Psalms 84:9 (ASV)

Passage

Behold, O God our shield, And look upon the face of thine anointed.

Nearby Context

Psalms 84:7 They go from strength to strength; Every one of them appeareth before God in Zion.

Psalms 84:8 O Jehovah God of hosts, hear my prayer; Give ear, O God of Jacob. Selah

Psalms 84:9 Behold, O God our shield, And look upon the face of thine anointed.

Psalms 84:10 For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, Than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.

Psalms 84:11 For Jehovah God is a sun and a shield: Jehovah will give grace and glory; No good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "behold", "shield", "look", "upon", "face", "thine", and "anointed". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "behold" and "shield", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 8's "O Jehovah God of hosts hear my..." into verse 10's "For a day in thy courts is...", so "behold" and "shield" belong inside that flow. In Psalms context, the local focus is worship, trust, the LORD's kingship, and covenant mercy.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "behold" and "shield" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.