notes on Ps 91

Psalm 91:1–16

Scripture Outline

Confession: God’s Protection (91:1–2)

Confidence for Deliverance (91:3–13)

God’s Word of Salvation (91:14–16)

This is both a triumphant and a troubling psalm. It is triumphant because it guarantees that God will be our guard and guide through the evils of this life. It is troubling because it seems to be based on an unworkable theology: a theology of glory. What about suffering? What about the martyrs? What about the Cross? What about children with Down’s syndrome? What about Christians who pray for healing only to hear silence?

As a pastor I have had to deal with the whole range of human experience. On the streets of Hollywood in the 1960s I found prostitutes, drag-queens, runaways, drug addicts, and every conceivable diagnostic disorder. Trying to minister to these people brought me a combination of joy and sorrow both then and now. Some of the converts from that time have become mature in their faith, but many others are far from Christ today.

To change the scene, as a pastor, I have married hundreds of couples over the years. They come, in most part, smiling to the altar, faces glowing, reflecting their love and hope for the future. Few of these many marriages, however, have survived unscathed. Many have ended in divorce with children torn between their parents’ conflicts. Some barely survive. Others have gone through deep waters, later to emerge with health and vitality. But how can this psalm of triumph be applied to all of these people equally?

The fact that our victory in this world is so partial forces us to look more deeply at Psalm 91. We must also remember that Satan distorted this very text by using verses 11–12 to tempt Jesus to destroy Himself by leaping from the temple (Matt. 4:5–7). One irony, as we shall see, is that this psalm is directed against demonic assault.

If Psalm 91 is unqualified in its application to all believers, then it seems contradicted by much of our experience. It is not unqualified, however. It is addressed only to those who dwell “in the secret place of the Most High” and confess God as their “refuge and fortress” (v. 1). It is these who will be protected in the midst of the battle. Neither “the terror by night” nor “the arrow that flies by day” will touch them (v. 5). God’s angels will be their guards (v. 11), and even wild beasts will be under their command (v. 13). Prayers will be answered by God’s presence and protection (v. 15), and the result will be salvation in all of its fullness (v. 16). The issue of this psalm becomes then, “How may we journey into these promises and see them fulfilled in our experience?”

There is no tradition of authorship associated with Psalm 91. Commentators describe its mixed form as a wisdom poem (vv. 1–13) followed by a word from God (vv. 14–16). It may be associated with the temple liturgy, where instruction in divine protection leads to God’s personal response in the form of an oracle. The thought moves from the confession of God’s protection (vv. 1–2) to confidence in deliverance (vv. 3–13) and concludes with God’s word of salvation (vv. 14–16).

Confession: God’s Protection

91:1 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High

Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

² I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress;

My God, in Him I will trust.”

—Psalm 91:1–2

Verse 1 answers the question, “To whom does this psalm apply?” The promise of victory, which is its theme, is for the person who “dwells in the secret place of the Most High” (see Gen. 14:19–20 for this name of God). It is for no one else. The verb to dwell means “to remain, stay, tarry, endure, have one’s abode.” It suggests continuance and permanence.

Jesus identifies His disciples as those who “abide” or “dwell” in Him through eating His flesh and drinking His blood (John 6:56). They also dwell in His Word (John 8:31). Above all else, they dwell in Him as branches dwell or abide in the vine (John 15:7–8). This abiding life, to live and remain in Jesus, is the New Testament counterpart to “dwelling in the secret place of the Most High.” But what is that “secret place?” It is a “covering,” a “hiding-place,” a “shelter.” It can refer to the temple (Ps. 27:5), but only because God’s presence is there (Ps. 31:20).

This secret place is the intimacy of God’s presence; it is our secure communion with Him. By dwelling or living in the surrender of un ceasing worship and prayer (see 1 Thess. 5:16–17), we are like Moses, who was put in the cleft of the rock and covered with God’s hand while His glory passed by (Ex. 33:22).

God’s presence in verse 1 leads to His protection. The person who dwells in the secret place “shall abide [“lodge”) under the shadow of the Almighty.” The metaphor is that of a mother hen who gathers her chicks under her feathers. David prays, “Hide me under the shadow of Your wings, from the wicked who oppress me” (Ps. 17:8–9).

In response to God’s promise in verse 1, the psalmist now gives his confession in verse 2. He will say to Yahweh, “He is my refuge and my fortress,” or, better, in direct address: “God, my refuge and my fortress.” The imagery here is military; God is his defensive position against all enemies. Moreover, He is personal, My God. The psalmist concludes, “in Him I will trust” (“feel secure, be unconcerned”).

The theme of this psalm is now clearly established; God will give complete security and victory to the person who dwells in Him and puts his trust in Him. Intimacy and faith will bear this fruit in our lives.

Confidence for Deliverance

³ Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler

And from the perilous pestilence.

⁴ He shall cover you with His feathers,

And under His wings you shall take refuge;

His truth shall be your shield and buckler.

⁵ You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,

Nor of the arrow that flies by day,

⁶ Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness,

Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.

⁷ A thousand may fall at your side,

And ten thousand at your right hand;

But it shall not come near you.

⁸ Only with your eyes shall you look,

And see the reward of the wicked.

⁹ Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge,

Even the Most High, your dwelling place,

¹⁰ No evil shall befall you,

Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling;

¹¹ For He shall give His angels charge over you,

To keep you in all your ways.

¹² In their hands they shall bear you up,

Lest you dash your foot against a stone.

¹³ You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra,

The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.

—Psalm 91:3–13

In verses 3–13, we have an extended exposition of what God will do for the person dwelling in Him. While he will experience suffering and evil in this fallen world, he will also know divine protection and deliverance.

In verse 3 the psalmist asserts, “Surely He shall deliver [“snatch or tear away”) you from the snare [trap or net] of the fowler.” The person dwelling in God will never be a caged or eaten bird. Furthermore, God will deliver him “from the perilous pestilence.” (The noun pestilence means a lethal disease; Ex. 9:15; Num. 14:12.) As we have seen, God will cover the psalmist with His “feathers,” hiding him “under His wings” (see v. 1; Ps. 61:4). Here he will “take refuge.”

On the surface, the psalmist may be describing deliverance from human adversity. But in light of verses 5–6 (see comments below), it is probable that he has a darker enemy in mind. The fowler and the “perilous pestilence” become demonic agents of spiritual and physical assault. Paul warns new converts about falling “into reproach and the snare of the devil” (1 Tim. 3:7). Behind much disease stands supernatural evil. So Jesus heals a bent woman whom Satan bound for eighteen years (Luke 13:16).

In the midst of verse 4 the metaphor shifts to military equipment. The person dwelling in God’s “secret place” will have “His truth” as a “shield” and “buckler.” This shield is large, protecting the whole body. The word rendered buckler appears only here in the Old Testament. It probably means a round shield. The two pieces of armor illustrate the full (and double) protection offered by God’s truth. In the New Testament truth is a weapon against the devil. Jesus ex poses Satan with His word as He declares Himself to be the light of the World (John 8:l2ff.), and Paul instructs us to wear the “whole armor of God,” which includes the truth of the gospel in several aspects, “that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Eph. 6:11).

The results of this protection are sketched in verses 5–6. The per son dwelling in God’s secret place will not be afraid of “the terror [“dread”] by night” (v. 5). While this could refer to a surprise military attack, it probably indicates demonic assault. (A psychologist friend of mine experienced such an attack when she awakened from a nap after midnight in a room where several clients involved in the occult had been counseled. After rebuking the demons in Jesus’ name, she was able to go back to sleep.) Furthermore, the person dwelling in God’s secret place will not fear the “arrow that flies by day.” While this may have a human context, it may also be a metaphor for demonic assault coming like fiery darts (see Eph. 6:16).

In verse 6 the person hidden in God need not fear “the pestilence that walks in darkness.” Here, in contrast to verse 3, the pestilence is qualified. It stalks at night, having a demonic character. Finally, this person is free from “the destruction that lays waste at noonday,” which may well represent supernatural assaults in broad daylight. From all of this human and demonic activity, the person “dwelling in the secret place of the Most High” is protected.

The promise of God’s care is expressed physically in verses 7–8. While vast numbers of people are falling all around, a “thousand … at your side, / And ten thousand at your right hand, it [the plague, battle casualties, demonic conquest?] shall not come near you” (v. 7). The protected person walks through this holocaust of evil un touched. Moreover, he will also see the “wicked” (“hostile enemies,” “lawbreakers”) get their just reward (v. 8). In the New Testament Jesus and the early church saw God’s power overcoming the works of Satan; demons were cast out as the authority of God’s kingdom was manifest. When the seventy returned to Jesus from their mission, they reported, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” And He responded, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven” (Luke 10:17–18).

Why this victory over evil? The answer is given in verses 9–13. The foundation is laid in verse 9, which repeats the promise and confession of verses 1–2. The protected person prospers because the Lord is his “refuge” (see v. 2) and the “Most High” (see v. 1) his “habitation” (“lair,” “dwelling place”). There, living in God’s presence (v. 10), “No evil [‘distress’, calamity’] shall befall you.” More over, no “plague” (“scourge”) will “come near your dwelling” (“tent”). His family and possessions will be safe as well. By dwelling in the Lord, armed with His truth, we cannot be touched by Satan or his minions of evil. He cannot penetrate that secret place, near to God’s heart. He cannot gain an advantage over those of us who are now held in Jesus’ hand.

To be under God’s shadow (v. 1), covered with His feathers (v. 4), means also to have angelic aid. God sends His supernatural messengers to have “charge over you, / To keep [“guard,” “preserve”] you in all your ways” (v. 11). These angels are Elisha’s chariots of fire filling the mountains around us with protection against our enemies (see 2 Kin. 6:17). More than once, close personal friends of mine, whose mature Christian walk I respect, have reported to me that as I have gotten up to preach the platform is filled with angels.

This angelic care is complete. These guardians bear up the protected person “in their hands” so that he will not even “dash” his “foot against a stone” (v. 12). Moreover, he will experience victory over all evil: treading upon “the lion and the cobra,” and (in parallel) trampling “the young lion” and “the serpent” (v. 13).

In the disputed ending to Mark’s Gospel, Jesus promises His evangelists, “They will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them” (Mark 16:18). Paul also promises, “And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly” (Rom. 16:20). As we indicated above, the fact that the devil took these verses in this psalm and used them to tempt Jesus is ironic since this same psalm promises complete protection from malignant, supernatural evil. At the same time, that Jesus refuted the temptation and walked through untouched proves that the promises of verses 3–4 for deliverance and protection are true (see Matt. 4:1–11).¹

91:1, 2 in the secret place: The person who trusts in God is the one who lives close to Him. The title Most High emphasizes God’s majesty (92:1) and is parallel to the term Almighty, a translation of the divine title Shaddai. Together the terms Most High and Shaddai speak of God as a mountain-like majesty, in whose presence there is a “secret place” or a shadow. My refuge and my fortress may be rephrased as “my secure fortress.”²

Healed by God’s Touch

Although anonymous, there are good reasons for attributing this psalm also to Moses. The Rabbis did so, although on the doubtful principle that no other author is stipulated until 101, which means that 92–100 are also from Moses! The Septuagint and Vulgate ascribe it to David on the occasion of his numbering the people (2 Sam. 24). However, the atmosphere of the psalm is that of a nomadic life rather than the more settled times of David’s kingdom.

The most likely occasion is the ending of the plague of venomous snakes, which occasioned Psalm 90. The spirit of murmuring had been put away and God was again leading them on their journey (Num. 21:10–15). Eventually they arrived at the well ‘Beer’ (Num. 21:16–18) where Moses composed an ode. There is good evidence for believing he wrote this psalm at that time:

• The spirit of murmuring had given way to the spirit of faith (vv. 1–2); Moses had prayed they would look to God as their refuge and … fortress and now they were doing so.

• The memory of the pestilence was still vivid (vv. 3, 6) and possibly they feared its recurrence.

• They were exposed to the dangers of that area: fierce desert tribes like Amalek, Moab and Midian, who might raid by night or fire arrows from behind rocks by day (v.5).

• They had seen thousands of their friends fall prey to the plague (v. 7).

• Other rigours of the nomadic life were continuing: snares and traps (v. 3), disease (v. 6), disaster (v. 10), boulders and rough ground (v. 12) and wild beasts (v. 13).

As well as these incidentals there is the lesson Moses is trying to instill into them from their recent experience: to repent of their discontent and replace it with a spirit of confidence in God as the one who protects his people from all dangers—the note he strikes at the very outset (vv. 1–2).

Verses 1–2: Words of encouragement

These verses take up the words of 90:1, which he there had addressed to God, and turns them into an encouragement to the people, now that the judgment has passed. Rather than inflict trouble on us, God wants to protect us from it (v. 1). But we must trust him ourselves (v. 2): I will say … he is my refuge … my fortress … my God. While we are complaining about the way he treats us we cannot feel relaxed with him—at peace and in safety. We move out of his shadow and are exposed to dangers. If we swallow our pride and rebelliousness and trust him, we will enjoy this relationship.

Verses 3–13: Promises of protection

These verses spell out the particular dangers which God’s promise of protection covers. They read like an insurance policy! It covers snares (v. 3a), pestilence (v. 3b), violent attacks from enemies (vv. 5–8), safety both for your person and your home (vv. 9–10) and angelic protection from the rigours of the journey and from wild beasts (vv. 11–13). We Christians with our relatively settled life in peaceful communities may not find some of these particularly relevant, but our Christian pathway through the world is beset with difficulties: from the people of the world, from false teachers, from the devil and from our own sinful natures. God’s protection covers these equally and verse 4 certainly applies directly to us.

Verses 14–16: Means of enjoying these promises

These verses summarize all this by returning to generalities, in which he balances God’s promises along with our use of the means of enjoying them.

His promises are:

1. To rescue us from danger (v. 14) by ‘setting us on high’ (as the kjv correctly translates the word rendered protect in the niv)—that is, by putting us above and beyond the reach of trouble.

2. To answer our cries for help (v. 15), which might not mean instant deliverance, but a period in which he will share our trouble with us until the time for deliverance and restoration comes.

3. To give us a fulfilled life (satisfy, v. 16), which under the old covenant meant length of days (Prov. 3:1, 2, 16) and under the new covenant the ‘full life’ Jesus promised (John 10:10)—life in him and the Spirit.

4. To give us continual proofs of his power and willingness to save (v. 1).

Our means are:

1. Loving him (v. 14), that is, deliberately choosing and cleaving to him.

2. Acknowledging his name (v. 14), that is, his attributes and person, so that, when we do not understand what is happening, we still believe it is consistent with God’s character.

3. Calling on him in prayer (v. 15), which is the outward expression of our inward feeling of trust in him. Prayer brings specific situations to him and expects him to fulfill his promises (cf. John 14:12–14).³

1 Williams, D., & Ogilvie, L. J. (1989). Psalms 73–150 (Vol. 14, pp. 156–161). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.

2 Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1999). Nelson’s new illustrated Bible commentary (Ps 91:1–2). Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers.

3 Lane, E. (2006). Psalms 90-150: the lord reigns (pp. 13–15). Scotland: Christian Focus Publications.