Psalms 91:4-14

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

5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night, nor for the arrow that flies by day,

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

7 Thousands shall fall at thy side and ten thousands at thy right hand, but it shall not come near thee.

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

9 Because thou hast made the LORD, who is my hope, even the most High, thy habitation,

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

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

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

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

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

Psalms 91:4-14 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."