There are 4 participants/characters in Psalm 121:
Profile List
| YHWH
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| "YHWH" (vv. 2, 5ab, 7, 8)
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| "The one who made heaven and eart" (v. 2)
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| "The one who guards you" (vv. 3, 5)
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| "The one who guards Israel" (v. 4)
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| "Your shade" (v. 5)
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| Israel(ite)
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| "Israel" (v. 4)
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| Harm
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| "slip" (lit.: "the slipping") (v. 3)
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| "the sun" (v. 6)
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| "the moon" (v. 6)
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| "harm" (v. 7)
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Profile Notes
- The psalmist is an anonymous Israelite who looks to YHWH for help and encourages other Israelites to do the same.
- The interchange between "the one who guards you" (vv. 3b, 5a) and "the one who guards Israel" (v. 4) suggests that the second-person singular addressee is Israel, or an individual Israelite representing the whole people.[1] The use of the singular instead of the plural emphasizes YHWH's protection is for each and every Israelite.
- The "antagonist" slot in this psalm is filled by all of those things that might threaten an Israelite's well-being (specifically, on his pilgrim journey to Jerusalem): "slipping" (v. 3), "sun" and "moon" (v. 6), and "all harm" (v. 7). The first reference to harm is earthly (v. 3), the second is heavenly (v. 6), and the third is all encompassing (v. 7).
- YHWH is both "the one who guards you / the one who guards Israel" (vv. 3–5) and "the one who made heaven and earth" (v. 2). As the creator of the universe, he is able to guard his people from all harm, whether earthly or heavenly.
- ↑ Cf. Baethgen 1904, 374–375; Fokkelman 2000, 272.