A Hebrew noun meaning shield, buckler, defense, protector. It refers both to the literal defensive weapon and metaphorically to God as the defender and protector of His people. From the root ganan (to defend, cover). The 'Shield of David' (Magen David) takes its name from this word.
God as magen is one of Scripture's most comforting images. In Genesis 15:1, God's first words to Abraham after the battle of the kings are: 'Fear not, Abram, I am your shield' — before land, before offspring, God establishes Himself as protector. Psalm 3:3: 'But you, O LORD, are a shield about me' — written while David fled Absalom, demonstrating that God's shielding is not absence of danger but presence in danger. Psalm 84:11 pairs the images: 'The LORD God is a sun and shield' — He both illuminates and protects. Proverbs 30:5: 'He is a shield to those who take refuge in him' — the shield is activated by trust, by running toward God rather than away. The theology: God's protection is relational, not automatic.