Psalm 91:3

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

Psalm 91:3 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 91:3

Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler
These are the words of the psalmist, either speaking to himself, for the encouragement of his own faith and trust in the Lord; or to the man that dwells in the secret place, and under the shadow of the most High; which latter seems most agreeable; though Cocceius thinks they are the words of God in one of his Persons, speaking of another divine Person that should deliver such that trust in him: the Targum makes them to be the words of David to Solomon his son. By the "fowler" and his "snare" may be meant either Saul, who laid wait for David, spread snares for him, and hunted him as a partridge on the mountains, from whom he was delivered; or rather any tyrannical enemy and persecutor of the saints, who lay snares for them; and these are broken by the Lord, and so they escape, as a bird out of the hands of the fowler, ( Psalms 124:6 Psalms 124:7 ) or it may, best of all, be understood of Satan and his temptations, which are as snares that he lays to catch the people of God in, and from which they are delivered by the power and grace of God; see ( 1 Timothy 3:7 ) ( 2 Timothy 2:26 )

and from the noisome pestilence;
the most pernicious and destructive one; which may be literally understood of any pestilential distemper; from which the Lord, by his powerful providence, sometimes protects his people, when in danger of it: or, spiritually, of the pestilential disease of sin, that noisome and deadly one, the plague of the heart, which is the worst of all plagues; and from the ruinous and destructive effects and consequences of which the Lord saves his saints.

Psalm 91:3 In-Context

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.