Psalms 121:6

Old Testament Poetry/Hymns ASV (1901)

What does Psalms 121:6 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “The sun shall not smite thee by day, Nor the moon by night.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

The sun shall not smite thee by day, Nor the moon by night.
Psalms 121:6 — American Standard Version

Context — Psalms 121

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
6The sun shall not smite thee by day, Nor the moon by night.

What do historical commentaries say?

Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“The sun shall not smite thee by day - The Septuagint renders this, “shall not burn thee” - συγκαύσει sungkausei. So the Latin Vulgate. The Hebrew word means to smite, to strike, as with a rod or staff, or with the plague or pestilence; and then, to kill, to slay. The allusion here is to what is now called a “sun-stroke” - the effect of the burning sun on the brain. Such effects of the sun are often fatal now, as doubtless they were in the time of the psalmist. Nor the moon by night - The psalmist here refers to some prevalent opinion about the influence of the moon, as endangering life or health. Some have supposed that he refers to the sudden cold which follows the intense heat of the day…”
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Wesley's Explanatory Notes
John Wesley (1703–1791) · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Old Testament notes · 18th-century historical commentary
“Smite - With excessive heat. Moon - With that cold and moisture which come into the air by it. Intemperate heats and colds are the springs of many diseases. Next: Psalms Chapter 122”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“the sun: Psa 91:5-10; Isa 49:10; Rev 7:16 Psalms 121:7”
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Related study paths

Sources and verification