Psalms 115:9

ISRAEL ENTREATED TO TRUST IN THE LORD

"O Israel, trust thou in Jehovah:

He is their help and their shield.

O house of Aaron, trust ye in Jehovah:

He is their help and their shield.

Ye that fear Jehovah trust in Jehovah:

He is their help and their shield.

Jehovah hath been mindful of us; he will bless us.

He will bless the house of Israel;

He will bless the house of Aaron.

He will bless them that fear Jehovah,

Both great and small."

As Dummelow noted, "Psalms 115:9,10,11 here seem to have been written to be sung antiphonally,"[14] the response, "He is their help and their shield," to each exhortation being sung by a separate group of singers.

The only question that arises here is that of, "Just who are those addressed as `Ye that fear Jehovah.'"? Three different groups have been supposed to be indicated. "The identification of this third group is uncertain. It may be composed (1) of Gentile converts to Judaism (often called God-fearers), (2) an inner circle of the truly devout (the true seed of Abraham as distinguished from the rest of Israel), or (3) both the laity and priests already mentioned separately."[15] (Parenthetical statements here by J.B.C.)

Of these possibilities, we strongly favor understanding the third group as the true "sons of Abraham," as distinguished both from the priests and from the nation as a whole. Some prefer to think of them as the proselytes, but McCullough's comment casts much doubt on that interpretation. He wrote, "It is improbable, even if the psalm belongs to the Persian or early Greek period, that proselytes were present in the temple in sufficient numbers to form a special group of worshippers."[16]

"Both small and great" (Psalms 115:13). This is probably a reference to both young and old, adults and children.