Psalms 91:1
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. abide: Heb. lodge
KJV
He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
He that dwells in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
What does Psalms 91:1 mean?
The psalm opens by promising that those who make God their dwelling find shelter in his very shadow — intimate, constant protection.
"He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty." So begins one of Scripture's great psalms of protection.
Context
Psalm 91 promises God's care amid danger — pestilence, terror, and the snare (Psalm 91:3-6). Verse 1 sets the condition for all that follows: this protection belongs to the one who dwells with God, not merely visits.
Key words
"Dwelleth" and "abide" both speak of settled, ongoing residence, not occasional retreat. "The secret place" is a place of hidden intimacy; "the shadow of the Almighty" pictures being so close to God that one rests in his shade — the nearness of a bird under its mother's wings (Psalm 91:4). Four names for God appear in the psalm's opening (Most High, Almighty, LORD, my God), piling up assurance.
How it has been read
Believers have leaned on this psalm in plague and peril for centuries. Its promises are not a charm against all hardship — Jesus himself rejected a twisting of Psalm 91:11-12 (Matthew 4:6-7) — but an assurance that those who shelter in God are kept by him, in life and in death.
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Verses like this
Other verses that share key original-language words with Psalms 91:1.
And a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land. great: Heb. heavy
Numbers 24:16He hath said, which heard the words of God, and knew the knowledge of the most High, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:
Frequently asked questions
What does Psalms 91:1 say?
Psalms 91:1 (King James Version) reads: "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. abide: Heb. lodge"
Is Psalms 91:1 in the Old or New Testament?
Psalms 91:1 is in the Old Testament of the Bible, in the book of Psalms.
Reflect
As you read Psalms 91:1, what is one truth here you can carry into today?
Plan a sermon or study on Psalms 91:1 →