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Psalm 91[a]

Security Under God’s Protection

I

You who dwell in the shelter of the Most High,[b]
    who abide in the shade of the Almighty,
Say to the Lord, “My refuge and fortress,
    my God in whom I trust.”(A)
He will rescue you from the fowler’s snare,
    from the destroying plague,
He will shelter you with his pinions,
    and under his wings you may take refuge;(B)
    his faithfulness is a protecting shield.
You shall not fear the terror of the night
    nor the arrow that flies by day,(C)
Nor the pestilence that roams in darkness,
    nor the plague that ravages at noon.(D)
Though a thousand fall at your side,
    ten thousand at your right hand,
    near you it shall not come.
You need simply watch;
    the punishment of the wicked you will see.(E)
Because you have the Lord for your refuge
    and have made the Most High your stronghold,
10 No evil shall befall you,
    no affliction come near your tent.(F)
11 [c]For he commands his angels with regard to you,(G)
    to guard you wherever you go.(H)
12 With their hands they shall support you,
    lest you strike your foot against a stone.(I)
13 You can tread upon the asp and the viper,
    trample the lion and the dragon.(J)

II

14 Because he clings to me I will deliver him;
    because he knows my name I will set him on high.(K)
15 He will call upon me and I will answer;(L)
    I will be with him in distress;(M)
    I will deliver him and give him honor.
16 With length of days I will satisfy him,
    and fill him with my saving power.(N)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 91 A prayer of someone who has taken refuge in the Lord, possibly within the Temple (Ps 91:1–2). The psalmist is confident that God’s presence will protect the people in every dangerous situation (Ps 91:3–13). The final verses are an oracle of salvation promising salvation to those who trust in God (Ps 91:14–16).
  2. 91:1 The shelter of the Most High: basically “hiding place” but in the Psalms a designation for the protected Temple precincts, cf. Ps 27:5; 31:21; 61:5. The shade of the Almighty: lit., “the shadow of the wings of the Almighty,” cf. Ps 17:8; 36:8; 57:2; 63:8. Ps 91:4 makes clear that the shadow is an image of the safety afforded by the outstretched wings of the cherubim in the holy of holies.
  3. 91:11–12 The words are cited in Lk 4:10–11; Mt 4:6, as Satan tempts Jesus in the desert.