Psalms 91

Security of the One Who Trusts in the LORD.

1 He who dwells in the ¹shelter of the Most High Will abide in the ²shadow of the Almighty.

2 I will say to the LORD, "My ³refuge and my ⁴fortress, My God, in whom I ⁵trust!"

3 For it is He who delivers you from the ⁶snare of the trapper And from the deadly ⁷pestilence.

4 He will ⁸cover you with His pinions, And ⁹under His wings you may seek refuge; His ¹⁰faithfulness is a ¹¹shield and bulwark.

5 You ¹²will not be afraid of the ¹³terror by night, Or of the ¹⁴arrow that flies by day;

6 Of the ¹⁵pestilence that stalks in darkness, Or of the ¹⁶destruction that lays waste at noon.

7 A thousand may fall at your side And ten thousand at your right hand, But ¹⁷it shall not approach you.

8 You will only look on with your eyes And ¹⁸see the recompense of the wicked.

9 For you have made the LORD, ¹⁹my refuge, Even the Most High, ²⁰your dwelling place.

10 ²¹No evil will befall you, Nor will any plague come near your tent.

11 For He will give ²²His angels charge concerning you, To guard you in all your ways.

12 They will ²³bear you up in their hands, That you do not strike your foot against a stone.

13 You will ²⁴tread upon the lion and cobra, The young lion and the serpent you will trample down.

14 "²⁵Because he has loved Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will ²⁶set him securely on high, because he has ²⁷known My name.

15 "He will ²⁸call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and ²⁹honor him.

16 "With a ³⁰long life I will satisfy him And ³¹let him see My salvation."

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Psalms 91 Commentary

Chapter 91

The safety of those who have God for their refuge. (1-8) Their favour with Him. (9-16)

Verses 1-8 He that by faith chooses God for his protector, shall find all in him that he needs or can desire. And those who have found the comfort of making the Lord their refuge, cannot but desire that others may do so. The spiritual life is protected by Divine grace from the temptations of Satan, which are as the snares of the fowler, and from the contagion of sin, which is a noisome pestilence. Great security is promised to believers in the midst of danger. Wisdom shall keep them from being afraid without cause, and faith shall keep them from being unduly afraid. Whatever is done, our heavenly Father's will is done; and we have no reason to fear. God's people shall see, not only God's promises fulfilled, but his threatenings. Then let sinners come unto the Lord upon his mercy-seat, through the Redeemer's name; and encourage others to trust in him also.

Verses 9-16 Whatever happens, nothing shall hurt the believer; though trouble and affliction befal, it shall come, not for his hurt, but for good, though for the present it be not joyous but grievous. Those who rightly know God, will set their love upon him. They by prayer constantly call upon him. His promise is, that he will in due time deliver the believer out of trouble, and in the mean time be with him in trouble. The Lord will manage all his worldly concerns, and preserve his life on earth, so long as it shall be good for him. For encouragement in this he looks unto Jesus. He shall live long enough; till he has done the work he was sent into this world for, and is ready for heaven. Who would wish to live a day longer than God has some work to do, either by him or upon him? A man may die young, yet be satisfied with living. But a wicked man is not satisfied even with long life. At length the believer's conflict ends; he has done for ever with trouble, sin, and temptation.

Taken from Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (Concise)

Cross References 31

1. Psalms 27:5; Psalms 31:20; Psalms 32:7
2. Psalms 17:8; Psalms 121:5; Isaiah 25:4; Isaiah 32:2
3. Psalms 14:6; Psalms 91:9; Psalms 94:22; Psalms 142:5
4. Psalms 18:2; Psalms 31:3; Jeremiah 16:19
5. Psalms 25:2; Psalms 56:4
6. Psalms 124:7; Proverbs 6:5
7. 1 Kings 8:37; 2 Chronicles 20:9; Psalms 91:6
8. Isaiah 51:16
9. Psalms 17:8; Psalms 36:7; Psalms 57:1; Psalms 63:7
10. Psalms 40:11
11. Psalms 35:2
12. Job 5:19-23; Psalms 23:4; Psalms 27:1
13. Song of Songs 3:8
14. Psalms 64:4
15. 2 Kings 19:35; Psalms 91:10
16. Job 5:22
17. Genesis 7:23; Joshua 14:10
18. Psalms 37:34; Psalms 58:10
19. Psalms 91:2
20. Psalms 90:1
21. Proverbs 12:21
22. Psalms 34:7; Matthew 4:6; Luke 4:10, 11; Hebrews 1:14
23. Matthew 4:6; Luke 4:11
24. Judges 14:6; Daniel 6:22; Luke 10:19
25. Psalms 145:20
26. Psalms 59:1
27. Psalms 9:10
28. Job 12:4; Psalms 50:15
29. 1 Samuel 2:30; John 12:26
30. Deuteronomy 6:2; Psalms 21:4; Proverbs 3:1, 2
31. Psalms 50:23

Footnotes 7

[a]. Or "walks"
[b]. Or "For You O LORD "are my Refuge; You have made the Most High your dwelling place"
[c]. Or "dwelling"
[d]. Or "dragon"
[e]. Or "distress"
[f]. Lit "length of days"
[g]. Or "cause him to feast his eyes on"

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 91

Jarchi and others think this psalm was written by Moses {m}, as was the preceding; but the Targum ascribes it to David; as do the Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions; and very probably, as is generally thought, was penned by him on occasion of the pestilence which came upon the people, through his numbering of them, 2Sa 24:1. The person all along spoken of, and to, according to the Targum, is Solomon his son; and, according to the title in the Syriac version, King Hezekiah, so Theodoret, who is called the son of David; neither of which are probable. Some think the Messiah is meant; and that the psalm contains promises of protection and safety to him, as man, from diseases, beasts of prey, evil spirits, and wicked men, under the care of angels; and this not because that Satan has applied one of these promises to him, Mt 4:6, but because they seem better to agree with him than with any other: and one part of the title of the psalm, in the Syriac version, runs thus,

``and spiritually it is called the victory of the Messiah, and of everyone that is perfected by him.''

It seems best to understand it of every godly man, who is always safe under the divine protection. The Talmudisis {n} call it Myegp ryv, "a song of the occursions", or "meetings with evil spirits."

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible