מָגֵן, shield, defense. Pesik. Haʿomer, p. 70ᵃ; 70ᵇ (ref. to ואל מצנים, Job V, 5) לא בזיין ולא במ׳ not with weapon or with shield (will he prevail); Lev. R. s. 28; Pesik. R. s. 18; Yalk. Job 898.—Cant. R. to IV, 4 end (ref. to אלף המגן, ib.) אלף דור … אותו המ׳ I folded together (skipped over) a thousand generations and brought unto them that shield (the Torah).—Midr. Till. to Ps. I, 5, v. גּוּן; a. fr.—Pl. מָגִנִּים, מָגִינִּים. Lam. R. introd. (R. Joḥ. 1) (ref. to Is. XXII, 5) שהיו מקרקרים … עושין אותן מ׳ they broke down the walls of their houses and made of them defenses. Cant. R. l. c. לבניך אני נעשה מ׳ הרבה unto thy children I shall be many defenses. Gen. R. s. 44 מ׳ של צדיקים shields of the righteous (protectors of their generation by dint of their righteousness); a. e.—Esp. Magen, the first section of the Prayer of Benedictions closing with מָגֵן אַבְרָהָם (usu. called אָבוֹת, v. אָב). Deut. R. s. 11, beg. חוזר לתחלת מ׳ (Ber. 34ᵃ לראש) he must go back to the beginning of the first section. Erub. 65ᵃ, v. פּוּק h.—בֵּית הַמָּגִינִּין, Tosef. Kil. IV, 7, v. מְגִינָּא.