תהלים, פרק ל״ג, פסוק י״ט

God's watchful care offers a powerful shield for those who place their trust in Him, guarding them against the most severe and widespread dangers. This divine protection goes so far as to defy the very laws of nature to ensure their safety [מצודת דוד].

The primary approach among commentators is that the promise of being saved from death refers to rescue from tangible, physical threats such as war, the sword, oppressive enemies, or widespread plague [רד״ק, אבן עזרא, מלבי״ם, מאירי, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. However, there is also a deeper, spiritual dimension to this rescue. At times, God may allow a person to experience physical suffering in this world. This hardship serves a protective purpose, designed to save the person's soul from spiritual death in the world to come as a result of their past wrongs [אלשיך].

Beyond immediate physical threats, divine providence also sustains people during times of severe crisis, particularly during a famine. Famine serves as a prime example of one of the greatest hardships that can strike humanity [מאירי]. It is a collective disaster, a destructive force that typically sweeps through a region without distinguishing between the righteous and the wicked [אלשיך]. Yet, for those who hold onto their hope in God's kindness, He actively intervenes. He orchestrates circumstances so that they will find enough food to live and be satisfied, even as the surrounding world suffers from starvation [רד״ק, מצודת דוד]. Additionally, God may sustain people through a famine specifically in the merit of the poverty and hardships they had already endured before the crisis began [אלשיך].

The pairing of these two forms of rescue highlights moments of ultimate despair, where the nation was forced to confront a brutal enemy and a devastating famine at the exact same time. In these seemingly impossible situations, God steps in to deliver them from both overwhelming evils at once [מלבי״ם].