Logos Bible Study

Psalm 121:3–4

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121:3May he not allow your foot to slip!

May your protector5 not sleep!6

121:4Look! Israel’s protector7

does not sleep or slumber!

Read in Logos
Psalm 121:3–4: He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

Footnotes

  1. 5 Heb “the one who guards you.”
  2. 6 The prefixed verbal forms following the negative particle אל appear to be jussives. As noted above, if they are taken as true jussives of prayer, then the speaker in v. 3 would appear to be distinct from both the speaker in vv. 1–2 and the speaker in vv. 4–8. However, according to §109.e), the jussives are used rhetorically here “to express the conviction that something cannot or should not happen.” In this case one should probably translate, “he will not allow your foot to slip, your protector will not sleep,” and understand just one speaker in vv. 4–8.
  3. 7 Heb “the one who guards Israel.”

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

He will not let your foot be moved;

he who keeps you will not slumber.

Behold, he who keeps Israel

will neither slumber nor sleep.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

He will not let your foot slip—

he who watches over you will not slumber;

indeed, he who watches over Israel

will neither slumber nor sleep.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

He will not allow your foot to slip;

your Protector will not slumber.

Indeed, the Protector of Israel

does not slumber or sleep.

NLTNew Living Translation

He will not let you stumble;

the one who watches over you will not slumber.

Indeed, he who watches over Israel

never slumbers or sleeps.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

He will not allow your foot to be moved;

he who protects you will not slumber.

Look, he will not slumber and he will not sleep—

he who protects Israel.

KJV 1900King James Version

He will not suffer thy foot to be moved:

He that keepeth thee will not slumber.

Behold, he that keepeth Israel

Shall neither slumber nor sleep.