שִׁיר לַמַּעֲלוֹת

A song of ascents. I lift my eyes to the mountains; from where will my help come? The opening verse depicts an individual, possibly under siege or belonging to an armed force facing imminent attack, who looks to the mountains, hoping to see signs of help on the way.

אֶשָּׂא עֵינַי אֶל הֶהָרִים מֵאַיִן יָבֹא עֶזְרִי עֶזְרִי מֵעִם ה' עֹשֵׂה שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ

The psalmist answers his own question. There may in fact not be any help coming, in the form of soldiers, from the mountains. But that does not matter, for my help is from the Lord, Maker of heaven and earth. It is God who rules over the entire world, with all power in His hands.

אַל יִתֵּן לַמּוֹט רַגְלֶךָ אַל יָנוּם שֹׁמְרֶךָ

The petitioner of the previous verses is now told: He, God, will not let your foot give way. He who watches over you will not slumber.

הִנֵּה לֹא יָנוּם וְלֹא יִישָׁן שׁוֹמֵר יִשְׂרָאֵל

Behold, the Guardian of Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps. For the “Guardian of Israel,” identified in the following verse as God, the concept of sleep does not apply.

ה' שֹׁמְרֶךָ ה' צִלְּךָ עַל יַד יְמִינֶךָ

The Lord is your guardian. As a guardian, God is so close to you that it is as if the Lord is your shade, your shadow, by your right hand. In this context, “right hand” conveys the notion of assistance and rescue.

יוֹמָם הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ לֹא יַכֶּכָּה וְיָרֵחַ בַּלָּיְלָה

God provides protection not only against human foes but also against perils of any other sort. By day the sun will not strike you, afflicting you with its heat. Nor will harm befall you when the moon shines, at night.

ה' יִשְׁמָרְךָ מִכָּל רָע יִשְׁמֹר אֶת נַפְשֶׁךָ

The Lord will guard you from all evil; He will guard your life.

ה' יִשְׁמָר צֵאתְךָ וּבוֹאֶךָ מֵעַתָּה וְעַד עוֹלָם

The Lord will guard your going and your coming. God will watch over you wherever your travels take you, both to your destination and back, from now until eternity.