2 Samuel 22:51

22:51 He gives his chosen king magnificent victories; ¹ 

he is faithful to his chosen ruler, ² 

to David and to his descendants forever!”

Psalms 61:3

61:3 Indeed, ³  you are ⁴  my shelter,

a strong tower that protects me from the enemy. ⁵ 

Psalms 144:2

144:2 who loves me ⁶  and is my stronghold,

my refuge ⁷  and my deliverer,

my shield and the one in whom I take shelter,

who makes nations submit to me. ⁸ 

Proverbs 18:10

18:10 The name of the Lord ⁹  is like ¹⁰  a strong tower; ¹¹ 

the righteous person runs ¹²  to it and is set safely on high. ¹³ 

[22:51]  ¹ tc The translation follows the Kethib and the ancient versions in reading מַגְדִּיל (magdil, “he magnifies”) rather than the Qere and many medieval Hebrew mss of the MT which read מִגְדּוֹל (migdol, “tower”). See Ps 18:50.

[22:51]  ² tn Heb “[the one who] does loyalty to his anointed one.”

[61:3]  ³ tn Or “for.”

[61:3]  ⁴ tn Or “have been.”

[61:3]  ⁵ tn Heb “a strong tower from the face of an enemy.”

[144:2]  ⁶ 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]  ⁷ tn Or “my elevated place.”

[144:2]  ⁸ tn Heb “the one who subdues nations beneath me.”

[18:10]  ⁹ 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]  ¹⁰ 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]  ¹¹ 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]  ¹² 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]  ¹³ 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.