What does מָגֵן (māḡēn) mean in the Bible?
מָגֵן (māḡēn): Shield both literal and metaphorical protection; God as Israel's shield emphasizes covenantal defense and security
Hebrew · H4043
מָגֵן
A shield (i.e. the small one or buckler); figuratively, a protector ; also the scaly hide of the crocodile
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מָגֵן H4043
Pronunciation māḡēn
What does מָגֵן (māḡēn) mean in the Bible?
מָגֵן (māḡēn): Shield both literal and metaphorical protection; God as Israel's shield emphasizes covenantal defense and security
Full entry for מָגֵן (H4043) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H4043?
The BSB source-word alignment has 63 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include shields (7), the shield (5), and shield (4), shield (4), is a shield (3).
Where does מָגֵן (māḡēn) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 15:1. Its strongest book concentrations include Psalms (19), 2 Chronicles (10), 2 Samuel (5), Ezekiel (5).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It shields 7× 1 Kings 14:26, 1 Kings 14:27, 2 Chronicles 12:9, 2 Chronicles 12:10
the shield 5× 2 Samuel 1:21, 1 Chronicles 5:18, Psalms 76:3, Isaiah 22:6
and shield 4× Psalms 115:9, Psalms 115:10, Psalms 115:11, Ezekiel 23:24
shield 4× Genesis 15:1, 1 Kings 10:17, 2 Chronicles 9:16, Job 15:26
is a shield 3× 2 Samuel 22:31, Psalms 18:30, Proverbs 30:5
my shield 3× 2 Samuel 22:3, Psalms 7:10, Psalms 18:2
small shields 3× 1 Kings 10:17, 2 Chronicles 9:16, 2 Chronicles 14:8
the shields 3× Psalms 47:9, Isaiah 21:5, Nahum 2:3
Your shield 3× 2 Samuel 22:36, Psalms 18:35, Psalms 35:2
. . . 2× Proverbs 6:11, Proverbs 24:34
and my shield 2× Psalms 28:7, Psalms 119:114
and shields 2× 2 Chronicles 17:17, 2 Chronicles 32:5
our shield 2× Psalms 59:11, Psalms 89:18
their shields 2× Jeremiah 46:9, Ezekiel 27:10
with a shield 2× 2 Kings 19:32, Isaiah 37:33
with shields 2× 2 Chronicles 26:14, Ezekiel 38:5
a shield 1× Judges 5:8
and a shield 1× Psalms 84:11
and bucklers 1× Ezekiel 38:4
and our shield 1× Psalms 33:20
and the large 1× 2 Chronicles 23:9
are a shield 1× Psalms 3:3
He is a shield 1× Proverbs 2:7
He is my shield 1× Psalms 144:2
He is the shield 1× Deuteronomy 33:29
of our shield 1× Psalms 84:9
of scales are 1× Job 41:15
the bucklers 1× Ezekiel 39:9
their rulers 1× Hosea 4:18
your shields, small 1× Jeremiah 46:3
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 15:1 מָגֵ֣ן to shield Noun - common singular Deuteronomy 33:29 מָגֵ֣ן to He is the shield Noun - common singular construct Judges 5:8 מָגֵ֤ן to a shield Noun - common singular 2 Samuel 1:21 מָגֵ֣ן to the shield Noun - common singular construct 2 Samuel 1:21 מָגֵ֣ן to the shield Noun - common singular construct 2 Samuel 22:3 מָגִנִּ֞י to my shield Noun - common singular construct | first person common singular 2 Samuel 22:31 מָגֵ֣ן to is a shield Noun - common singular 2 Samuel 22:36 מָגֵ֣ן to Your shield Noun - common singular construct 1 Kings 10:17 מָֽגִנִּים֙ to small shields Noun - common plural 1 Kings 10:17 הַמָּגֵ֣ן to shield Article | Noun - common singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 15:1
Aligned rows 63
Books represented 18
Genesis 1 Deuteronomy 1 Judges 1 2 Samuel 5 1 Kings 4 2 Kings 1 1 Chronicles 1 2 Chronicles 10 Nehemiah 1 Job 2 Psalms 19 Proverbs 4 Song Of Solomon 1 Isaiah 3 Jeremiah 2 Ezekiel 5 Hosea 1 Nahum 1
Source forms
מָגֵ֣ן 8x mā·ḡên Genesis 15:1, Deuteronomy 33:29, 2 Samuel 1:21, 2 Samuel 22:31
וּמָגִנָּ֣ם 3x ū·mā·ḡin·nām Psalms 115:9, Psalms 115:10, Psalms 115:11
מָגֵ֤ן 3x mā·ḡên Judges 5:8, 1 Chronicles 5:18, Ezekiel 27:10
מָגֵ֔ן 3x mā·ḡên 2 Kings 19:32, Isaiah 37:33, Jeremiah 46:9
מָגֵ֥ן 3x mā·ḡên Psalms 18:30, Proverbs 30:5, Ezekiel 38:5
מָגֵֽן׃פ 3x mā·ḡên Proverbs 6:11, Proverbs 24:34, Isaiah 21:5
הַמָּגֵ֣ן 2x ham·mā·ḡên 1 Kings 10:17, 2 Chronicles 9:16
מָגֵן֙ 2x mā·ḡên 2 Chronicles 14:8, Jeremiah 46:3
Parsing patterns
Noun - common singular 19x Genesis 15:1, Judges 5:8, 2 Samuel 22:31, 2 Kings 19:32
Noun - common singular construct 6x Deuteronomy 33:29, 2 Samuel 1:21, 2 Samuel 22:36, Psalms 18:35
Conjunctive waw | Noun - common singular 5x 2 Chronicles 17:17, Psalms 84:11, Ezekiel 23:24, Ezekiel 38:4
Noun - common plural construct 5x 1 Kings 14:26, 1 Kings 14:27, 2 Chronicles 12:9, 2 Chronicles 12:10
Noun - common plural 4x 1 Kings 10:17, 2 Chronicles 9:16, 2 Chronicles 26:14, Job 41:15
Noun - common singular construct | first person common singular 4x 2 Samuel 22:3, Psalms 7:10, Psalms 18:2, Psalms 144:2
Article | Noun - common singular 3x 1 Kings 10:17, 2 Chronicles 9:16, Song Of Solomon 4:4
Conjunctive waw | Noun - common singular construct | third person masculine plural 3x Psalms 115:9, Psalms 115:10, Psalms 115:11
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Shield both literal and metaphorical protection; God as Israel's shield emphasizes covenantal defense and security
Source Gloss
a shield (i.e. the small one or buckler); figuratively, a protector ; also the scaly hide of the crocodile
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Shield both literal and metaphorical protection; God as Israel's shield emphasizes covenantal defense and security
a shield (i.e. the small one or buckler); figuratively, a protector; also the scaly hide of the crocodile BDB: shield Usage: × armed, buckler, defence, ruler, scale, shield.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Old Testament Witnesses
Shield, buckler, or defense; a metaphor for divine protection
My shield; my protection; the one who interposes on my behalf
Additional Occurrences
Psalms 3:1-4 מָגֵן māḡēn
shield; protector
Psalms 7:10-13 מָגִנִּי עַל־אֱלֹהִים māḡēn
my shield is with/on God
Showing 4 selected witnesses from 63 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
מָגֵן is built from this root:
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain