Jeremiah 17:17

17:17 Do not cause me dismay! ¹ 

You are my source of safety in times of trouble.

Psalms 18:1-2

Psalm 18 ² 

For the music director; by the Lord’s servant David, who sang ³  to the Lord the words of this song when ⁴  the Lord rescued him from the power ⁵  of all his enemies, including Saul. ⁶ 

18:1 He said: ⁷ 

“I love ⁸  you, Lord, my source of strength! ⁹ 

18:2 The Lord is my high ridge, ¹⁰  my stronghold, ¹¹  my deliverer.

My God is my rocky summit where ¹²  I take shelter, ¹³ 

my shield, the horn that saves me, ¹⁴  and my refuge. ¹⁵ 

Psalms 19:14

19:14 May my words and my thoughts

be acceptable in your sight, ¹⁶ 

O Lord, my sheltering rock ¹⁷  and my redeemer. ¹⁸ 

Psalms 27:5

27:5 He will surely ¹⁹  give me shelter ²⁰  in the day of danger; ²¹ 

he will hide me in his home; ²² 

he will place me ²³  on an inaccessible rocky summit. ²⁴ 

Psalms 46:1

Psalm 46 ²⁵ 

For the music director; by the Korahites; according to the alamoth style; ²⁶  a song.

46:1 God is our strong refuge; ²⁷ 

he is truly our helper in times of trouble. ²⁸ 

Psalms 46:7

46:7 The Lord who commands armies is on our side! ²⁹ 

The God of Jacob ³⁰  is our protector! ³¹  (Selah)

Psalms 46:11

46:11 The Lord who commands armies is on our side! ³² 

The God of Jacob ³³  is our protector! ³⁴  (Selah)

Psalms 62:2

62:2 He alone is my protector ³⁵  and deliverer.

He is my refuge; ³⁶  I will not be upended. ³⁷ 

Psalms 62:7

62:7 God delivers me and exalts me;

God is my strong protector and my shelter. ³⁸ 

Psalms 91:1-2

Psalm 91 ³⁹ 

91:1 As for you, the one who lives ⁴⁰  in the shelter of the sovereign One, ⁴¹ 

and resides in the protective shadow ⁴²  of the mighty king ⁴³  –

91:2 I say this about the Lord, my shelter and my stronghold,

my God in whom I trust –

Psalms 144:1-2

Psalm 144 ⁴⁴ 

By David.

144:1 The Lord, my protector, ⁴⁵  deserves praise ⁴⁶  –

the one who trains my hands for battle, ⁴⁷ 

and my fingers for war,

144:2 who loves me ⁴⁸  and is my stronghold,

my refuge ⁴⁹  and my deliverer,

my shield and the one in whom I take shelter,

who makes nations submit to me. ⁵⁰ 

Proverbs 18:10

18:10 The name of the Lord ⁵¹  is like ⁵²  a strong tower; ⁵³ 

the righteous person runs ⁵⁴  to it and is set safely on high. ⁵⁵ 

Isaiah 25:4

25:4 For you are a protector for the poor,

a protector for the needy in their distress,

a shelter from the rainstorm,

a shade from the heat.

Though the breath of tyrants ⁵⁶  is like a winter rainstorm, ⁵⁷ 

Isaiah 32:2

32:2 Each of them ⁵⁸  will be like a shelter from the wind

and a refuge from a rainstorm;

like streams of water in a dry region

and like the shade of a large cliff in a parched land.

Ezekiel 11:16

11:16 “Therefore say: ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says: Although I have removed them far away among the nations and have dispersed them among the countries, I have been a little ⁵⁹  sanctuary for them among the lands where they have gone.’

Nahum 1:7

1:7 The Lord is good ⁶⁰  –

indeed, ⁶¹  he is a fortress ⁶²  in time of distress, ⁶³ 

and he protects ⁶⁴  those who seek refuge ⁶⁵  in him.

Habakkuk 3:19

3:19 The sovereign Lord is my source of strength. ⁶⁶ 

He gives me the agility of a deer; ⁶⁷ 

he enables me to negotiate the rugged terrain. ⁶⁸ 

(This prayer is for the song leader. It is to be accompanied by stringed instruments.) ⁶⁹ 

[17:17]  ¹ tn Heb “do not be a source of dismay for me.” For this nuance of מְחִתָּה (mÿkhittah) rather than “terror” as many of the English versions have it see BDB 370 s.v. מְחִתָּה 1.b and the usage in Prov 21:15. Compare also the usage of the related verb which occurs in the next verse (see also BDB 369 s.v. חָתַת Qal.2).

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

[18:1]  ³ tn Heb “spoke.”

[18:1]  ⁴ tn Heb “in the day,” or “at the time.”

[18:1]  ⁵ tn Heb “hand.”

[18:1]  ⁶ tn Heb “and from the hand of Saul.”

[18:1]  ⁷ tn A number of translations (e.g., NASB, NIV, NRSV) assign the words “he said” to the superscription, in which case the entire psalm is in first person. Other translations (e.g., NAB) include the introductory “he said” at the beginning of v. 1.

[18:1]  ⁸ tn The verb רָחַם (rakham) elsewhere appears in the Piel (or Pual) verbal stem with the basic meaning, “have compassion.” The verb occurs only here in the basic (Qal) stem. The basic stem of the verbal root also occurs in Aramaic with the meaning “love” (see DNWSI 2:1068-69; Jastrow 1467 s.v. רָחַם; G. Schmuttermayr, “rhm: eine lexikalische Studie,” Bib 51 [1970]: 515-21). Since this introductory statement does not appear in the parallel version in 2 Sam 22:1-51, it is possible that it is a later addition to the psalm, made when the poem was revised for use in worship.

[18:1]  ⁹ tn Heb “my strength.” “Strength” is metonymic here, referring to the Lord as the one who bestows strength to the psalmist; thus the translation “my source of strength.”

[18:2]  ¹⁰ sn My high ridge. This metaphor pictures God as a rocky, relatively inaccessible summit, where one would be able to find protection from enemies. See 1 Sam 23:25, 28.

[18:2]  ¹¹ sn My stronghold. David often found safety in such strongholds. See 1 Sam 22:4-5; 24:22; 2 Sam 5:9, 17; 23:14.

[18:2]  ¹² tn Or “in whom.”

[18:2]  ¹³ sn Take shelter. “Taking shelter” in the Lord is an idiom for seeking his protection. Seeking his protection presupposes and even demonstrates the subject’s loyalty to the Lord. In the psalms those who “take shelter” in the Lord are contrasted with the wicked and equated with those who love, fear and serve the Lord (Pss 5:11-12; 31:17-20; 34:21-22).

[18:2]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “the horn of my salvation”; or “my saving horn.”

[18:2]  ¹⁵ tn Or “my elevated place.” The parallel version of this psalm in 2 Sam 22:3 adds at this point, “my refuge, my savior, [you who] save me from violence.”

[19:14]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “may the words of my mouth and the thought of my heart be acceptable before you.” The prefixed verbal form at the beginning of the verse is understood as a jussive of prayer. Another option is to translate the form as an imperfect continuing the thought of v. 14b: “[Then] the words of my mouth and the thought of my heart will be acceptable before you.”

[19:14]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “my rocky cliff,” which is a metaphor for protection; thus the translation “sheltering rock.”

[19:14]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “and the one who redeems me.” The metaphor casts the Lord in the role of a leader who protects members of his extended family in times of need and crisis.

[27:5]  ¹⁹ tn Or “for he will.” The translation assumes the כִּי (ki) is asseverative here, rather than causal.

[27:5]  ²⁰ tn Heb “he will hide me in his hut.”

[27:5]  ²¹ tn Or “trouble.”

[27:5]  ²² tn Heb “tent.”

[27:5]  ²³ tn The three imperfect verb forms in v. 5 anticipate a positive response to the prayer offered in vv. 7-12.

[27:5]  ²⁴ tn Heb “on a rocky summit he lifts me up.” The Lord places the psalmist in an inaccessible place where his enemies cannot reach him. See Ps 18:2.

[46:1]  ²⁵ sn Psalm 46. In this so-called “Song Of Zion” God’s people confidently affirm that they are secure because the great warrior-king dwells within Jerusalem and protects it from the nations that cause such chaos in the earth. A refrain (vv. 7, 11) concludes the song’s two major sections.

[46:1]  ²⁶ sn The meaning of the Hebrew term עֲלָמוֹת (alamoth, which means “young women”) is uncertain; perhaps it refers to a particular style of music. Cf. 1 Chr 15:20.

[46:1]  ²⁷ tn Heb “our refuge and strength,” which is probably a hendiadys meaning “our strong refuge” (see Ps 71:7). Another option is to translate, “our refuge and source of strength.”

[46:1]  ²⁸ tn Heb “a helper in times of trouble he is found [to be] greatly.” The perfect verbal form has a generalizing function here. The adverb מְאֹד (mÿ’od, “greatly”) has an emphasizing function.

[46:7]  ²⁹ tn Heb “the Lord of hosts is with us.” The title “Lord of hosts” here pictures the Lord as a mighty warrior-king who leads armies into battle (see Ps 24:10). The military imagery is further developed in vv. 8-9.

[46:7]  ³⁰ tn That is, Israel, or Judah (see Ps 20:1).

[46:7]  ³¹ tn Heb “our elevated place” (see Pss 9:9; 18:2).

[46:11]  ³² tn Heb “the Lord of hosts is with us.” The title “Lord of hosts” here pictures the Lord as a mighty warrior-king who leads armies into battle (see Ps 24:10). The military imagery is further developed in vv. 8-9.

[46:11]  ³³ tn That is, Israel, or Judah (see Ps 20:1).

[46:11]  ³⁴ tn Heb “our elevated place” (see Pss 9:9; 18:2).

[62:2]  ³⁵ tn Heb “my high rocky summit.”

[62:2]  ³⁶ tn Or “my elevated place” (see Ps 18:2).

[62:2]  ³⁷ tn The Hebrew text adds רַבָּה (rabbah, “greatly”) at the end of the line. It is unusual for this adverb to follow a negated verb. Some see this as qualifying the assertion to some degree, but this would water down the affirmation too much (see v. 6b, where the adverb is omitted). If the adverb has a qualifying function, it would suggest that the psalmist might be upended, though not severely. This is inconsistent with the confident mood of the psalm. The adverb probably has an emphatic force here, “I will not be greatly upended” meaning “I will not be annihilated.”

[62:7]  ³⁸ tn Heb “upon God [is] my deliverance and my glory, the high rocky summit of my strength, my shelter [is] in God.”

[91:1]  ³⁹ sn Psalm 91. In this psalm an individual (perhaps a priest) addresses one who has sought shelter in the Lord and assures him that God will protect him from danger (vv. 1-13). In vv. 14-16 God himself promises to keep his loyal follower safe.

[91:1]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “[O] one who lives.”

[91:1]  ⁴¹ tn Traditionally “the Most High.”

[91:1]  ⁴² sn The Lord is compared here to a bird who protects its young under the shadow of its wings (see v. 4).

[91:1]  ⁴³ sn The divine name used here is “Shaddai” (שַׁדַּי, shadday; see also Ps 68:14). Shaddai (or El Shaddai) is the mighty king (sovereign judge) of the world who grants life/blesses and kills/judges. In Genesis he blesses the patriarchs with fertility and promises numerous descendants. Outside Genesis he both blesses/protects and takes away life/happiness.

[144:1]  ⁴⁴ sn Psalm 144. The psalmist expresses his confidence in God, asks for a mighty display of divine intervention in an upcoming battle, and anticipates God’s rich blessings on the nation in the aftermath of military victory.

[144:1]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “my rocky summit.” The Lord is compared to a rocky summit where one can find protection from enemies. See Ps 18:2.

[144:1]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “blessed [be] the Lord, my rocky summit.”

[144:1]  ⁴⁷ sn The one who trains my hands for battle. The psalmist attributes his skill with weapons to divine enablement (see Ps 18:34). Egyptian reliefs picture gods teaching the king how to shoot a bow. See O. Keel, The Symbolism of the Biblical World, 265.

[144:2]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “my loyal love,” which is probably an abbreviated form of “the God of my loyal love” (see Ps 59:10, 17).

[144:2]  ⁴⁹ tn Or “my elevated place.”

[144:2]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “the one who subdues nations beneath me.”

[18:10]  ⁵¹ sn The “name of the Lord” is a metonymy of subject. The “name” here signifies not the personal name “Yahweh,” for that would be redundant in the expression “the name of Yahweh,” but the attributes of the Lord (cf. Exod 34:5-7) – here his power to protect.

[18:10]  ⁵² tn The comparative “like” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is implied by the metaphor; it is supplied for the sake of clarity.

[18:10]  ⁵³ tn Heb “a tower of strength,” with “strength” regarded as attributive by most English versions. The metaphor “strong tower” indicates that God is a secure refuge. The figure is qualified in the second colon.

[18:10]  ⁵⁴ sn The metaphor of “running” to the Lord refers to a whole-hearted and unwavering trust in God’s protection (e.g., Isa 40:31).

[18:10]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “is high” or “is inaccessible.” This military-type expression stresses the effect of the trust – security, being out of danger (see HALOT 1305 s.v. שׂגב). Other scriptures will supply the ways that God actually protects people who trust him.

[25:4]  ⁵⁶ tn Or perhaps, “the violent”; NIV, NRSV “the ruthless.”

[25:4]  ⁵⁷ tc The Hebrew text has, “like a rainstorm of a wall,” which might be interpreted to mean, “like a rainstorm battering against a wall.” The translation assumes an emendation of קִיר (qir, “wall”) to קֹר (qor, “cold, winter”; cf. Gen 8:22). See J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 1:457, n. 6, for discussion.

[32:2]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “a man,” but אִישׁ (’ish) probably refers here to “each” of the officials mentioned in the previous verse.

[11:16]  ⁵⁹ tn Or “have been partially a sanctuary”; others take this as temporal (cf. NASB, NIV, NRSV “a little while”).

[1:7]  ⁶⁰ tn The Masoretic disjunctive accent marker (zaqeph parvum) divides the lines here. Most English versions reflect this line division (KJV, RSV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NKJV). Some extend the line: “Yahweh is better than a fortress” (NJB); “The Lord is good to those who hope in him” (NJPS); and “The Lord is good to those who trust him” (NEB). This issue is complicated by the textual problems in this verse.

[1:7]  ⁶¹ tn The preposition לְ (lamed) probably functions in an emphatic asseverative sense, suggested by D. L. Christensen, “The Acrostic of Nahum Reconsidered,” ZAW 87 (1975): 22. This explains the preceding statement: the Lord is good to his people (1:7a) because – like a fortress – he protects them in time of distress (1:7b).

[1:7]  ⁶² tc Some ancient versions read, “The Lord is good to those who trust him.” The MT reads לְמָעוֹז (lÿma’oz, “a fortress”): the noun מָעוֹז (ma’oz, “fortress”) with the preposition לְ (lÿ, see below). However, the LXX reflects the reading לְמֵעִיז (lÿme’iz, “to those who trust [him]”): the Hiphil participle from עוּז (’uz, “seek refuge”) with the preposition לְ. The variants involve only different vocalizations and the common confusion of vav (ו) with yod. Most English versions follow the traditional Hebrew reading (KJV, RSV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NKJV); however, several others follow the alternate Greek reading (NEB, NJPS). The BHS editors and several other scholars favor the LXX tradition; however, the Masoretic tradition has been defended by others. The Masoretic tradition is supported by the Dead Sea Scrolls (4QpNah). The problem with the LXX reading is the absence of the direct object in the Hebrew text; the LXX is forced to supply the direct object αὐτόν (auton, “him”; for a similar addition of the direct object αὐτόν by the LXX, see Amos 9:12). The main objection to the MT reading לְמָעוֹז (“a fortress”) is that לְ is hard to explain. However, לְ may be taken in a comparative sense (Cathcart: “Yahweh is better than a fortress in time of distress”) or an asseverative sense (Christensen: “Yahweh is good; indeed, a fortress in time of distress”). See K. J. Cathcart, Nahum in the Light of Northwest Semitic (BibOr), 55; idem, “More Philological Studies in Nahum,” JNSL 7 (1979): 4; D. L. Christensen, “The Acrostic of Nahum Reconsidered,” ZAW 87 (1975): 22. Elsewhere, the Lord is commonly portrayed as a “fortress” (מָעוֹז) protecting his people (Pss 27:1; 28:8; 31:3, 5; 37:39; 43:2; 52:9; Isa 17:10; 25:4; 27:5; Joel 4:16; Jer 16:19; Neh 8:10; Prov 10:29).

[1:7]  ⁶³ sn The phrase “time of distress” (בְּיוֹם צָרָה) refers to situations in which God’s people are oppressed by enemy armies (Isa 33:2; Jer 14:8; 15:11; 16:19; Obad 12; Pss 20:2; 37:39). Nahum may be alluding to recent Assyrian invasions of Judah, such as Sennacherib’s devastating invasion in 701 b.c., in which the Lord protected the remnant within the fortress walls of Jerusalem (2 Kgs 18-19; 2 Chr 32; Isa 36-37).

[1:7]  ⁶⁴ tn Heb “he knows” or “he recognizes.” The basic meaning of the verb יָדַע (yada’) is “to know,” but it may denote “to take care of someone” or “to protect” (HALOT 391 s.v.; see Gen 39:6; Job 9:21; Ps 31:8). Most English versions render it as “know” here (KJV, RSV, NASB, NKJV) but at least two recognize the nuance “protect” (NRSV, NIV [which reads “cares for”]). It often refers to God protecting and caring for his people (2 Sam 7:20; Ps 144:3). When the subject is a king (suzerain) and the object is a servant (vassal), it often has covenantal overtones. In several ancient Near Eastern languages this term depicts the king (suzerain) recognizing his treaty obligation to protect and rescue his servant (vassal) from its enemies. For example, a letter from Abdi-Ashirta governor of Ammuru to the Egyptian king Amenophis III ends with a plea for protection from the raids of the Mittani: “May the king my lord know [= protect] me” (yi-da-an-ni; EA 60:30-32). Similarly, in the treaty between Muwattallis and Alaksandus, the Hittite suzerain assures his vassal that in case he was attacked, “As he is an enemy of you, even so he is an enemy to the Sun; I the Sun, will know [= “protect”] only you, Alaksandus” (see H. B. Huffmon, “The Treaty Background of Hebrew YADA`,” BASOR 181 (1966): 31-37; idem, “A Further Note on the Treaty Background of Hebrew YADA`,” BASOR 184 (1966): 36-38.

[1:7]  ⁶⁵ tn Or “those who trust in him” (NIV); NAB “those who have recourse to him.”

[3:19]  ⁶⁶ tn Or perhaps, “is my wall,” that is, “my protector.”

[3:19]  ⁶⁷ tn Heb “he makes my feet like those of deer.”

[3:19]  ⁶⁸ tn Heb “he makes me walk on my high places.”

[3:19]  ⁶⁹ tn Heb “For the leader, on my stringed instruments.”