For thou, Jehovah, wilt bless the righteous [man]; with favour wilt thou surround him as [with] a shield.
Psalm 5 has been praying against wicked men. Its closing line answers the question the whole prayer drives at: whose side is God on, and how far does His protection reach?
Why the psalm ends here
This last verse gives the reason God acts, and the reason His people are glad He does.
And God must step in for His own. When wickedness bands together against the righteous, can there be any question which side He will be on? Can He give up the world to riot and misrule? No: He has promises to fulfil, and blessings for the earth itself. These can only stand together with the removal of the wicked from it… The last verse gives once more the reason for this action of His government, and the ground for the joy that He does step in.
God's own character is the ground
The prayer rests on what God is like, not on the strength of the one praying.
Psalm 5 presents the cry of the godly. It appeals to the character of God, which must answer to the character of the godly, and so He must hear him and judge the wicked. If the godly love godliness, surely Jehovah does; if the godly hate wickedness, surely He does.
Surrounded, not just covered
The ESV says God covers the righteous with favour. Other translations read "surround", and one writer follows the same word to Psalm 103, where translators render it "crowns".
The word "crowns" could be rendered "encircled for protection" or "surrounded." Psalm 5:12 puts it that way — "For you, Lord, will bless the righteous; with favour you will surround him as with a shield." The same word appears again in Psalm 103, where the psalmist breaks out: "Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits… who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good."
The shield is not equipment God hands out. God Himself is the shield.
How good it is to find that God is often called in Scripture the Shield of His people! "Fear not, Abram," God said, "I am your shield; your reward shall be very great." (Gen. 15:1.) The living God is His people's shield. What rest, what security this gives! Behind His wide shield we have nothing to fear.
Joy that goes beyond rescue
Verses 11 and 12 belong together. The joy they describe is more than relief at being safe.
Believers have reason to shout for joy, not only because He has defended them, but because they love the great Defender. They rejoice in the Lord (v. 11). For they recognise that it is He who blesses the righteous, both delivering them and surrounding them with His favour as a constant shield (v. 12).
The believer's share in this today
Verse 11 turns from the dark picture before it to praise, and Christians share in what it describes.
From verse 11 we have a happy contrast to the picture before it, in the celebration of Jehovah's name according to the blessed showings of His grace. He covers and defends. His name is the joyful boast of His saints, whose sanctification is Himself. His favour is around them for ever, as a shield of sure deliverance. The Christian knows the meaning of this, and tastes its sweet blessing in Jesus.
Summary
- Ground — God's own character settles the matter. When wickedness bands together against the righteous, He will not be on its side.
- Blessing — God does more than rescue. He blesses the righteous, and He has promises to fulfil and blessings for the earth itself.
- Reach — the word behind "cover" means encircled, surrounded, crowned. Psalm 103 uses it of God crowning His people with steadfast love and mercy.
- Shield — the protection is a Person. As with Abram, God says of Himself, "I am your shield," and behind that shield there is nothing to fear.
- Result — those God surrounds shout for joy. Their joy rises past the rescue to the Rescuer: they rejoice in the Lord Himself.