Psalm 121:3 kjv
He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
Psalm 121:3 nkjv
He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber.
Psalm 121:3 niv
He will not let your foot slip? he who watches over you will not slumber;
Psalm 121:3 esv
He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber.
Psalm 121:3 nlt
He will not let you stumble;
the one who watches over you will not slumber.
Psalm 121 3 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ps 121:4 | Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. | God's constant vigilance for His people. |
| Deut 33:12 | Of Benjamin he said, "The beloved of the Lord dwells in safety..." | God shelters and protects His chosen. |
| 1 Sam 2:9 | He will guard the feet of his faithful ones... | God keeps the steps of His loyal servants. |
| Ps 16:8 | I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. | God's presence prevents instability. |
| Ps 34:7 | The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them. | Divine protection for those revering God. |
| Ps 37:23-24 | The steps of a man are established by the Lord... though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down... | God directs steps and lifts up from falling. |
| Ps 91:1-2 | He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High... will say to the Lord, "My refuge and my fortress..." | Security under God's protective shadow. |
| Ps 94:18 | When I thought, "My foot slips," your steadfast love, O Lord, held me up. | God's unfailing love provides stability. |
| Ps 116:6 | The Lord preserves the simple; when I was brought low, he saved me. | God protects and saves the humble. |
| Ps 119:116 | Uphold me according to your promise, that I may live, and let me not be put to shame in my hope! | Prayer for God's promised upholding. |
| Prov 2:8 | guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of his saints. | God watches over and guards His saints' paths. |
| Prov 3:23 | Then you will walk on your way securely, and your foot will not stumble. | Wisdom brings secure and stable walking. |
| Isa 40:28 | The Lord is the everlasting God... He does not faint or grow weary; His understanding is unsearchable. | God's inexhaustible and vigilant nature. |
| Jer 31:10 | Hear the word of the Lord, O nations, and declare it... He who scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him as a shepherd keeps his flock. | God's shepherd-like keeping and restoration. |
| John 10:28-29 | I give them eternal life, and they will never perish... no one will snatch them out of my hand. | Christ's secure keeping of His sheep. |
| Rom 8:38-39 | For I am sure that neither death nor life... will be able to separate us from the love of God... | Unbreakable security in God's love. |
| Rom 14:4 | Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be made to stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. | God enables His servants to stand firm. |
| Phil 4:7 | And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds... | God's peace guards against inner instability. |
| 1 Pet 1:5 | who are being guarded by God's power through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed... | Believers kept by God's power for salvation. |
| Jude 1:24 | Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory... | God's ultimate power to keep from stumbling. |
| Heb 13:5 | For he has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." | God's enduring presence and commitment. |
| 2 Thess 3:3 | But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one. | God establishes and protects against evil. |
Psalm 121 verses
Psalm 121 3 Meaning
Psalm 121:3 assures the faithful that God, their ever-vigilant protector, will actively prevent them from faltering or experiencing instability. It proclaims that the Divine Keeper neither sleeps nor slumbers, ensuring unceasing watchfulness over the life and journey of His people, granting them ultimate security and stability in His care.
Psalm 121 3 Context
Psalm 121 is one of the Songs of Ascents (Hebrew: שִׁיר הַמַּעֲלוֹת, shir haMa'alot), traditionally sung by pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem for the great annual festivals. The entire psalm is a declaration of confidence in God's protective presence amidst the perceived dangers of a journey. The historical and cultural context includes hazardous travel routes with threats of bandits, wild animals, and the scorching sun or chilling moon. Verse 3 directly follows the psalmist's question about the source of his help and a declaration that his help comes from the Creator of heaven and earth. It deepens the assurance, specifying how this divine help manifests in concrete terms: through prevention of harm and continuous, unwavering watchfulness. The psalm speaks not only to physical journeys but also to life's spiritual pilgrimage, where one encounters trials and challenges, needing divine intervention to maintain a steady course.
Psalm 121 3 Word analysis
- He will not: The phrase initiates a strong, unequivocal negative promise. It emphasizes God's sovereign decision and capability.
- let: Hebrew: יִתֵּן (yitēn), from the verb נָתַן (natan), meaning "to give" or "to permit." In the negative Hiphil imperfect form, it denotes an active prevention rather than passive permission. God will actively refuse permission for one's foot to slip.
- your foot: Hebrew: רַגְלֶךָ (raḡleḵā). The "foot" is a potent biblical metaphor for one's stability, progress, path, and indeed, one's entire life journey and conduct. To stumble or slip is to face disaster, failure, or moral lapse.
- be moved: Hebrew: לַמּוֹט (lammōṭ), from מוּט (mut), meaning "to totter," "to slip," "to be shaken." It signifies instability, losing balance, falling. The combined phrase means God prevents instability and catastrophic failure in one's life.
- He who keeps you: Hebrew: שֹׁמֵרֶךָ (shōmērēḵā), a Qal active participle of שָׁמַר (shamar), meaning "to watch," "to guard," "to keep," "to preserve." This term appears frequently throughout Psalm 121 (vv. 3, 4, 5, 7, 8), highlighting God's constant role as an active guardian. This personification emphasizes His attentive and proactive protection.
- will not slumber: Hebrew: לֹא יָנוּם (lōʾ yānūm). נוּם (num) means "to slumber" or "to doze." This phrase directly counters human frailty and exhaustion. It also acts as a powerful polemic against pagan deities, often depicted as sleeping, needing to be awakened, or subject to human limitations. The God of Israel is eternally alert, never needing rest from His divine oversight and protection.
Words-group analysis
- "He will not let your foot be moved": This phrase assures stability and preservation. It implies not merely passive avoidance of stumbling but God's active intervention to uphold and steady the path of the believer. It covers physical safety and also moral and spiritual steadfastness.
- "He who keeps you will not slumber": This second clause provides the foundational reason for the first promise. God's unwavering and active guardianship (being "the Keeper") is guaranteed by His continuous alertness. It conveys the concept of constant, unending, and fully aware divine vigilance. The contrast between human need for sleep and God's perpetual watchfulness underscores His transcendent nature and tireless commitment to His people.
Psalm 121 3 Bonus section
The concept of "slumber" in Psalm 121:3 and 4 provides a theological contrast vital to ancient audiences. Many Near Eastern pagan deities were believed to require human awakening or would occasionally withdraw or sleep. For instance, in Baal worship, his supposed death and revival were part of the seasonal cycles, implying periods of divine inactivity. The declaration that Israel's God neither sleeps nor slumbers directly asserts His unique, active, and transcendent nature as a God who is always present and entirely attentive. This divine sleeplessness is an attribute of His omnipotence and omnipresence, highlighting His unwavering covenant faithfulness. Furthermore, the term "keeps" (שֹׁמֵר) isn't passive; it denotes active preservation, a protective fence or barrier around His people, preventing true harm and ensuring their ultimate safety in His will. The Psalm implicitly assures that God’s vigilance extends over every aspect of a believer’s existence, making their spiritual and physical journey safe in His keeping.
Psalm 121 3 Commentary
Psalm 121:3 is a profound statement of divine assurance, directly addressing a primary human fear: falling, stumbling, or being overcome by life's perils. The verse conveys God's unceasing and active preservation. Firstly, "He will not let your foot be moved" affirms God's commitment to preventing instability in the life journey of His faithful. This refers to comprehensive stability—physical protection from accidents, moral protection from sin leading to downfall, and spiritual endurance against temptations and despair. It is not a promise that challenges will be absent, but that God will uphold His own through them, preventing ultimate failure or ruin. Secondly, the declaration "He who keeps you will not slumber" underpins this promise. The repeated term "Keeper" (Shomer) underscores God's chosen role as a vigilant guardian. Unlike human protectors who are limited by weariness and the need for sleep, God is eternally awake, fully aware, and ceaselessly active in His watchful care. This provides deep comfort and security, affirming that His protective gaze never wanes. This timeless vigilance is a defining attribute of the biblical God, standing in stark contrast to the sleeping or absent deities of other cultures. It encourages complete trust, knowing one is perpetually under the active, unwavering care of the Almighty.