Psalms 91:7-16

7 vir insipiens non cognoscet et stultus non intelleget haec

8 cum exorti fuerint peccatores sicut faenum et apparuerint omnes qui operantur iniquitatem ut intereant in saeculum %saeculi;

9 tu autem Altissimus in aeternum Domine

10 *quoniam ecce inimici tui Domine; quoniam ecce inimici tui peribunt et dispergentur omnes qui operantur iniquitatem

11 et exaltabitur sicut unicornis cornu meum et senectus mea in misericordia uberi

12 et despexit oculus meus inimicis meis et insurgentibus in me malignantibus audiet auris mea

13 iustus ut palma florebit ut cedrus Libani multiplicabitur

14 plantati in domo Domini in atriis Dei nostri florebunt

15 adhuc multiplicabuntur in senecta uberi et bene patientes erunt

16 ut adnuntient quoniam rectus Dominus Deus noster et non est iniquitas in eo

Psalms 91:7-16 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."