Psalms 121:4 (YLT)

Passage

Lo, He slumbereth not, nor sleepeth, He who is preserving Israel.

Nearby Context

Psalms 121:2 My help <FI>is<Fi> from Jehovah, maker of heaven and earth,

Psalms 121:3 He suffereth not thy foot to be moved, Thy preserver slumbereth not.

Psalms 121:4 Lo, He slumbereth not, nor sleepeth, He who is preserving Israel.

Psalms 121:5 Jehovah <FI>is<Fi> thy preserver, Jehovah <FI>is<Fi> thy shade on thy right hand,

Psalms 121:6 By day the sun doth not smite thee, Nor the moon by night.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "slumbereth", "sleepeth", "preserving", and "israel". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "slumbereth" and "sleepeth", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 3's "He suffereth not thy foot to be..." into verse 5's "Jehovah FI is Fi thy preserver Jehovah...", so "slumbereth" and "sleepeth" 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 "slumbereth" and "sleepeth" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.