Psalms 91 Footnotes

91:4 The idea of God’s covering people with his feathers and wings is a figurative way to express divine nurture and protection (Mt 23:37; Lk 13:34). It may be that the psalmist had in mind the ark of the covenant, and its accompanying winged cherubim, in the sanctuary.

91:11-13 The Lord may permit things to happen in life that are troubling and painful, but nothing is ever out of his control. God dispatches his angels to ensure that his will is safeguarded. In the NT, Satan used this reassuring passage to tempt Jesus to dramatize his identity as the messianic Son of God. Jesus countered this misuse of Scripture with another that warns against putting God to the test (Mt 4:6-7; Lk 4:10-11).

91:16 The promise of long life to the believer must not be taken for an automatic guarantee of longevity in this physical world. Wisdom literature acknowledges that, even among the righteous, life may be cut short. Still, God’s purpose is that the righteous live till their life has been “satisf[ied]” in his sight. Ultimately he will fulfill his promise both in this life and in the life to come (1Tm 4:8-9).