Psalms — Chapter 91

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1He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

2I will say to the LORD, “You are my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

3Surely He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler, and from the deadly plague.

4He will cover you with His feathers; under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and rampart.

5You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day,

6nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the calamity that destroys at noon.

7Though a thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand, no harm will come near you.

8You will only see it with your eyes and witness the punishment of the wicked.

9Because you have made the LORD your dwelling—my refuge, the Most High—

10no evil will befall you, no plague will approach your tent.

11For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.

12They will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

13You will tread on the lion and cobra; you will trample the young lion and serpent.

14“Because he loves Me, I will deliver him; because he knows My name, I will protect him.

15When he calls out to Me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble. I will deliver him and honor him.

16With long life I will satisfy him and show him My salvation.”

1He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

2I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.

3Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.

4He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

5Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;

6Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.

7A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.

8Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.

9Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;

10There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.

11For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

12They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

13Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.

14Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.

15He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.

16With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.

1He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

2I will say of Jehovah, He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in whom I trust.

3For he will deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, And from the deadly pestilence.

4He will cover thee with his pinions, And under his wings shalt thou take refuge: His truth is a shield and a buckler.

5Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night, Nor for the arrow that flieth by day;

6For the pestilence that walketh in darkness, Nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.

7A thousand shall fall at thy side, And ten thousand at thy right hand; [But] it shall not come nigh thee.

8Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold, And see the reward of the wicked.

9For thou, O Jehovah, art my refuge! Thou hast made the Most High thy habitation;

10There shall no evil befall thee, Neither shall any plague come nigh thy tent.

11For he will give his angels charge over thee, To keep thee in all thy ways.

12They shall bear thee up in their hands, Lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

13Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: The young lion and the serpent shalt thou trample under foot.

14Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.

15He shall call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble: I will deliver him, and honor him.

16With long life will I satisfy him, And show him my salvation. Psalm 92 A Psalm, a Song for the sabbath day.

1As for you, the one who lives in the shelter of the Most High, and resides in the protective shadow of the Sovereign One—

2I say this about the Lord, my shelter and my stronghold, my God in whom I trust—

3he will certainly rescue you from the snare of the hunter and from the destructive plague.

4He will shelter you with his wings; you will find safety under his wings. His faithfulness is like a shield or a protective wall.

5You need not fear the terrors of the night, the arrow that flies by day,

6the plague that stalks in the darkness, or the disease that ravages at noon.

7Though a thousand may fall beside you, and a multitude on your right side, it will not reach you.

8Certainly you will see it with your very own eyes— you will see the wicked paid back.

9For you have taken refuge in the Lord, my shelter, the Most High.

10No harm will overtake you; no illness will come near your home.

11For he will order his angels to protect you in all you do.

12They will lift you up in their hands, so you will not slip and fall on a stone.

13You will subdue a lion and a snake; you will trample underfoot a young lion and a serpent.

14The Lord says, “Because he is devoted to me, I will deliver him; I will protect him because he is loyal to me.

15When he calls out to me, I will answer him. I will be with him when he is in trouble; I will rescue him and bring him honor.

16I will satisfy him with long life and will let him see my salvation.”

1He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

2I will say of Yahweh, “He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust.”

3For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler, and from the deadly pestilence.

4He will cover you with his feathers. Under his wings you will take refuge. His faithfulness is your shield and rampart.

5You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day;

6nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that wastes at noonday.

7A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it will not come near you.

8You will only look with your eyes, and see the recompense of the wicked.

9Because you have made Yahweh your refuge, and the Most High your dwelling place,

10no evil shall happen to you, neither shall any plague come near your dwelling.

11For he will put his angels in charge of you, to guard you in all your ways.

12They will bear you up in their hands, so that you won’t dash your foot against a stone.

13You will tread on the lion and cobra. You will trample the young lion and the serpent underfoot.

14“Because he has set his love on me, therefore I will deliver him. I will set him on high, because he has known my name.

15He will call on me, and I will answer him. I will be with him in trouble. I will deliver him, and honor him.

16I will satisfy him with long life, and show him my salvation.”

Summary
Authorship & Background
Commentary
Videos
Articles
Reflection

Summary

A psalm of trust in God's protection. The psalmist describes whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High as safe under his care, calling God his refuge and fortress (vv. 1-2). He promises deliverance from hidden traps and plague, assuring that no disaster will overtake the one who makes God his dwelling (vv. 3-10). God's angels are pictured guarding him in all his ways, lifting him up so he does not strike his foot against a stone, and he will tread safely on the lion and serpent (vv. 11-13). The psalm closes with God speaking directly, promising to rescue, protect, answer, and honor the one who loves him, and to satisfy him with long life and salvation (vv. 14-16).

Authorship & Background

Author: Multiple authors — primarily David (73 psalms attributed), plus Asaph (12), Sons of Korah (11), Solomon (2), Moses (1), Heman (1), Ethan (1), and anonymous. The Psalter was compiled over approximately 1000 years and served as Israel's hymnal and prayer book. The book is divided into five 'books' (1-41, 42-72, 73-89, 90-106, 107-150), paralleling the five books of Moses.
Classification: Trust / Confidence Psalm
Attributed Author: Anonymous (Jewish tradition: Moses)
Key Themes: Divine protection, dwelling in God's presence, freedom from fear, angelic guardianship, treading on enemies, God's personal promises to the faithful
Historical Context: Psalm 91 has no superscription. Jewish tradition attributes it to Moses (pairing it with Psalm 90). It is the great "protection psalm" — the most comprehensive statement of divine shelter in all of Scripture. Satan quoted vv.11-12 during Christ's temptation (Matthew 4:6), attempting to twist the promise into presumption. The psalm uses four divine names: Most High (Elyon), Almighty (Shaddai), LORD (Yahweh), and God (Elohim) — indicating comprehensive, covenant protection from every angle. The psalm moves between voices: the speaker (vv.1-2,9), addressing the faithful (vv.3-8,10-13), and God speaking directly (vv.14-16). It was likely used liturgically as a blessing pronounced over worshippers or warriors.
He That Dwelleth in the Secret Place (vv.1-2): He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Two divine names in one line, Elyon and Shaddai, and the verse is a statement about a place rather than a promise about an outcome. Then the speaker answers it in his own voice, I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress, which brings in the covenant name and Elohim as well. Four names for God in two verses is the psalm announcing its scope: shelter from every direction at once.
The Snare of the Fowler and the Noisome Pestilence (vv.3-8): Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. The dangers come in pairs and cover the whole clock, terror by night and the arrow that flieth by day, pestilence that walketh in darkness and destruction that wasteth at noonday. The image of covering is a bird's, he shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust, and the next clause turns soft into hard, his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand, but it shall not come nigh thee. Read as arithmetic that is a promise of immunity, and the psalter elsewhere does not keep it; read as the confession of a man inside the shelter it is a statement about who holds him, not a guarantee about what will not happen.
Because Thou Hast Made the LORD Thy Habitation (v.9): Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation. One verse, and it does the work of a hinge by naming the condition on everything around it. Dwelling is the whole requirement, and the line slips between persons, my refuge and thy habitation in the same breath, as though the speaker were handing over an address he already lives at.
He Shall Give His Angels Charge over Thee (vv.10-13): There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. Then the two verses with a history, for he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways, they shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. Satan quoted them at the temptation, in Matthew 4:6, and quoted them correctly; what he removed was the clause in all thy ways, which fits a man walking a road and not a man jumping off a roof. So the promise of keeping and the misuse of it stand in the same two verses, and the psalm cannot be read honestly without both. The section closes with the tread of a victor, thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder, where KJV's dragon renders tannin, a serpent or sea-creature rather than the beast of later legend.
Because He Hath Set His Love upon Me (vv.14-16): Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him. The voice changes for the last three verses and God speaks in the first person, which is why the psalm reads as a blessing pronounced over someone rather than a meditation. What is promised is presence before rescue, I will be with him in trouble, and the order matters: the trouble is not canceled. With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.

Commentary

  • Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Verse-by-verse commentary on this chapter, written for the everyday reader and freely available online.
  • Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871): blueletterbible.org A critical and explanatory commentary on the whole Bible, more concise than Matthew Henry and closer to the Hebrew and Greek, with attention to historical and geographical detail. Public domain.
  • Matthew Henry's Exposition (1710): blueletterbible.org A devotional verse-by-verse commentary in the Puritan tradition, still among the most widely read three centuries on. Public domain.

Videos

Psalm 91 | My Refuge and Fortress | Bible Study
Spoken Gospel

Psalm 91 - A Psalm for a Time of Plague
David Guzik

Articles

  • GotQuestions.org: gotquestions.org On the whole book: an overview of Psalms -- who wrote it, when, why, and how it fits the rest of Scripture.

Links open on the publisher's own site. Nothing here is reproduced on this page.

Reflection

  • Dwelling, Not Just Visiting (v.1) — The psalm's promises belong to the one who makes God's presence a permanent residence, not someone who drops in occasionally. Is your relationship with God a steady dwelling place or an occasional visit?
  • Protection From Every Angle (vv.5-6) — The psalmist names danger by night, arrow by day, plague in darkness, and destruction at noon — every conceivable threat covered by God's care. Where do you most need to trust God's protection right now?
  • The Condition Behind the Promise (v.9) — These sweeping promises rest on one choice: making the Lord your refuge and dwelling place. Have you actually made God your refuge, or are you hoping for His protection without giving Him that place in your life?
  • Trust Is Not the Same as Testing God (vv.11-12) — Satan quoted these very verses to tempt Jesus to leap from the temple, twisting a promise of protection into permission for presumption. Where might you be tempted to manufacture a crisis to prove God's faithfulness instead of simply trusting Him?
  • Presence in Trouble, Not Exemption From It (v.15) — God doesn't promise a life free of trouble but promises to be with the one who calls on Him in the middle of it. Do you look for God's presence in your hardships, or only expect Him to remove them?