For to Jehovah is our buckler. As the chief protection of the people was in the person of their king, it is here expressly shown, that the maintenance of the welfare of the faithful by his instrumentality is the gift of God. But it is to be noticed, that the prophet's mind was not so fixed upon this temporal and transitory kingdom as to neglect, at the same time, to consider the end of it, as we shall presently see. He knew that it was only on account of Christ that God made his favor to flow upon the head of the Church, and from thence upon the whole body. And, in the first place, while he calls the king metaphorically a buckler, -- a figurative expression frequently employed in Scripture, -- he confesses that when the people are defended by his hand and working, it is nevertheless done by the providence of God, and is thus to be traced to a higher source than human agency. The same thing is again repeated in the second clause, in which it is affirmed, that the king was given by God to govern the people; and that, therefore, the defense which comes from the king is a blessing of God. Moreover, we must remember that what is said of this kingdom, which was a shadow of something greater, properly applies to the person of Christ, whom the Father has given to us to be the guardian of our welfare, that we may be maintained and defended by his power.

For the Lord is our defense - Margin, "Our shield is of the Lord." The original word rendered "defense," is shield. Compare Psalm 5:12, note; Psalm 33:20, note; Psalm 59:11, note. The meaning is, that protection was to be found in God alone. The true construction of this verse is, "For to Yahweh (belongs) our shield, and to the Holy One of Israel our king." That is, All that they had, and all that they relied on as a defense, belonged to God, or was of God; in other words, their very protectors were themselves protected by Yahweh. They had no other defense; nothing else on which they could depend.

For the LORD [is] our (p) defence; and the Holy One of Israel [is] our king.
(p) In that our King has power to defend us, it is the gift of God.

For the Lord is our defence,.... From all their enemies, being all around them, as a wall of fire to protect them, and as the mountains were round about Jerusalem, and being kept by his power as in a fortress, strong hold, or garrison, unto salvation; or our shield (f); see Psalm 84:9 as are his favour, righteousness, and salvation, Psalm 5:12 or "to the Lord belongs our defence or shield" (g) our protection and salvation is from him:
and the Holy One of Israel is our King; he who was to be, and is of Israel according to the flesh, and is holy in his nature, life, and office; he is King of saints, that rules over them, protects and defends them, and therefore they must be happy: or "to" or "with the Holy One of Israel is our king" (h); Christ is King of Zion by designation, appointment, and constitution, of God the Holy One of Israel, the holy God that has chosen Israel for his peculiar people; though it rather seems that Christ is the Holy One by what follows.
(f) "clypeus noster", Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus, Tigurine version; "scutum nostrum", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator. (g) "Domino", Pagninus, Montanus. (h) "et sancto Israelis", Pagninus, Montanus.

(Margin). Thus is introduced the promise to "our shield," "our king," David.