Genesis 15:1

Context

The Cutting of the Covenant

15:1 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram! I am your shield¹ and the one who will reward you in great abundance.”²

Psalms 84:11

Context

84:11 For the Lord God is our sovereign protector.³

The Lord bestows favor⁴ and honor;

he withholds no good thing from those who have integrity.⁵

Psalms 115:9-11

Context

115:9 O Israel, trust in the Lord!

He is their deliverer⁶ and protector.⁷

115:10 O family⁸ of Aaron, trust in the Lord!

He is their deliverer⁹ and protector.¹⁰

115:11 You loyal followers of the Lord,¹¹ trust in the Lord!

He is their deliverer¹² and protector.¹³

[15:1] ¹sn The noun “shield” recalls the words of Melchizedek in 14:20. If God is the shield, then God will deliver. Abram need not fear reprisals from those he has fought.

[15:1] ²tn Heb “your reward [in] great abundance.” When the phrase הַרְבּה מְאֹדֵ (harbeh mÿod) follows a noun it invariably modifies the noun and carries the nuance “very great” or “in great abundance.” (See its use in Gen 41:49; Deut 3:5; Josh 22:8; 2 Sam 8:8; 12:2; 1 Kgs 4:29; 10:10-11; 2 Chr 14:13; 32:27; Jer 40:12.) Here the noun “reward” is in apposition to “shield” and refers by metonymy to God as the source of the reward. Some translate here “your reward will be very great” (cf. NASB, NRSV), taking the statement as an independent clause and understanding the Hiphil infinitive absolute as a substitute for a finite verb. However, the construction הַרְבּה מְאֹדֵ is never used this way elsewhere, where it either modifies a noun (see the texts listed above) or serves as an adverb in relation to a finite verb (see Josh 13:1; 1 Sam 26:21; 2 Sam 12:30; 2 Kgs 21:16; 1 Chr 20:2; Neh 2:2).

[84:11] ³tn Heb “[is] a sun and a shield.” The epithet “sun,” though rarely used of Israel’s God in the OT, was a well-attested royal title in the ancient Near East. For several examples from Ugaritic texts, the Amarna letters, and Assyrian royal inscriptions, see R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 131, n. 2.

[84:11] ⁴tn Or “grace.”

[84:11] ⁵tn Heb “he does not withhold good to those walking in integrity.”

[115:9] ⁶tn Or “[source of] help.”

[115:9] ⁷tn Heb “and their shield.”

[115:10] ⁸tn Heb “house.”

[115:10] ⁹tn Or “[source of] help.”

[115:10] ¹⁰tn Heb “and their shield.”

[115:11] ¹¹tn Heb “[you] fearers of the Lord.” See Ps 15:4.

[115:11] ¹²tn Or “[source of] help.”

[115:11] ¹³tn Heb “and their shield.”