Psalm 91
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Psalm 91[a]
Security Under God’s Protection
I
1 You who dwell in the shelter of the Most High,[b]
who abide in the shade of the Almighty,
2 Say to the Lord, “My refuge and fortress,
my God in whom I trust.”(A)
3 He will rescue you from the fowler’s snare,
from the destroying plague,
4 He will shelter you with his pinions,
and under his wings you may take refuge;(B)
his faithfulness is a protecting shield.
5 You shall not fear the terror of the night
nor the arrow that flies by day,(C)
6 Nor the pestilence that roams in darkness,
nor the plague that ravages at noon.(D)
7 Though a thousand fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
near you it shall not come.
8 You need simply watch;
the punishment of the wicked you will see.(E)
9 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
- 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).
- 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.
- 91:11–12 The words are cited in Lk 4:10–11; Mt 4:6, as Satan tempts Jesus in the desert.
Tehillim 91
Orthodox Jewish Bible
91 He that dwelleth in the seter Elyon (covering, hiding place of the Most High) shall abide under the tzel Shaddai (shadow of the Almighty).
2 I will say of Hashem, He is my refuge and my fortress; Elohai (my G-d); in Him will I trust.
3 Surely He shall save thee from the pach yakosh ([deadly] snare of the fowler), and from the devastating dever (plague).
4 He shall cover thee with His evrah (pinion, flight feathers), and under His kenafayim (wings) shalt thou find defense; His Emes shall be thy shield and buckler.
5 Thou shalt not be afraid of the pachad (terror) by lailah; nor of the khetz (arrow) that flieth yomam (by day);
6 Nor for the dever (plague) that walketh in darkness; nor for the ketev (pestilence, destruction) that destroyeth at tzohorayim (noon).
7 An elef (thousand) may fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy yamin (right hand); but it shall not come near thee.
8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the shillumah (recompense, retribution) of the resha’im.
9 Because thou hast made Hashem, which is my refuge, even Elyon, thy ma’on (habitation, dwelling; see Yn 14:2 OJBC)
10 There shall no ra’ah (evil, disaster) befall thee, neither shall any nega come near thy ohel.
11 For He shall give charge to His malachim (angels) concerning thee, to be shomer over thee in kol drakhim of thee.
12 They [the malachim of Hashem] shall bear thee up on their palms, lest thou dash thy regel against an even (stone).
13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder; the young lion and the tannin (serpent) shalt thou trample under foot.
14 Because he hath set his longing upon Me, therefore will I rescue him; I will set him on high, because he hath da’as of Shmi (My Name).
15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in tzoros; I will deliver him, and honor him.
16 With orech yamim (length of days, long life) will I satisfy him, and show him My Yeshuah (salvation).
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