Psalms 91:5-15

5 You need not fear any dangers at night or sudden attacks during the day

6 or the plagues that strike in the dark or the evils that kill in daylight.

7 A thousand may fall dead beside you, ten thousand all around you, but you will not be harmed.

8 You will look and see how the wicked are punished.

9 You have made the Lord your defender, the Most High your protector,

10 and so no disaster will strike you, no violence will come near your home.

11 God will put his angels in charge of you ¹ to protect you wherever you go.

12 They will hold you up with their hands ² to keep you from hurting your feet on the stones.

13 You will trample down lions and snakes, ³ fierce lions and poisonous snakes.

14 God says, "I will save those who love me and will protect those who acknowledge me as Lord.

15 When they call to me, I will answer them; when they are in trouble, I will be with them. I will rescue them and honor them.

Psalms 91:5-15 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."

Cross References

• 1. 91.11Matthew 4.6;Luke 4.10.
• 2. 91.12Matthew 4.6;Luke 4.11.
• 3. 91.13Luke 10.19.

Footnotes

• [a]. [Probable text] your; [Hebrew] my.