of your mind to be sober and climbing right up from hell to heaven. And that is the climb for every one of us. (John McNeill)
The Christians stability
The North Pole is perpetually roving within the limits of a circle sixty feet in diameter. What is the North Pole to-day is not the North Pole to-morrow. The true North Pole has been known to travel more than four feet in a week, while sometimes it has required more than a month to cover a yard. Suppose that you and I were to sail from opposite points to discover this turning-point. We will say that you, with your astronomical instruments, planted your flag upon the exact North Pole six months ago, and then went away. I, arriving to-day, make equally accurate calculations and plant my flag also upon the true North Pole. My flag is probably forty feet from yours, yet neither of us is in error. To-morrow the elusive little tip-top of the earth will have slipped away from both of us. And if I were to claim a building site the corner-stone of which was marked by this North Pole, a strange predicament would follow. I should have to place my fences upon castors, and keep them continually moving in order to mark strictly my own reservation. So it is with too many Christian lives. Want of stability in the Christian faith and life is one of the great–one might say the greatest–hindrances to the true development of Christianity among us. We are constantly veering round in our faith and life, following the latest new belief, accepting every modern faith, or doubting some established Christian doctrine. Let us be more stable in our religion. (Signal.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 3. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved] The foundation, God’s infinite power and goodness, on which thou standest, cannot be moved; and whilst thou standest on this basis, thy foot cannot be moved.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
He speaketh as it were from God to himself, but withal to the encouragement of his followers and of all good men.
To be moved, to wit, so as fall into mischief.
Will not slumber; will not overlook nor neglect any thing which is necessary for thy preservation.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
3, 4. His sleepless vigilance isadded.
to be moved(ComparePsa 38:16; Psa 66:9).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
He wilt not suffer thy foot to be moved,…. This is either an address of the psalmist to his own soul; or to any other good man, his friend and acquaintance, assuring of stability, and of final perseverance in grace to glory. The Lord keeps the feet of his saints from falling: he will not suffer them to be moved out of the spiritual estate in which they stand; nor off of the Foundation and Rock of ages, on which their feet are set, and their goings established; nor out of the house of God, where they are as pillars; nor out of his ways, where he upholds their goings; moved in some sense they may be, yet not “greatly moved”; their feet may be “almost” gone, and their steps “well nigh” slipped, and yet shall not fall finally and totally, or so as to perish; see Ps 62:2;
he that keepeth thee will not slumber; neither angels nor men are the keepers of the saints, but the Lord himself; he is the keeper of every individual saint, of every regenerate person, of everyone of his sheep, of every member of his church; he keeps them by his power, he preserves them by his grace, he holds them with his right hand; guides them by his counsel, keeps their feet from falling, and brings them safe to glory: and a watchful keeper he is, he does not so much as slumber; he keeps them night and day, lest any harm them, Isa 27:3. Gussetius reads the whole as a prayer, “let him not suffer [thy foot]”, c. “let not thy keeper slumber” i to which the answer follows.
i – “ne permittat–ne dormitet”, Junius Tremellius, Piscator so Ainsworth.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
3 He will not suffer thy foot to stumble. Here the Prophet, in order to recall the faithful to the right path, and to defeat the influence of all the allurements which are wont to distract their minds, affirms that whatever advantages worldly men are accustomed to desire or hope for from the world, true believers will find abundantly and at hand in God alone. He not only attributes power to God, but also teaches that He is so affectioned towards us, that he will preserve us in all respects in perfect safety. As often as the power of God is extolled, there are many who immediately reply, It is very true that he can do such and such things if he is so inclined, but we do not certainly know what is his intention. In this passage, therefore, God is exhibited to the faithful as their guardian, that they may rest with assured confidence on his providence. As the Epicureans, in imagining that God has no care whatever about the ‘world, extinguish all piety, so those who think that the world is governed by God only in a general and confused manner, and believe not that he cherishes with special care each of his believing people, leave men’s minds in suspense, and are themselves kept in a state of constant fluctuation and anxiety. In short, never will the hearts of men be led in good earnest to call upon God, until a persuasion of the truth of this guardianship is deeply fixed in their minds. The Psalmist declares that the purpose for which God is our keeper, is, that he may hold us up. The Hebrew word, מוט, mot, which is here used, signifies both a sliding or falling, and a trembling or staggering. Now, although it often happens that the faithful stagger, yea, are even ready to fall altogether, yet as God sustains them by his power, they are said to stand upright. And as amidst the many dangers which every moment threaten us, it is difficult for us to get rid of all anxiety and fear, the Prophet at the same time testifies, that God keeps watch unceasingly over our safety.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(3) He will not.The LXX. and Vulg. rightly, may He not suffer, &c. The Hebrew cannot be a simple negative. That it is Israel which is addressed the next verse seems to prove.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
3. Thy foot to be moved The word “moved” may signify to slip, slide, or to tremble, totter, or even to fall. An insecure foot-hold is a casualty specially incident to the pilgrim on a long journey, and is an emblem of disaster and defeat. Psa 38:16; Psa 94:18. The statement is equal to saying, that God would give to the true pilgrim a prosperous journey.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
How beautiful, how truly beautiful and soul-refreshing are these words, if considered, first, as spoken by God our Father to the person of his dear Son, as the Mediator and Head of the church; and then as spoken to all his people in him. Reader! do let me entreat you to pause over this beautiful Psalm, and see whether, under the divine teaching of the Holy Ghost, it doth not correspond to the general analogy of faith, to read it with reference to the ever blessed Jesus. And if so, what a most delightful scripture is it, to behold the sacred persons of the Godhead (as in other scriptures) thus addressing each other: Isa_42:25; Isa_42:25 , etc. Psa 89 . Jesus having taken our nature into union with the Godhead for the purposes of redemption; now in that nature looks up for the promised help, to carry him safely and honorably through it. And God our Father, beholding with inexpressible complacency his dear Son as the sinner’s surety, thus speaking to him in such a divine way of blessing, keeping, preserving, and conducting him, amidst the sun’s heat, and the moon’s influences, from every danger safely through the whole. Oh! for grace to look up and bless the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for this unequalled gift of his dear Son. Oh! for grace to adore the holy and eternal Spirit, both for having brought poor sinners acquainted with this love, and for giving us hearts to believe the record God hath given of his dear Son. And oh! for grace to be ever looking unto thee, thou dear Emmanuel, who though thou wast rich, yet for our sakes didst become poor, that we through thy poverty might be made rich. Reader! while thus making Jesus the sum and substance of this divine Psalm, forget not that it is as the head of his church and people, that he thus appears. All the promises here made to him, are in him made to his people also. God in Christ is the keeper, the shade, the helper, the stay of all his redeemed. He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness before him, 1Sa 2:9 . In all the exercises of his faithful, in going out or coming home, Jesus will go before them, and the God of Israel will be their rereward. Oh! the blessedness of the Israel of God; oh! the glory, grace, and love of the God of Israel.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Psa 121:3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
Ver. 3. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved ] Not greatly moved, Psa 62:2 , an utter prolapsion.
He that keepeth thee will not slumber
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
not = May He not. Hebrew ‘al (like Greek. me). (Subjective, and conditional).
keepeth . . . (Psa 121:4) keepeth . . . (Psa 121:5) keeper. Note the Figure of speech Polyptoton (App-6). Hebrew. shomreka . . . shomer . . . shomreka. Repeated in verses: Psa 121:7-8.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Psa 121:3
Psa 121:3
“He will not suffer thy foot to be moved:
He that keepeth thee will not slumber.”
“He that keepeth thee.” The words “keep,” “keeper” and “keepeth” appear six times in these eight verses; and this is the reason for our selection of the first title of the psalm.
E.M. Zerr:
Psa 121:3. The Psalmist addresses himself in the 2nd person; it is a form of self-assurance. The surety of constant help is due to the fact that the Helper never slumbers on the situation, but Is always alert and ready for the needed action.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
will not: Psa 91:12, 1Sa 2:9, Pro 2:8, Pro 3:23, Pro 3:26, 1Pe 1:5
Reciprocal: 2Sa 22:37 – feet Psa 17:5 – Hold Psa 26:1 – I shall Psa 37:23 – steps Psa 37:31 – none Psa 55:22 – suffer Psa 66:9 – suffereth Psa 94:18 – My foot Psa 119:133 – Order Psa 127:1 – except Psa 139:3 – my path Pro 24:12 – that keepeth Isa 27:3 – do keep 2Pe 1:10 – never
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Psa 121:3-8. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved To wit, so as to fall into mischief. He speaks, as it were, from God to himself, but, withal, to the encouragement of all good men. He that keepeth thee will not slumber Will not overlook nor neglect any thing which is necessary for thy preservation. The Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand Both to refresh thee, and keep thee from the burning heat of the sun. In those countries where the heat of the sun was intolerable, shady places were esteemed not only very refreshing, but likewise salutary, and necessary to the preservation of health and life. When, therefore, the psalmist styles God his shade, he means that he protected him from danger, and refreshed him with comforts. The sun shall not smite thee by day With excessive heat; nor the moon by night With that cold and damp which come into the air by it. Intemperate heats and colds are the springs of many diseases. And, as the heat of the sun by day, so the copious dews, which fall most abundantly in the moonshine, were very pernicious in those countries. The sense is, He shall protect thee from all evils, both day and night. The Lord shall preserve thy going out and coming in Shall guard and assist thee in all thy expeditions, journeys, and affairs, both at home and abroad; from this time forth, and even for evermore He will be thy guide even unto death, and then bring thee to his heavenly kingdom. God will protect his church and his saints always, even to the end of the world; the Spirit, which is their preserver and comforter, shall abide with them for ever.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
121:3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not {b} slumber.
(b) He shows that God’s providence not only watches over his Church in general, but also over every member of it.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
2. The assurance of help 121:3-8
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)
"Allowing the foot to slip" was an appropriate imagery depicting a pilgrim who walked toward the temple over sometimes treacherous terrain. The imagery means God would keep His people stable and upright in their manner of life. Even though travelers sometimes journeyed after dark, God would never stop watching out for his worshippers.
“Unless the psalmist addresses an observer (note the second person singular forms in Psa 121:3-8), it appears there are two or three speakers represented in the psalm, depending on how one takes Psa 121:3. The translation [in the NET Bible] assumes that speaker one talks in Psa 121:1-2, that speaker two responds to him with a prayer in Psa 121:3 (this assumes the verbs are true jussives of prayer), and that speaker three responds with words of assurance in Psa 121:4-8. If the verbs in Psa 121:3 are taken as a rhetorical use of the jussive, then there are two speakers. Psa 121:3-8 are speaker two’s response to the words of speaker one." [Note: The NET Bible note on Psalms 121.]