His faithfulness is a shield and buckler

A Buckler

He will cover you with his pinions,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.

– Psalm 91:4

In community group last night we read and discussed Psalm 91. When I came across verse 4 I had no idea what a buckler was. I did some poking around on the internet and this is what I found.

Buckler Uses

• Hand protection: The primary use of the buckler was to protect the sword hand.
• Deflector: The buckler’s lightness and curved center made it excellent for deflecting attacking blades. Such a deflection would leave the attacker open for a rapid counter-attack.
• Blinder: The light blades used in conjunction with the buckler depended on rapid movements, which meant that a single second was an important advantage. The wielder of the buckler could use the buckler to shield his sword-hand’s position from view, keeping his opponent from guessing his next strike.
• “Metal fist“: A buckler can be used to directly attack an opponent by punching with either its flat face or its rim.
• Binder: The buckler can be used to bind an opponent’s sword hand and weapon as well as their buckler against their body. The buckler is also very useful in grappling, where it allows an opponent’s arms to be easily wrapped up and controlled.

In his faithfulness God deflects attacks from us, giving us the ability to quickly counter attack, bind the enemy’s sword hand and deal the fatal blow.  Amazing.