What Does Psalm 18:35 Mean in the King James?
Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The hand that holds you up and the gentleness that enlarges you are both part of the same deliverance.
THE MEANING
You are protected by more than a shield: the hand that steadies you is joined to the deliverance surrounding you. God’s gentleness is what enlarges you; being upheld is not what keeps you small.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
This undoes the belief that you must become hard or forceful to become great: here, gentleness itself is what makes you great.
THE ROOT
תִּסְעָדֵנִי
tisʿadeni
GROWS FROM
סעד
Saʿad (סעד): to support, sustain, or uphold.
“hath holden me up” in this verse is tisʿadeni. The Hebrew root behind “holden me up” also appears in סְעוּדָה (seʿudah), a sustaining meal. Its consonants connect being upheld with being nourished: the verse pictures support that sustains you, not merely a momentary rescue.
ALSO GROWS
saʿad: To support or sustain
סָעַד
This is the verb in the verse: the right hand sustains you.
seʿudah: A meal or feast
סְעוּדָה
The same root connects support with nourishment that sustains life.
יִשְׁעֶךָ
yishʿekha
GROWS FROM
ישע
Yashaʿ (ישע): to deliver, bringing one from constriction into safety and spaciousness.
“salvation” in this verse is yishʿekha. The root links deliverance with movement out of constriction into spaciousness. The verse surrounds you with that deliverance as a shield, then ends with the image of being made great, protected and enlarged together.
ALSO GROWS
yeshuʿah: Deliverance
יְשׁוּעָה
This noun from the same root names the deliverance that is given as a shield.
moshiaʿ: Deliverer
מוֹשִׁיעַ
This branch names the one who brings deliverance, connecting the shield with an active source of rescue.
THE PATTERN
Divine support meets weakness and becomes the ground of renewed strength.
The LORD will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing: thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness.He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.THE THREAD
The LORD will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing: thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness.The Hebrew verb translated “strengthen” here, יִסְעָדֶנּוּ (yisʿadennu, support him), shares the root סעד (saʿad, support or sustain) with “hath holden me up” in Psalm 18:35. Its return beside sickness makes the image concrete: this support holds a person through weakness.
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