Psalms 121:3

He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. HE WILL NOT SUFFER THY FOOT TO BE MOVED: HE THAT KEEPETH THEE WILL NOT SLUMBER. The Hebrew negative [ 'al (H408)] is here subjective, expressing the hope of the speaker-`I trust He will not suffer thy foot to be moved, (and that) He that keepeth thee will not slumber....

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...

Verse Psalms 121:3. _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....

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 Psalms 38:16. This, with the remainder of the psalm, seems to be of the nature of an answer to the anxious question in Psalms 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 Isaiah 27:3. All creatures, as far as we know, sleep; God never sleeps. Compare Psalms 139:11. His e

EXPOSITION THE preceding psalm is one of complaint; the present, one of comfort and consolation. The pilgrim lifts up his eyes to the hills, and is satisfied that help is coming to him. He then proceeds to cheer himself with assurances of God's sleepless care and protection. Metrically, the psalm falls into four stanzas of four lines each. PSALMS 121:1 I WILL LIFT UP MINE EYES UNTO THE HILLS. The "holy hills," that stand round about Jerusalem, are intended (Psalms 87:1; Psalms 125:2). There God had "promised his blessing, even life forevermore" (Psalms 133:3)....

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 Psalms 62:2; HE THAT KEEPETH THEE WILL NOT SLUMBER; neither angels nor men are the keepers of the saints, but the Lo

Psalms 121:1. _I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help._ It is wise to look to the strong for strength. Dwellers in valleys are subject to many disorders for which there is no cure but a sojourn in the uplands, and it is well when they shake off their lethargy and resolve upon a climb. The holy man who here sings a choice sonnet looked away from the slanderers by whom he was tormented to the Lord who saw all from his high places, and was ready to pour down succor for his injured servant. Help comes to saints only from above, they look elsewhere in vain: let us lift up our eyes with hope, expectancy, desire, and confidence. Satan will endeavor to keep our eyes upon our sorrows that we may be disquieted and discouraged, be it ours firmly to resolve that we will look out and look up, for there is good cheer for the eyes, and they that lift up their eyes to

PSALM 120-134 The Psalms of Degrees Fifteen brief Psalms follow, called songs of degrees, or, ascents. They were in all probability used by Israel going up to Jerusalem three times a year to celebrate the feasts of the Lord--”Whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, a testimony for Israel, to give thanks unto the name of the LORD.” They are indeed Psalms of “the goings-up” for we rise higher and higher as we read through them. Prophetically they give us again the steps from trial and suffering to the glorious consummation. As they are so simple in language and construction no lengthy annotations are needed. Psalms 120:1 begins with distress, picturing again the suffering of the righteous godly remnant. In Psalms 121:1 the Keeper of Israel, the Covenant Keeping God, is revealed

CXXI. YAHWEH'S CARE FOR HIS PEOPLE. Psalms 121:8. going out _i.e._ to the feast at Zion, and COMING IN to thy home far away, perhaps in heathen lands....

NOT. May He not. Hebrew 'al (like Greek. _me)_. (Subjective, and conditional). KEEPETH... (PSALMS 121:4) KEEPETH... (PSALMS 121:5) KEEPER. Note the Figure of speech _Polyptoton_ (App-6). Hebrew. _shomreka_... _shomer... shomreka._ Repeated in verses: Psalms 121:7....