Psalms 91
Psalms 91 summary
A psalm of confident trust, Psalm 91 promises that those who shelter in God find refuge from terror, plague, and danger under his protecting care.
Psalm 91 is a song of refuge, assuring those who "dwell in the secret place of the most High" of God's sheltering protection.
The movement of the psalm
It opens with the security of abiding in God (Psalm 91:1-2), then describes deliverance from the snare and the pestilence, the terror by night and the arrow by day (Psalm 91:3-6). Though thousands fall, the one who trusts is kept (Psalm 91:7-10); God commands his angels to guard him (Psalm 91:11-12). The psalm closes with God himself speaking, promising deliverance, answer, and long life to the one who loves and knows his name (Psalm 91:14-16).
Key themes
The psalm is poetry of trust, not a magic charm: it speaks the language of confidence in God's care amid real danger, and frames its promises by relationship — those who "set their love" upon God.
How it has been read
Believers have prayed this psalm in plague and peril for centuries. Notably, the devil quoted verses 11-12 to tempt Jesus (Matthew 4:6), and Jesus' refusal to presume on God's care guards the psalm from being twisted into a demand. Read rightly, it invites trust, not testing — confidence in the God who is himself our refuge.
Read Psalms 91
1He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. abide: Heb. lodge
2I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
3Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
4He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
5Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
6Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
7A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.
8Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.
9Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;
10There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
11For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
12They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
13Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet. adder: or, asp
14Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.
15He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.
16With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation. long: Heb. length of days
Topics & themes in Psalms 91
Frequently asked questions
What is Psalms 91 about?
A psalm of confident trust, Psalm 91 promises that those who shelter in God find refuge from terror, plague, and danger under his protecting care.
How many verses are in Psalms 91?
Psalms 91 contains 16 verses in the King James Version.
Is Psalms in the Old or New Testament?
Psalms is in the Old Testament of the Bible.
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