Their defense - צלם tsillam, their shadow, a metaphor highly expressive of protection and support in the sultry eastern countries. The protection of God is so called; see Psalm 91:1; Psalm 121:5; see also Isaiah 51:16; Isaiah 49:2; Isaiah 30:2.

The Arabs and Persians have the same word to express the same thing.

nemayeed zulli doulet mamdood bad.

"May the shadow of thy prosperity be extended!"

nemayced zulli doulet ber mufareki khayr khwahen mamdood bad.

"May the shadow of thy prosperity be spread over the heads of thy well-wishers!"

They have also the following elegant distich: -

Sayahat kem mubad az seri ma

Bast Allah zullikem abeda.

"May thy protection never be removed from my head!

May God extend thy shadow eternally!"

Here the Arabic zull answers exactly to the Hebrew צל tsel, both signifying that which overspreads or overshadows. See the note on Numbers 14:14.

only rebel

Deuteronomy 9:7,23,24 Remember, and forget not, how you provoked the LORD your God to wrath in the wilderness...

Isaiah 1:2 Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the LORD has spoken, I have nourished and brought up children...

Isaiah 63:10 But they rebelled, and vexed his holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them.

Daniel 9:5,9 We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled...

Philippians 1:27 Only let your conversation be as it becomes the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent...

neither

Deuteronomy 7:18 You shall not be afraid of them: but shall well remember what the LORD your God did to Pharaoh, and to all Egypt;

Deuteronomy 20:3 And shall say to them, Hear, O Israel, you approach this day to battle against your enemies: let not your hearts faint, fear not...

are bread

Numbers 24:8 God brought him forth out of Egypt; he has as it were the strength of an unicorn: he shall eat up the nations his enemies...

Deuteronomy 32:42 I will make my arrows drunk with blood, and my sword shall devour flesh; and that with the blood of the slain and of the captives...

Psalm 14:4 Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread, and call not on the LORD.

Psalm 74:14 You brake the heads of leviathan in pieces, and gave him to be meat to the people inhabiting the wilderness.

defence. Heb. shadow. Tzillam, a metaphor highly expressive of protection and support in the sultry eastern countries. The Arabs and Persians use the same word to express the same thing; using the expressions, 'May the shadow of thy prosperity be extended.' 'May the shadow of thy prosperity be spread over the heads of thy well-wishers.' And in an elegant distich, 'May your protection never be removed from my head; may God extend your shadow eternally.' The loftiest and most esteemed title of the sultan, says Thornton, because given him by the kings of Persia, is zil ullah, shadow of God.

Psalm 91:1 He that dwells in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

Psalm 121:5 The LORD is your keeper: the LORD is your shade on your right hand.

Isaiah 30:2,3 That walk to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth; to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh...

Isaiah 32:2 And a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place...

Jeremiah 48:45 They that fled stood under the shadow of Heshbon because of the force: but a fire shall come forth out of Heshbon...

the Lord

Genesis 48:21 And Israel said to Joseph, Behold, I die: but God shall be with you, and bring you again to the land of your fathers.

Exodus 33:16 For wherein shall it be known here that I and your people have found grace in your sight? is it not in that you go with us?...

Deuteronomy 7:21 You shall not be affrighted at them: for the LORD your God is among you, a mighty God and terrible.

Deuteronomy 20:1-4 When you go out to battle against your enemies, and see horses, and chariots, and a people more than you, be not afraid of them...

Deuteronomy 31:6,8 Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD your God, he it is that does go with you...

Joshua 1:5 There shall not any man be able to stand before you all the days of your life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with you...

Judges 1:22 And the house of Joseph, they also went up against Bethel: and the LORD was with them.

2 Chronicles 13:12 And, behold, God himself is with us for our captain, and his priests with sounding trumpets to cry alarm against you...

2 Chronicles 15:2 And he went out to meet Asa, and said to him, Hear you me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The LORD is with you...

2 Chronicles 20:17 You shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand you still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you...

2 Chronicles 32:8 With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the LORD our God to help us, and to fight our battles...

Psalm 46:1,2,7,11 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble...

Isaiah 8:9,10 Associate yourselves, O you people, and you shall be broken in pieces; and give ear, all you of far countries: gird yourselves...

Isaiah 41:10 Fear you not; for I am with you: be not dismayed; for I am your God: I will strengthen you; yes, I will help you...

Matthew 1:23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is...

Romans 8:31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

fear them not

Isaiah 41:14 Fear not, you worm Jacob, and you men of Israel; I will help you, said the LORD, and your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.

Order and Argument in Prayer
It is further observable that though a good man hastens to God in his trouble, and runs with all the more speed because of the unkindness of his fellow men, yet sometimes the gracious soul is left without the comfortable presence of God. This is the worst of all griefs; the text is one of Job's deep groans, far deeper than any which came from him on account of the loss of his children and his property: "Oh that I knew where I might find HIM!" The worst of all losses is to lose the smile of my God. …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 12: 1866

"Behold Your God!"
In Isaiah's day the spiritual understanding of mankind was dark through misapprehension of God. Long had Satan sought to lead men to look upon their Creator as the author of sin and suffering and death. Those whom he had thus deceived, imagined that God was hard and exacting. They regarded Him as watching to denounce and condemn, unwilling to receive the sinner so long as there was a legal excuse for not helping him. The law of love by which heaven is ruled had been misrepresented by the archdeceiver …
Ellen Gould White—The Story of Prophets and Kings

Ninth Sunday after Trinity Carnal Security and Its vices.
Text: 1 Corinthians 10, 6-13. 6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. 7 Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. 8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. 9 Neither let us make trial of the Lord, as some of them made trial, and perished by the serpents. 10 Neither murmur ye, as …
Martin Luther—Epistle Sermons, Vol. III