Psalms 115:9 — Word Study
WLCיִ֭שְׂרָאֵל בְּטַ֣ח בַּיהוָ֑ה עֶזְרָ֖ם וּמָגִנָּ֣ם הֽוּא׃
BSAO IsraelYisrâʼêl [God's chosen people] trustbâṭach [have faith, rely on] in the LORDYᵉhôvâh [Yehovah, the covenant God] Hehûwʼ [the Almighty, their Helper] is their helpʻêzer [assistant, supporter] and shieldmâgên [protector, defense]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| יִ֭שְׂרָאֵל | O Israel | Noun proper |
| בְּטַ֣ח | trust | Verb, Qal, imperative second person masculine singular |
| בַּיהוָ֑ה | in Yahweh | Preposition, noun proper |
| עֶזְרָ֖ם | [is] help their | Noun common masculine singular construct, suffix |
| וּמָגִנָּ֣ם | and shield their | Conjunction, noun common masculine singular construct, suffix |
| הֽוּא׃ | he | Pronoun |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | O Israel, trust in the LORD! He is their help and shield. |
| KJV | O Israel, trust thou in the LORD: he is their help and their shield. |
| ASV | O Israel, trust thou in Jehovah: He is their help and their shield. |
| YLT | O Israel, trust in Jehovah, 'Their help and their shield [is] He.' |
| WEB | Israel, trust in Yahweh! He is their help and their shield. |
| BBE | O Israel, have faith in the Lord: he is their help and their breastplate. |
Where they part company is בְּטַח — see How Translations Differ.
The verse consists of a main clause calling for trust and a predicate affirming God's role as helper and shield.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
subjectהוּא
verbבָּטַח
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Psalms 115:9
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — Trusting in the LORDgenerated
Psalm 115:9 encourages the people of Israel to place their trust in the LORD, contrasting their faith in Him with the futility of trusting in idols. This verse is part of a larger context that calls for reliance on God as the true source of help and protection, as seen in the surrounding verses that emphasize faith in the divine over man-made idols.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 118:2–4 | Let Israel say, “His loving devotion endures forever.” |
| 2 | Psalm 135:19–20 | O house of Israel, bless the LORD; O house of Aaron, bless the LORD; |
| 3 | Exodus 19:5 | Now if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, you will be My treasured possession out of all the nations—for the whole earth is Mine. |
| 4 | Psalm 62:8 | Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts before Him. God is our refuge. Selah |
| 5 | Psalm 125:1 | Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion. It cannot be moved; it abides forever. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 13 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — בְּטַח, be.Tachgenerated
The verb בָּטַח (be.Tach) is an imperative form, urging the listener to trust or have confidence. It conveys a sense of security and boldness, inviting Israel to rely on God amidst challenges.
This call to trust highlights the relationship between the believer and God, emphasizing the need for faith in His protection and support. The imperative form indicates urgency and importance in the act of trusting.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The verse contains one main clause, with the finite verb בְּטַח (trust) leading the call to action. The structure emphasizes the imperative nature of the command to Israel, followed by a description of God's protective role.
The sentence's flow highlights the relationship between the subject, Israel, and the action of trusting, culminating in the affirmation of God as their helper and shield.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates בְּטַח as ἤλπισεν (ēlpisen), which means 'to hope' or 'to trust.' This choice reflects a slight shift in nuance, emphasizing a hopeful expectation in God rather than a straightforward command to trust.
This translation indicates that the translators understood the essence of the Hebrew call to trust as an invitation to place hope in God's faithfulness.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalm 115:9 calls Israel to trust in the LORD, affirming that He is their help and shield. This verse emphasizes the importance of relying on God for support and protection instead of turning to idols.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
To trust in the LORD means to have faith in His ability to provide help and protection, relying on Him in all circumstances.
Israel is called to trust in God as a reminder of His faithfulness and power, especially in contrast to the impotence of idols.
We can apply this call by actively placing our faith in God during difficult times, seeking His guidance and support.
The term 'shield' signifies God's protective nature, illustrating how He defends and safeguards those who trust in Him.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what areas of my life do I need to trust God more fully?
- How can I encourage others to place their trust in the LORD?
- What are some examples of God's help and protection in my own experiences?
- How does understanding God as a shield change my perspective on challenges I face?
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 115:9 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleO Israel, trust thou in the Lord,.... Or, "the house of Israel hath trusted in the Lord": so the Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions: the Targum is, "Israel trusteth in
Read John Gill on Psalms 115 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryO Israel, trust thou in the LORD: he is their help and their shield. O Israel, trust thou in the Lord: he is their help and their shield - (Psalms 33:20.) "Their help" - namely, the help of the Israelites.
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 115 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleO Israel, do not thou follow the example of these brutish idolaters, but serve the Lord only. Their help; who trust in God, as he now required. Or their is put for your by a change of persons, which is most frequent in Scripture, and especially in these books.
Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 115 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 115:9 O Israel, trust thou in the LORD: he [is] their help and their shield.Ver. 9. O Israel, trust thou in the Lord] Whatever others do, Joshua 24:15, and the rather because others do not, Psalms 119:42; the worse they are, the better be ye. He is their help and their shield] God is engaged in point of honour to help and protect those that trust in him.
Read John Trapp on Psalms 115 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(9) O Israel.—There is consummate art in this sudden change of address. It is like the pointed application of some general truth in a sermon. It is possible that in the liturgic use a change in the music was made here, the Levites and choir turning to the people with a loud burst of song. He is their help and their shield.—The original form of this motto of trust appears in Psalms 33:20. Here the change of person suggests some musical arrangement. Apparently one part of the choir, or, it may be, one officiating priest, addressed successively the whole congregation with the charge, “trust in Jehovah,” and each time the full choir took up the refrain, “He is their helper and shield,”…
Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 115 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 9. O Israel] The body of the Jewish people.
Read AdamClarke on Psalms 115 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges9–13. An exhortation to Israel to trust Jehovah, Who will surely bless His people.
Read Cambridge on Psalms 115 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleO Israel, trust thou in the Lord - This exhortation is founded in a great measure on what had been just said in regard to idols. They had no power. There was no reason why they should be confided in.
Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 115 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
O Israel, trust in the LORD! He is their help and shield.
Israel, trust in Yahweh! He is their help and their shield.
O Israel, trust in the LORD! He is their help and shield.
O Israel, trust in the Lord! He is their deliverer and protector.
Tyndale line
O Israel, trust thou in the LORD: he is their help and their shield.
O Israel, trust thou in Jehovah: He is their help and their shield.
O Israel, trust thou in the LORD: he is their help and their shield.
O Israel, trust thou in the LORD: he is their help and their shield.
O Israel, trust thou in the Lord: for he is their helpe and their shielde.
Strictly literal
O Israel, confide thou in Jehovah: he is their help and their shield.
O Israel, trust in Jehovah, 'Their help and their shield [is] He.'
O Israel, trust in YHWH, “He [is] their help and their shield.”
O Israel, trust thou in the Lord—he is their help and their shield.
Israel, trust in Yahweh; he is your help and shield.
From the Latin
I will pay my vows to the Lord in the sight of all his people:
Simplified
Israel, trust in the Lord! He is the one who helps you and protects you.
O Israel, have faith in the Lord: he is their help and their breastplate.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree on the wording of this verse, with all six words matched in the Hebrew text. This consistency shows a shared understanding of the call to trust in God as the source of help and protection.
יִ֭שְׂרָאֵל בְּטַ֣ח בַּיהוָ֑ה עֶזְרָ֖ם וּמָגִנָּ֣ם הֽוּא׃
6 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Psalms 115:9
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisra'el) refers to both the second name of Jacob, meaning 'God prevails,' and the name of the Hebrew nation descended from him. It is derived from roots meaning 'to rule' and 'God.' The term encompasses Jacob's descendants and is used historically for the northern kingdom of Israel and the nation as a whole after the Babylonian exile.
יִשְׂרָאֵל 2507 n.pr.m. et gent. Israel (Ēl persisteth, persevereth)
n.pr.m. second name of Jacob
n.pr.gent. name of Hebrew nation
base
H3478 יִשְׂרָאֵל Israel (Ēl persisteth, persevereth) . n. pr. m. second name of Jacob
. n. pr. gent. name of Hebrew nation
3478 Yisra'el yis-raw-ale'
from 8280 and 410; he will rule as God; Jisrael, a symbolical
name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterity:
--Israel.
see HEBREW for 08280
see HEBREW for 0410
יִשְׂרָאֵל (yis.ra.el) — Israel.
A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.25.26;
son of: Isaac (H3327) and Rebekah (H7259);
brother of: Esau (H6215); married to Rachel (H7354), Leah (H3812), Zilpah (H2153) and Bilhah (H1090A);
father of: Reuben (H7205), Simeon (H8095), Levi (H3878), Judah (H3063), Dan (H1835H), Naphtali (H5321), Gad (H1410), Asher (H0836), Issachar (H3485), Zebulun (H2074), Dinah (H1783), Joseph (H3130) and Benjamin (H1144); also called Jacob frequently
§ Israel = "God prevails"
1) the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel
2) the name of the descendants and the nation of the descendants of Jacob
2a) the name of the nation until the death of Solomon and the split
N-proper — Noun properHNpl
iz'-ra-el.
See JACOB.
Israel
The name conferred on Jacob after the great prayer-struggle at Peniel (Gen. 32:28), because “as a prince he had power with God and prevailed.” (See JACOB.) This is the common name given to Jacob’s descendants. The whole people of the twelve tribes are called “Israelites,” the “children of Israel” (Josh. 3:17; 7:25; Judg. 8:27; Jer. 3:21), and the “house of Israel” (Ex. 16:31; 40:38).
This name Israel is sometimes used emphatically for the true Israel (Ps. 73:1: Isa. 45:17; 49:3;
(the prince that prevails with God). The name given, (Genesis 32:28) to Jacob after his wrestling with the angel, (Hosea 12:4) at Peniel. Gesenius interprets Israel "soldier of God." It became the national name of the twelve tribes collectively. They are so called in (Exodus 3:16) and afterward. It is used in a narrower sense, excluding Judah, in (1 Samuel 11:8; 2 Samuel 20:1; 1 Kings 12:16) Thenceforth it was assumed and accepted as the name of the northern kingdom. After the Babylonian captivity, the returned exiles resumed the name Israel as the designation of…
Who prevails with God, a name given to Jacob, after having wrestled with the Angel-Jehovah at Penuel. Ge 32:1,2,28,30 Ho 12:3. See JACOB. By the name Israel is sometimes understood all the posterity of Israel, the seed of Jacob, 1Co 10:18; sometimes all true believers, his spiritual seed, Ro 9:6; and sometimes the kingdom of Israel, or the ten tribes, as distinct from the kingdom of Judah.
בָּטַח (batach) is a Hebrew verb meaning to trust or have confidence. It conveys a sense of security and boldness, both in a personal sense and when causing others to feel secure. The entries indicate its use in different forms, such as Qal and Hiphil, covering aspects of trust and confidence.
בָּטַח vb. trust
Qal
trust
be confident
Hiph. cause to trust, make secure
base
H982 בָּטַח trust . trust
. be confident
982 batach baw-takh'
a primitive root; properly, to hie for refuge (but not so
precipitately as 2620); figuratively, to trust, be confident
or sure:--be bold (confident, secure, sure), careless (one,
woman), put confidence, (make to) hope, (put, make to) trust.
see HEBREW for 02620
בָּטַח (ba.tach) — to trust.
1) to trust
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to trust, trust in
1a2) to have confidence, be confident
1a3) to be bold
1a4) to be secure
1b) (Hiphil)
1b1) to cause to trust, make secure
2) (TWOT) to feel safe, be careless
V-Qal-Impv-2ms — Verb · Qal · imperative second person masculine singularHVqv2ms
→ See FAITH
- God is the true object of
- The fear of God leads to
- ENCOURAGEMENTS TO
. The everlasting strength of God
. The goodness of God
. The loving-kindness of God
יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) is the proper name of the God of Israel, often rendered as Jehovah or the Lord. It signifies the self-existent or eternal nature of God. The name is closely associated with the revelation to Moses in Exodus 3:12-15 and is used in conjunction with other terms to denote sacred places. Some scholars suggest it derives from a root meaning 'to bring into being.'
יהוה c. 6823 i.e. יַהְוֶה n.pr.dei Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel—(1. MT יְהֹוָה 6518 (Qr אֲדֹנָי), or יֱהֹוִה 305 (Qr אֱלֹהִים) 2. Many recent scholars explain יַהְוֶה as Hiph. of הוה (= היה) the one bringing into being, life-giver)
יהוה is not used by E in Gn, but is given Ex 3:12-15 as the name of the God who revealed Himself to Moses at Horeb
יהוה is used with אלהים and suffixes, especially in D
the phrase † אֲנִי יהוה is noteworthy
יהוה is also used with several predicates, to form sacred names of holy places of Yahweh
base
H3068 יהוה i.e. יַהְוֶה n. pr. dei Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel
3068 Yhovah yeh-ho-vaw'
from 1961; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish
national name of God:--Jehovah, the Lord. Compare 3050, 3069.
see HEBREW for 01961
see HEBREW for 03050
see HEBREW for 03069
יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — LORD.
Jehovah = "the existing One"
1) the proper name of the one true God
1a) unpronounced except with the vowel pointings of a.do.na (אֲדֹנָי "Lord" H0136)
יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — The Lord.
Another name of ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)
יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — (Jerusalem of) the Lord.
Combined with ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)
Prep | N-proper — Preposition · noun properHR/Npt
עֵ֫זֶר (ezer) means help or succour, referring to assistance or support. It can denote both the act of helping and a person who provides help. The term is derived from a root meaning to aid. The entries consistently emphasize its meaning as a source of assistance.
עֵ֫זֶר n.m. help, succour
help, succour
concr. = one who helps
base
H5828 עֵ֫זֶר help, succour
5828 `ezer ay'-zer
from 5826; aid:--help.
see HEBREW for 05826
עֵ֫זֶר (e.zer) — helper.
1) help, succour
1a) help, succour
1b) one who helps
N-ms | Suff — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffixHNcmsc/Sp3mp
מָגֵן (magen) means 'shield' and can refer to both a small shield or buckler and a figurative protector. It can also denote the scaly hide of a crocodile. The word is feminine in plural form, מִגִּנָּה (mginnah), and is derived from a root meaning to cover or protect.
מָגֵן n.m. & f. shield
base
H4043 מָגֵן shield
4043 magen maw-gane'
also (in plural) feminine mginnah {meg-in-naw'}; from 1598; a
shield (i.e. the small one or buckler); figuratively, a
protector; also the scaly hide of the crocodile:--X armed,
buckler, defence, ruler, + scale, shield.
see HEBREW for 01598
מָגֵן (ma.gen) — shield.
shield, buckler
Conj | N-cs | Suff — Conjunction · noun common masculine singular construct · suffixHC/Ncmsc/Sp3mp
הוּא (hu) is a third-person singular pronoun meaning he, she, or it, used for emphasis or when no verb is present. It can also refer to oneself or serve as a demonstrative pronoun. The word has various nuances, including resuming the subject with emphasis or expressing it unobtrusively. It can indicate 'that' or 'those' when used with the definite article.
הוּא m. הִיא f., pron. of the 3rd ps. sing. he, she, used also (in both genders) for the neuter it
an emph. he (she, it, they), sometimes equivalent to himself (herself, itself, themselves), or (esp. with the art.) that (those)
It resumes the subj. with emph.
Where, however, the pron. follows the pred., its position gives it the minimum of emphasis, and it expresses (or resumes) the subject as unobtrusively as possible
It anticipates (as it seems) the subject
As an emph. predicate, of God
In a neuter sense, that, it (of an action, occurrence, matte, etc.)
With the art.: so regularly when joined to a subst. defined itself by the art.
base
H1931 הוּא, הִיא he, she, used also (in both genders) for the neuter it . an emph. he (she, it, they), sometimes equivalent to himself (herself, itself, themselves), or (esp. with the art.) that (those)
. It resumes the subj. with emph.
. Where, however, the pron. follows the pred., its position gives it the minimum of emphasis, and it expresses (or resumes) the subject as unobtrusively as possible
. It anticipates (as it seems) the subject
. As an emph. predicate, of God
. In a neuter sense, that, it (of an action, occurrence, matte, etc.)
. With the art.: so regularly when joined to a subst. defined itself by the art.
1931 huw' hoo
of which the feminine (beyond the Pentateuch) is hiyw {he}; a
primitive word, the third person pronoun singular, he (she or
it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also
(intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same;
sometimes (as demonstrative) this or that; occasionally
(instead of copula) as or are:--he, as for her, him(-self),
it, the same, she (herself), such, that (...it), these, they,
this, those, which (is), who.
הוּא (hu) — he/she/it.
pron 3p s
1) he, she, it
1a) himself (with emphasis)
1b) resuming subj with emphasis
1c) (with minimum emphasis following predicate)
1d) (anticipating subj)
1e) (emphasising predicate)
1f) that, it (neuter) demons pron
2) that (with article)
Pron — PronounHPp3ms
ha: The fifth letter of the Hebrew alphabet; transliterated in this Encyclopedia as "h." It came also to be used for the number 5. For name, etc., see ALPHABET.