If you read our recent post listing the Top 100 Bible Verses of 2024 — and especially if you’ve compared it with previous years — you may have noticed an interesting pattern: the growing popularity of the Psalms.
In 2022, for instance, there were 27 verses from the Psalms in Bible Gateway’s Top 100. In 2023, that number rose to 33. And last year, in 2024, there were an astonishing 39 verses from the Psalms in the Top 100 — well over a third of the whole list.
What does this trend tell us about how people are engaging with the Bible — and how they’re feeling more generally? To help answer that question, let’s take a deeper look at our list — especially Psalm 91.
Charting Psalm 91’s Popularity
The most striking “upset” in our Top 100 rankings this year was how thoroughly they were dominated by two particular Psalms: Psalm 23 and Psalm 91.
Now, Psalm 23 is always in the top 10 — but this was the first year it was #1. Not only that, it was numbers 1-6: every verse of the Psalm surpassed both John 3:16 and Jeremiah 29:11 (traditionally our most popular verses). But look what happens after that: the next sixteen verses on the list are from Psalm 91. (In other words, 22 out of the top 25 verses are from just two Psalms!)
One thing this tells us is that, unlike almost any other passage in the Bible, people are reading these two Psalms in their entirety. They’re not just searching for a single verse.
But there’s something else happening here, too. Here’s a chart showing the ranking of the top verse in Psalm 91 over the past 10 years:
Ten years ago, in 2014, the most popular verse in Psalm 91 (v.1 in this case) ranked 51st internationally. In the U.S., it was 129 — not even in the top 100! Last year, Psalm 91:1 was #13 in the U.S., while internationally, Psalm 91:11 edged past it to claim the #7 spot (those other six spots are all Psalm 23).
Psalm 91 has always been pretty popular internationally, though you can see how much it’s gained worldwide. But its popularity has ballooned in the U.S.
And its biggest growth? 2020. The top verse jumped 59 points in the U.S. in 2020, from #88 to #29 (it also jumped 16 points internationally that year). And (after losing a few points in 2021) it’s continued to climb since.
Dwelling in the Shelter
What can we infer from this data?
It’s been said by some theologians that the Psalms cover the entire range of emotions in the Bible — in other words, the entire range of human emotions. But arguably, above all they offer comfort. And few more so than these two, Psalms 23 and 91.
It’s not surprising that Psalm 23 claims such popularity. It’s brief, straightforward, easily memorable (indeed, along with the Lord’s Prayer, it’s usually the first Bible passage memorized by children), and is commonly read at funerals.
But Psalm 91 is more revealing of our current state. Here are its two most popular verses, both in the U.S. and internationally:
“Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.” — Psalm 91:1 (NIV)
“For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways…” — Psalm 91:11 (NIV)
Psalm 91 is a psalm of God’s protection. The NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible (available with Bible Gateway Plus) notes that “The psalmist’s chief theme is that the Lord is his refuge (vv. 1–2). This has four benefits: the Lord protects from danger (vv. 3–8), guards against calamity by providing supernatural assistance (vv. 9–13), rescues from trouble (vv. 14–15), and grants eternal life (v. 16).”
Refuge in the Lord
Reading and reciting Psalm 91 is an acknowledgment that we need protection. Unlike many other psalms, it doesn’t plead with God for deliverance — but neither does it exult in it. It’s simply a promise of rescue for the faithful.
But what kind of rescue?
In some ways, the very expression of such a need suggests an awareness that, sometimes, it isn’t provided — at least not in the way we would want. “Effectively, Psalm 91 declares with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ‘he is able to deliver us’ (Dan. 3:17; cf. Ps. 91:3),” writes Dr. Jamie A. Grant in the NIV Application Commentary (also on BG+). “But correct interpretation of this poem also acknowledges that sometimes, in accordance with God’s understanding, which is higher than ours, he chooses not to do so.” Jesus himself implies this when Satan mockingly quotes 91:11 to him in the desert (Matt. 4:1–11; Luke 4:1–13).
Even so, the psalm “is clear that in every ultimate sense God saves his people.”
Put on the Armor of Psalm 91
It’s not hard to see the reason why Psalm 91 in particular became so popular during this past decade — especially its jump in 2020. Amid pandemics, natural disasters, global conflicts, social unrest, contentious elections, and of course the ever-present personal challenges we all face, it’s no surprise people would yearn for a “shield and rampart” (v. 4 NIV) to offer them protection.
This also comes at a time when general interest in faith and the Bible is booming. Even as secularism is growing in most Western countries, including the U.S., Bible sales are up 22% over 2023. “People are experiencing anxiety themselves, or they’re worried for their children and grandchildren,” Jeff Crosby, president of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association, told the Wall Street Journal. “It’s related to artificial intelligence, election cycles… and all of that feeds a desire for assurance that we’re going to be OK.”
While I’d argue there’s a lot more to the growth in religious interest than anxiety alone, it’s clearly a factor.
But here’s the good news: research suggests that engagement with the Bible can help. The American Bible Society found a small but direct impact on “human flourishing” based on how frequently people interact with the Bible. (The Human Flourishing Index, developed by Harvard researchers, provides scores based on five areas of personal well-being.) The more you read the Bible, the better prepared you are likely to be when facing life’s difficulties.
In other words (or in the Word): “When they call to me, I will answer them; I will be with them in trouble; I will rescue them and honor them” (Psalm 91:15 NRSVUE).
So if you’re feeling anxious, stressed, or worried; if you feel you need some comfort and protection; or even if you don’t, but want to store up for yourself treasures for later — try praying Psalm 91. Hide the psalter in your heart. Will it guarantee that “no harm will overtake you” (v. 10 NIV)? Perhaps not. But it will bring you closer to God; and “under his wings you will find refuge.”
For those seeking contentment and comfort in even the most trying circumstances of life, Peace with the Psalms offers guided readings rooted in Christian meditation. Or do a deep dive on Psalm 91 with Bible Gateway Plus, which offers dozens of resources to guide you into the scriptures. Try it free for 14 days!
Jacob is Editorial Director of Bible Gateway. He holds a Master of Theological Studies in Early Christian Thought from Harvard Divinity School, and a Bachelor of Arts in Religious History from Memorial University of Newfoundland, though with most of his coursework from the University of Hawai'i at Manoa. His work has appeared in Ekstasis and in Geez Magazine's "Embracing Darkness" Advent devotional.
