Psalms 115:11

11 They that dread the Lord, hoped in the Lord (Let all who fear the Lord/Let all who revere the Lord, trust in the Lord); he is the helper of them, and the defender of them.

Psalms 115:11 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 115:11

Ye that fear the Lord, trust in the Lord
Which is said not to distinguish true saints from hypocrites, in Israel or in Aaron's house; rather to describe such who belonged to neither: but, as Aben Ezra interprets it, who feared the Lord, of every people and nation; or proselytes, as Jarchi explains it: the distinction between the people of the Jews, and the proselytes among them, under the character of those that feared the Lord, may be observed in ( Acts 13:26 ) . It takes in all true worshippers of the Lord; and who are exhorted to trust in him, for faith and fear are consistent; and where there is the one, there is the other; where there is the true fear of God, not a slavish nor an hypocritical fear, but a holy reverence and a godly fear, there will be faith and confidence in him. Job was a man that feared the Lord, and yet trusted in him; these characters meet in the same persons, see ( Psalms 31:19 ) .

He is their help and their shield;
the help and shield of all those that fear the Lord, their protector and defender, and therefore should trust in him. The word "ezer", translated help, in this and the two preceding verses, is applied to God, and often in this book of Psalms, as a title and epithet belonging to him; and it may be observed that "Aesar", in the Etruscan language, signifies God F26.


FOOTNOTES:

F26 Sueton. in Angust. c. 97.

Psalms 115:11 In-Context

9 The house of Israel hoped in the Lord (But let the house of Israel trust in the Lord); he is the helper of them, and the defender of them.
10 The house of Aaron hoped in the Lord (And let the house of Aaron trust in the Lord); he is the helper of them, and the defender of them.
11 They that dread the Lord, hoped in the Lord (Let all who fear the Lord/Let all who revere the Lord, trust in the Lord); he is the helper of them, and the defender of them.
12 The Lord was mindful of us; and blessed us. He blessed the house of Israel; he blessed the house of Aaron. (The Lord remembereth us; and will bless us. He will bless the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron.)
13 He blessed all men that dread the Lord; both little and greater. (He will bless all those who fear the Lord/all those who revere the Lord; both small and great alike.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.