Salmi 91:7-16

7 Mille te ne cadranno al fianco, e diecimila alla destra; ma tu non ne sarai colpito.

8 Solo contemplerai coi tuoi occhi e vedrai la retribuzione degli empi.

9 Poiché tu hai detto: O Eterno, tu sei il mio rifugio; tu hai preso l’Altissimo per il tuo asilo,

10 male alcuno non ti coglierà, né piaga alcuna s’accosterà alla tua tenda.

11 Poiché egli comanderà ai suoi angeli di guardarti in tutte le tue vie.

12 Essi ti porteranno in palma di mano, che talora il tuo piè non urti in alcuna pietra.

13 Tu camminerai sul leone e sull’aspide, calpesterai il leoncello e il serpente.

14 Poich’egli ha posta in me la sua affezione, io lo libererò; lo leverò in alto, perché conosce il mio nome.

15 Egli m’invocherà, ed io gli risponderò; sarò con lui nella distretta; lo libererò, e lo glorificherò.

16 Lo sazierò di lunga vita, e gli farò vedere la mia salvezza.

Salmi 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."