Magen — Shield
מָגֵן
Shield — God's first 'I am' to Abram: 'Do not fear; I am your shield.'
The Amidah's first blessing ends 'Magen Avraham' — Shield of Abraham — prayed daily for two millennia. The shield is not a wall far off but armor worn close; both traditions read protection as presence.
First occurrence
Gen 15:1 — Before the covenant of the pieces
Key passages
Ps 3:3 — 'You, YHVH, are a shield about me'
Ps 84:11 — 'YHVH Elohim is a sun and shield'
Eph 6:16 — The shield of faith
In the Greek Scriptures
ὑπερασπιστής