Psalm 91

1 He that dwells in the help of the Highest, shall sojourn under the shelter of the God of heaven.

2 He shall say to the Lord, Thou art my helper and my refuge: my God; I will hope in him.

3 For he shall deliver thee from the snare of the hunters, from every troublesome matter.

4 He shall overshadow thee with his shoulders, and thou shalt trust under his wings: his truth shall cover thee with a shield.

5 Thou shalt not be afraid of terror by night; nor of the arrow flying by day;

6 nor of the evil thing that walks in darkness; nor of calamity, and the evil spirit at noon-day.

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

8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou observe and see the reward of sinners.

9 For thou, O Lord, art my hope: thou, my soul, hast made the Most High thy refuge.

10 No evils shall come upon thee, and no scourge shall draw night to thy dwelling.

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

12 They shall bear thee up on their hands, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.

13 Thou shalt tread on the asp and basilisk: and thou shalt trample on the lion and dragon.

14 For he has hoped in me, and I will deliver him: I will protect him, because he has known my name.

15 He shall call upon me, and I will hearken to him: I am with him in affliction; and I will deliver him, and glorify him.

16 I will satisfy him with length of days, and shew him my salvation.

Psalm 91 Meaning and Commentary

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."