The Meaning of Psalms 115:9 Explained

Psalms 115:9

KJV: O Israel, trust thou in the LORD: he is their help and their shield.

YLT: O Israel, trust in Jehovah, 'Their help and their shield is He.'

Darby: O Israel, confide thou in Jehovah: he is their help and their shield.

ASV: O Israel, trust thou in Jehovah: He is their help and their shield.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

O Israel,  trust  thou in the LORD:  he [is] their help  and their shield. 

What does Psalms 115:9 Mean?

Study Notes

trust
Also; Psalms 115:11 .
Trust is the characteristic O.T. word for the N.T. "faith," "believe." It occurs 152 times in the O.T., and is the rendering of Heb. words signifying to take refuge (e.g. Ruth 2:12 "to lean on" (e.g.) Psalms 56:3 "to roll on" (e.g.) Psalms 22:8 "to stay upon" (e.g.) Job 35:14 .

Context Summary

Psalms 115:1-18 - Powerless Idols Our Powerful God
Evidently this psalm was intended to be sung by various voices: Psalms 115:1-8 by the whole congregation in unison, while the sacrifice was being offered; Psalms 115:9-11, by a solo voice giving the first line of each couplet, the whole audience chanting the refrain; Psalms 115:12-15, by the priest as a benediction; Psalms 115:16-18, by the whole congregation, which now breaks into glad hallelujahs.
It was composed during the early days of the return from Babylon, when the small groups of settlers were surrounded by the jeers and scoffs of their enemies. This was their reply, as they brought out the scathing contrast between the idols of their neighbors and the majesty of Jehovah. We are reminded of Isaiah's description of an idol factory. The idols had outward semblance and no power. Jehovah had no outward semblance, but all power. Let us take to heart the threefold invitation to faith in Psalms 115:9-11, and reckon on God as our help in the battle and our shield against our foes. The smallest may get his blessing as well as the greatest, Psalms 115:13. We can never impose a strain on the resources of God, however great our demands. [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalms 115

1  Because God is truly glorious
4  And idols are vanity
9  He exhorts to confidence in God
12  God is to be blessed for his blessing

What do the individual words in Psalms 115:9 mean?

Israel trust in Yahweh their help and their shield He [is]
יִ֭שְׂרָאֵל בְּטַ֣ח בַּיהוָ֑ה עֶזְרָ֖ם וּמָגִנָּ֣ם הֽוּא

יִ֭שְׂרָאֵל  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
בְּטַ֣ח  trust 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: בָּטוּחַ 
Sense: to trust.
בַּיהוָ֑ה  in  Yahweh 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
עֶזְרָ֖ם  their  help 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: עֵזֶר  
Sense: help, succour.
וּמָגִנָּ֣ם  and  their  shield 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, common singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: מָגֵן 
Sense: shield, buckler.
הֽוּא  He  [is] 
Parse: Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.