Grow With Me
Grow With Me

מָגֵן

magen · shield

Hebrew word · Strong’s number H4043 · appears 63 times in the Bible

What is the Strong number?Strong’s number identifies this word: use it to find the same word in other study tools.

What it means

magen (מָגֵן) is a Hebrew word of the Bible that means “shield”.

Figuratively, one who protects.

How to say it

ma·gen

Approximate pronunciation. Vowels sound as in Spanish (a as in father, e as in bed, i as in machine, o as in note, u as in rule); the syllable in bold is stressed. The voice is your device's.

Its senses in the Bible

  1. A piece the soldier carries on his arm to block blows in battle.
  2. One who protects: YHWH, "my shield".

From Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906)

Word study

Shield: the small or round shield the warrior carried. Figuratively, the one who protects; in the Psalms, YHWH. It comes from the root גָּנַן (cover, protect).

Historical and cultural background

Solomon made “three hundred shields of beaten gold” for the house of the Forest of Lebanon (1 Kings 10:17); when Shishak took them, Rehoboam made “bronze shields” in their place (2 Chronicles 12:9-10).

How we translate it

Always “shield” (47 times) or “shields” (16). It is kept apart from צִנָּה, the “large shield” that covered the whole body (Psalm 35:2).

How it is translated

The words this translation uses for it, most frequent first.

  • shield ×47
  • shields ×16

Related words

Words that come from it

Words of the same family, by Strong’s numbering.

Where it appears

  • Genesis 15:1

    After these things the word of YHWH came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram; I am a shield to you; your reward will be very great.”

  • Deuteronomy 33:29

    Happy are you, Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by YHWH, the shield of your help and who is the sword of your majesty? Your enemies will cringe before you, and you will tread on their high places.”

  • Judges 5:8

    Israel chose new gods; then there was war in the gates. Was a shield seen, or a spear, among forty thousand in Israel?

  • 2 Samuel 1:21

    Mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew and no rain on you, nor fields of contributions; for there the shield of the mighty was abhorred, the shield of Saul, not anointed with oil.

  • 2 Samuel 22:3

    Elohim, my Rock, in whom I take refuge; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my high refuge and the place where I flee, my savior; from violence you save me.

  • 2 Samuel 22:31

    The El —blameless is his way; the saying of YHWH is refined; he is a shield to all who take refuge in him.

  • 2 Samuel 22:36

    You have given me the shield of your salvation, and your answering makes me great.

  • 1 Kings 10:17

    and three hundred shields of beaten gold; three minas of gold went into each shield; and the king put them in the house of the Forest of Lebanon.

  • 1 Kings 14:26

    He took the treasures of the house of YHWH and the treasures of the house of the king; and everything he took. He also took all the shields of gold that Solomon had made.

  • 1 Kings 14:27

    King Rehoboam made in their place bronze shields, and entrusted them to the hand of the commanders of the runners who guarded the doorway of the king’s house.

  • 2 Kings 19:32

    Therefore thus says YHWH concerning the king of Assyria: He will not come into this city and will not shoot there an arrow, and will not come before it with a shield, and will not heap up against it a siege ramp.

  • 1 Chronicles 5:18

    The sons of Reuben, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, of the valiant, men who carried shield and sword, who drew the bow, and trained for war, were forty-four thousand seven hundred and sixty, who went out to the army.

  • 2 Chronicles 9:16

    and three hundred shields of beaten gold; three hundred shekels of gold went into each shield. The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon.

  • 2 Chronicles 12:9

    Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem and took the treasures of the house of YHWH and the treasures of the house of the king; everything he took. He also took the shields of gold that Solomon had made.

  • 2 Chronicles 12:10

    King Rehoboam made in their place bronze shields, and entrusted them to the hand of the commanders of the runners who guarded the doorway of the king’s house.

  • 2 Chronicles 14:8

    Asa had a force carrying large shield and spear: from Judah, three hundred thousand; and from Benjamin, carrying shield and drawing the bow, two hundred and eighty thousand. All these were mighty men of valor.

  • 2 Chronicles 17:17

    And from Benjamin: Eliada, a mighty man of valor, and with him those armed with bow and shield, two hundred thousand;

  • 2 Chronicles 23:9

    Jehoiada the priest gave to the commanders of hundreds the spears and the shields and the bucklers that had belonged to King David, which were in the house of Elohim.

  • 2 Chronicles 26:14

    Uzziah prepared for them, for all the army, shields, spears, helmets, coats of mail, bows, and stones for slings.

  • 2 Chronicles 32:5

    He strengthened himself and built all the wall that was broken down, and raised on it the towers, and outside another wall; and he repaired the Millo in the city of David, and made weapons in abundance and shields.

  • 2 Chronicles 32:27

    Hezekiah had very great riches and glory; and he made treasuries for himself for silver, for gold, for precious stones, for spices, for shields, and for all kinds of desirable objects;

  • Nehemiah 4:16

    It happened from that day on that half of my young men were doing the work, and half of them were holding the spears, the shields, the bows, and the coats of mail; and the officials were behind all the house of Judah.

  • Job 15:26

    he runs at him with his neck erect, with the thickness of the bosses of his shields;

  • Job 41:15

    Its pride is its rows of shields, shut up with a seal tight.

  • Psalms 3:3

    But you, YHWH, are a shield around me, my glory, and the one who lifts my head.

  • Psalms 7:10

    My shield is with Elohim, who saves the upright in heart.

  • Psalms 18:2

    YHWH is my crag and my fortress and the one who brings me to safety; my El, my Rock, in whom I take refuge; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my high refuge.

  • Psalms 18:30

    The El —blameless is his way; the saying of YHWH is refined; he is a shield to all who take refuge in him.

  • Psalms 18:35

    You have given me the shield of your salvation; your right hand sustains me, and your humility makes me great.

  • Psalms 28:7

    YHWH is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusted, and I was helped; and my heart leaped for joy, and with my song I will give him thanks.

  • Psalms 33:20

    Our soul is waiting for YHWH; our help and our shield is he.

  • Psalms 35:2

    Take hold of shield and large shield, and rise up to my help.

  • Psalms 47:9

    The nobles of the peoples have gathered, as the people of the Elohim of Abraham; for to Elohim belong the shields of the earth; greatly is he exalted.

  • Psalms 59:11

    Do not kill them, lest my people forget; make them wander by your power, and bring them down, our shield, Adonai.

  • Psalms 76:3

    There he broke the flames of the bow, the shield and the sword and the war. Selah.

  • Psalms 84:9

    Our shield, see, Elohim, and look on the face of your anointed.

  • Psalms 84:11

    For a sun and shield is YHWH Elohim; favor and glory YHWH will give; he will not withhold good from those who walk blamelessly.

  • Psalms 89:18

    For to YHWH belongs our shield, and to the Holy One of Israel our king.

  • Psalms 115:9

    Israel, trust in YHWH; their help and their shield is he.

  • Psalms 115:10

    House of Aaron, trust in YHWH; their help and their shield is he.

And 23 more times.