Psalm 84:9 kjv
Behold, O God our shield, and look upon the face of thine anointed.
Psalm 84:9 nkjv
O God, behold our shield, And look upon the face of Your anointed.
Psalm 84:9 niv
Look on our shield, O God; look with favor on your anointed one.
Psalm 84:9 esv
Behold our shield, O God; look on the face of your anointed!
Psalm 84:9 nlt
O God, look with favor upon the king, our shield!
Show favor to the one you have anointed.
Psalm 84 9 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 15:1 | ...I am your shield... | God as Abraham's personal protector. |
| Deut 33:29 | ...The Lord is your shield and helper... | God as the ultimate defender of His people, Israel. |
| Ps 3:3 | But You, O Lord, are a shield about me... | God as personal defense and glory. |
| Ps 7:10 | My shield is with God... | Trust in God as ultimate defense. |
| Ps 18:2 | The Lord is my rock... my shield, and the horn of my salvation... | Extensive imagery of God as ultimate Deliverer. |
| Ps 28:7 | The Lord is my strength and my shield... | Personal reliance on God's strength and protection. |
| Ps 59:11 | ...our shield. | God as the communal shield for His people. |
| Ps 89:18 | For our shield belongs to the Lord, and our king to the Holy One of Israel. | Direct connection between God as shield and the king belonging to Him. |
| Ps 115:9-11 | O Israel, trust in the Lord; He is their help and their shield. | Call to trust God as the faithful protector for various groups. |
| Prov 30:5 | Every word of God proves true; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. | God's faithfulness provides protection for those trusting His word. |
| 1 Sam 2:10 | The Lord will judge the ends of the earth; He will give strength to His king and exalt the horn of His Anointed. | Hannah's prophetic prayer foreshadowing a powerful, divinely supported king. |
| Ps 2:2 | The kings of the earth take their stand... against the Lord and against His Anointed. | Prophetic psalm foreseeing opposition to God and His Messiah. |
| Ps 20:6 | Now I know that the Lord saves His Anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven... | Confidence in God's saving power for His chosen king. |
| Ps 28:8 | The Lord is the strength of His people; He is the saving refuge of His Anointed. | God is both the people's strength and the specific refuge for His king. |
| Ps 132:17 | There I will make a horn grow for David; I have prepared a lamp for My Anointed. | God's eternal covenant with David and his lineage, promising a successor. |
| Isa 9:6-7 | For to us a child is born... upon His shoulder the government... | Prophecy of the coming Messiah's reign, exceeding all earthly kings. |
| Zech 4:14 | These are the two anointed ones who stand by the Lord of the whole earth. | Refers to Joshua the high priest and Zerubbabel the governor as God's anointed representatives. |
| Dan 9:25-26 | ...until Messiah the Prince... then after the sixty-two weeks, Messiah shall be cut off... | Direct prophecy of the timing of the Messiah's coming and death. |
| Lk 2:11 | ...today in the city of David a Savior has been born for you, who is Christ the Lord. | New Testament declaration of Jesus as the promised Messiah/Anointed One. |
| Acts 4:26-27 | ...the kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against His Christ—for truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed... | Direct application of Psalm 2 to Jesus as the Christ (Anointed One). |
| Heb 1:8-9 | But of the Son He says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever... You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness beyond Your companions.” | Jesus's superior anointing as divine Son, King, and High Priest. |
| Rev 19:16 | On His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. | Jesus's ultimate triumph as the universally acknowledged King. |
| 1 Tim 2:1-2 | ...that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions... | Biblical command to pray for all governing authorities, including rulers. |
| Ps 4:6 | ...Lord, lift up the light of Your face upon us! | Plea for God's favor and blessing upon His people. |
| Ps 27:8 | ...“Seek His face.” Your face, Lord, I will seek. | Expression of desire for intimate communion with God. |
| Ps 105:4 | Seek the Lord and His strength; seek His presence continually! | Exhortation to continually pursue God and His presence. |
Psalm 84 verses
Psalm 84 9 Meaning
Psalm 84:9 is a fervent prayer, a twofold appeal to God. First, it acknowledges and pleads for God’s protective power, addressing Him as the "shield" of His people. This implies reliance on His defense against all adversaries and dangers. Second, it requests God's favorable attention and blessing upon His "Anointed One." Historically, this refers to the reigning Davidic king, seeking divine endorsement and strength for the leader who represented the nation before God. Theologically, it prefigures the ultimate Anointed One, the Messiah, Jesus Christ, upon whom God's favor eternally rests. The verse expresses a deep trust in God’s sovereignty, both directly over His people and indirectly through His chosen earthly representative.
Psalm 84 9 Context
Psalm 84 is a hymn expressing deep longing for the dwelling place of the Lord. It describes the joy of pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem to worship in the temple, finding strength and comfort in God's presence even on their journey through the dry "Valley of Baca" (weeping). The psalm builds upon the blessedness of those who dwell in God's house (v. 4) and those who set their hearts on pilgrimage (v. 5-7). Verse 9 appears as an intercessory prayer nestled within this broader context of adoration and desire for divine proximity. The pilgrims, on their way to the physical temple, recognize that their ultimate security and blessing stem from God Himself, extended through His appointed ruler, the king. Therefore, they pray for God's protection ("our shield") and His favor upon this earthly representative ("Your Anointed"), whose well-being was inextricably linked with the nation's spiritual and physical state. This places the verse within the Old Testament Davidic covenant understanding, where the king was God's viceregent, responsible for the welfare of the people and dependent on divine guidance and favor.
Psalm 84 9 Word analysis
- Behold (הִנֵּה, hinnēh): This Hebrew interjection serves as an emphatic particle, drawing immediate attention. It is a call to God to take notice, emphasizing the urgency and earnestness of the prayer. It’s not merely a casual observation but a summons, indicating the great importance of what follows.
- O God (אֱלֹהִים, ʾĚlōhīm): The plural form ʾĚlōhīm here refers to the one true God of Israel. Its use denotes God's majesty, supreme authority, and power. It's a direct address, establishing a personal and authoritative relationship between the one praying and the divine recipient of the prayer.
- our shield (מָגִנֵּנוּ, māgēnnēnū): A powerful metaphor. A "shield" (māgēn) is an instrument of defense, offering protection from blows and arrows in battle. The suffix "-our" (-nū) emphasizes that God is collectively the protector of the psalmists, the pilgrims, and the entire nation. It speaks to God's role as a source of safety, security, and salvation from all threats. This concept pervades the Old Testament, where God is consistently portrayed as the ultimate deliverer and stronghold for His people.
- Look upon (הַבֵּט, habbaṭ): An imperative verb meaning "to gaze intently," "to consider," "to pay close attention to." It's a humble yet urgent plea for divine favor and careful consideration, not merely a fleeting glance. The psalmist wants God's focused attention on the subject of the request.
- the face of (פְּנֵי, pǝnê): "Face" here signifies presence, personal regard, favor, or attention. To "look upon the face" is to grant favor or to acknowledge someone with acceptance. It implies a desire for God's active engagement and benevolent gaze directed towards the person or entity mentioned.
- Your Anointed (מְשִׁיחֶךָ, Məšîḥĕkā): This is the pivotal term. Māšîaḥ (Messiah), meaning "anointed one," historically refers to individuals consecrated by anointing oil for specific offices:
- Kings: Particularly the Davidic kings (e.g., Saul, David, their descendants). The king was God’s representative on earth, and the nation’s well-being was tied to his righteous rule and God’s favor upon him (e.g., 2 Sam 22:51; Ps 89:20).
- Priests: The High Priest was anointed for his sacred service (e.g., Lev 4:3, 5).
- Prophets: Though less explicitly by oil, some prophets were also described as "anointed" for their divine calling.In the context of Psalm 84, it most directly refers to the reigning king of Judah. However, the term carried a powerful prophetic expectation. Over time, as Israel's fortunes waned and their kings often failed, the hope for the ultimate Anointed One – a perfect, divine king who would fully accomplish God's redemptive purposes – intensified. This prophetic fulfillment culminates in Jesus Christ, who is the true and eternal Messiah/Anointed One (Christos in Greek), anointed by the Holy Spirit (Lk 4:18; Acts 4:27). The prayer thus has both an immediate historical sense and a deeper eschatological implication for Christian theology.
Words-group analysis:
- "Behold, O God, our shield!": This opening phrase is an impassioned declaration and prayer for protection. It frames God as the direct and sole source of ultimate defense for the people, emphasizing His personal involvement in their security. It expresses reliance and trust, similar to taking refuge in Him.
- "Look upon the face of Your Anointed!": This second plea shifts the focus to God's chosen earthly representative. The request for God to "look upon the face" implies a desire for divine favor, blessing, guidance, and strengthening for the king. It recognizes that the king's effectiveness and success in ruling and defending the people depend entirely on God’s countenance shining upon him. This highlights the interdependence of God's direct protection and His blessing extended through human leadership.
Psalm 84 9 Bonus section
The parallel between "our shield" (God) and "Your Anointed" (the king) in Psalm 84:9 reflects the ancient Near Eastern understanding of divine kingship and viceroyalty. Kings were seen as God's representatives on earth, whose power and authority were derived from and dependent upon the deity. A prayer for God's favor upon the king was, therefore, a prayer for the nation's security and prosperity. The Hebrew poetic structure here is a form of synonymous parallelism, where the two lines convey a similar underlying truth—that the people’s protection (God as shield) and their leader's success (God's favor on the Anointed) are both divine provisions. In application, this verse encourages intercessory prayer for leaders. It also reminds us that true authority and enduring protection come from the Almighty. While the initial context might be a king of Judah, the underlying principle of God protecting His people through His appointed representatives (and ultimately through His own direct presence in Christ) is eternal. This psalm captures the heart of true pilgrimage: journeying towards God’s presence, trusting in His divine shield, and acknowledging His blessing on those He empowers for leadership and service.
Psalm 84 9 Commentary
Psalm 84:9 serves as a concise, yet profound, intercessory prayer. The psalmist first grounds his petition in God's demonstrated character as a deliverer and protector ("our shield"). This recognition of God’s protective nature provides the foundation for the subsequent plea. The prayer then extends to "Your Anointed," which, within its original historical setting, refers to the contemporary King of Judah, representing God's rule and provision over the nation. Pilgrims arriving at the temple would pray for their king because his spiritual state and physical security were intrinsically linked to the peace and well-being of the entire nation and the covenant God had established through the Davidic line. To "look upon the face" is to grant favor, to acknowledge with approval, and to bestow blessings. Thus, the prayer is a request for God to shower His grace, guidance, and power upon His chosen leader.From a Christian perspective, this verse holds deep messianic significance. While it was spoken concerning a historical king, the recurring pattern of "the Anointed" in the Old Testament ultimately points to Jesus Christ. He is the definitive Anointed One, the perfect King, High Priest, and Prophet, upon whom God's face always rests in perfect favor. For believers today, this verse reminds us to seek God’s divine protection as our ultimate "shield," and to recognize that all authority and leadership (both spiritual and earthly, within their proper boundaries) are ultimately accountable to God. We can, and should, pray for God’s blessing and guidance upon those He places in positions of authority, looking ultimately to the divine reign of the Lord Jesus Christ, our King.