The pairing of “their” and “his” suggests the group’s well-being and the anointed person’s deliverance are connected, without saying they are identical. The text also frames strength, protection, and deliverance as coming from Yahweh rather than from other sources.

Where interpretation differs (only where needed)

Two questions are genuinely open.

1. Who is “their”? Some read it as Israel as a whole (or the gathered worshipers). Others read it more narrowly as the psalmist’s community/allies in view within the prayer.

2. Who is “his anointed”? Many take it as the king (in an Israelite monarchy setting), since “anointed” often refers to the ruler set apart for leadership. Others allow that it could refer to another appointed leader (such as a priest) or, more generally, the person officially set apart to represent the people.

Why the disagreement exists The verse is short and uses pronouns (“their…his”) without identifying the group or the anointed person by name. Also, the term “anointed” can be used in more than one official context in Israel’s life, and the psalm itself does not specify the office.

What this passage clearly contributes This verse contributes a compact theology of dependence: Yahweh is the strength behind the people’s resilience, and Yahweh is the protective refuge that brings deliverance for the leader who belongs to him (“his anointed”). It also advances the psalm’s movement from an individual experience of answered prayer to public, community-facing confidence (preparing for the explicit prayer for the people in the next verse).

saving (yə·šū·‘ō·wṯ)