Psalm 91 (KJV)
91 He that dwelleth 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 will I
trust.
3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of
the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under
his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by
night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness;
nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten
thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.
8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see
the reward of the wicked.
9 Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most
High, thy habitation;
10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall
any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee,
to keep thee in all thy ways.
12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest
thou dash thy foot against a stone.
13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the
young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.
14 Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore
will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.
15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I
will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.
16 With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him
my salvation.
INTRODUCTION
This eloquent and stirring Psalm is attributed to either
Moses or David. Moses is thought to be the author due to a rule that specifies
that if a psalm is not titled then it is attributed to the previous psalms
author which in this case is Moses. However, The LXX Septuagint attributes it to David. It is titled “Praise of
a song, by David.”[1]
David was spoken of as “the sweet Psalmist of Israel” (2 Samuel 23:1). Whoever
wrote it has blessed many generations of reader. We should keep in mind that
psalms were sung in Israel even as many are in the church today.
Psalm 91 is one of the most powerful declarations of the
protective power of God. It not only gives us what he will do, but we are told
what is required of us. Life’s journey can be perilous, but this Psalm has been
a comfort to many throughout time. Its message is timeless. As God was with the
Israelites, He is also with his children today. He does not change. We can
trust Him, and have confidence in him as he reveals himself through His Word.
We can run to him no matter what our situation. Psalm 91 tells us He is our
refuge and our fortress, and we can put our trust in him.
GENRE
Psalm 91 is a song of confidence and trust in God. It is
used during lent, because of Satan’s use of verses 11-12. (Matthew 4: 5-6). We
see the protection of God for we are told that “He gives his angels charge over
you, to keep you in all your ways” (Psalm 91:11). The Psalms of confidence are
Psalms of Orientation. When difficulties of life arise one finds strength in
the knowledge that God is there protecting and caring. The presence of God
builds confidence and trust. Psalm 91 promises a lot. Verse 10 says, “No evil
shall befall you, nor shall any plague come nigh your dwelling.” Richard P.
Belcher Jr. asked the question, “Does God promise to much here? What happens
when the promises are not fulfilled?”[2] We must keep our eyes on
those that the Psalm was originally written for while remembering the Words of
Christ. Christ said the servant is not greater than his Lord. If they persecute
me they will persecute you (John 15:20). He also tells us “I have told you
these things, that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have
trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Psalms 91 is
a portrait of his care for his children. One can have confidence in this,
because Christ has overcome the world. His walk was one of suffering, but he
overcame it all, and brought us salvation. In the end, we have victory.
STRUCTURE
Psalm 91 has three sections which consist of 1) verses
1-8, 2) verses 9-13 and 3) verses 14-16. “The first two sections have the same
three parts: a description of the believer who confesses Yahweh as refuge, Yahweh’s
promise of protective action, and promises of the believer’s security…. The
third section (vv, 14-16) stands apart as a prophetic oracle (cf, Ps. 62,
another psalm of trust closing with a reference to God’s speech, which forms
the basis of the preceding personal confessions).”[3]
There
are four sections used to expand on the meaning of this Psalm that should be
looked at. 1) One is the confession of trust in the Lord. 2) Two gives the assurance that those who
trust in God need not fear any evil. 3) The third section is the promise of
God’s protection. 4) Four is a description of the Lord’s protection. He says he
will “be with him in trouble, and deliver and honor him. With long life I will
satisfy him, and show him my salvation” (Psalm 91:15b-16).
SUMMARY
OF PSALM 91
Psalm 91 is beautifully poetic. The use of imagery paints
a picture of Gods protective power. One can be swept away into the presence of
the Most High God. The KJV is especially beautiful to read. He is dwelling in
the secret place of the Most High. Everyone has that place where they go whether
it is an actual place or in a corner of their heart, where they draw close to
God. Here there is peace that passes understanding. One is in the shadow of the
Almighty. Verse 1 uses the imagery of being so close to Almighty God that His
shadow covers the person. There can be no fear when one is that close to God.
It starts out in the third person in verse 1, and in
verse 2 it moves to first person moving to second person in verses 3-13. This
person can expect deliverance from the snare of the fowler and from the
perilous pestilence. The Interlinear
Bible reads the fowler’s trap and destruction’s plague. The LXX Septuagint
states, “from the snare of the hunters, from every troublesome matter.”[4] God is described as a
mother hen who gathers her chicks under her wings to keep them warm and safe.
The Psalmist uses this description in 61:4 and 63:7. We find Christ using this
description when speaking to Jerusalem: “How often I have longed to gather your
children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were
not willing” (Matthew 23: 37). The use of shield and buckler implies total
protection. It does not matter what it is; terror, weapons, plagues, destruction.
The question is asked in the Word. Is anything too hard for God? (Gen. 18:14;
Jer. 32:27).
If
we are to have the protection of the Most High we must make Him our refuge and
dwelling place. “The tremendous promises in 91:3-13 must be understood in the
light of the covenant that God made with his people, for they are a reflection
of those covenant promises.”[5] The blessings were
dependent on the person’s response to God. Matthew Henry gives the three
characteristics of those whom these promises belong: “They are such as know
God’s name…They are such as have set their love upon Him; They are such as call
upon Him…”[6] In verse 14 -16 we hear
God speaking. God gives his reason for deliverance: He set his love upon me
and, because he knows my name. The word used for love is khaw-seef’ which is to
bind together.[7]
It is a close relationship. God wants a relationship with His people. Verses
14- 16 has eight things God will do for those who set their love upon him and
know his name: He will deliver, set him on high, answer him, be with him in
trouble, honor him, satisfy him, and show him. There is no way anyone can out
give God. God is generous beyond measure. Israel never lived in the fulness of
his blessing. Do his children today live in the fulness of His blessing? It is
something each of us need to consider.
LITERARY
FEATURES OF PSALM 91
The Psalms were written to reach the depth of the human
experience. Psalm 91 from the first verse grabs our attention with its strong messianic
focus. In verses 14-16 God Himself speaks. The first verse begins with “He”,
and tells us a very important thing about him. He dwells in the secret place of the Most High. He is not an
opportunistic visitor. His confidence is steady and unyielding. God is his
father, and his mother God is his all and all. He walks so close to the
Almighty God that His shadow covers him granting protection from anything that
might arise. He shares his joys, his sorrow, himself with God, and God responds
with love. It is this close relationship that he desires to have with his
children. The use of figurative language paints this amazing picture for us. We
see it used all throughout Psalm 91. Verse 9 refers to God as my refuge, and
the Most High as a dwelling place.
It is not surprising that God uses language at its
richest to reach us. He is our creator, and the creator of our languages. We
have literary devises, because He placed them in the heart of man. God’s truths
are revealed to us in a way that touches us where we live, and in a way that is
easy to remember. When reading the Bible, we also must remember there is a
cultural issue also. “While we intuitively identify the category of a piece of
literature we read in our own cultural, the same intuitions do not work when
reading literature from cultures not our own, like those of the Bible.”[8]
In
verse 4 it says, “He will cover you with His feather”. The visual that most
people will see is a bird with its babies hidden warm and safe under its wings.
It is a sight that if we have not seen it in nature we have seen it on
television, or pictures in a book. It is a comfortable memory. It is a concrete
idea. It affects us on the spiritual, emotional, and intellectual level.
A merism occurs in verse 5 where it tells us that “You
shall not be afraid of the terror by night, or the arrow that flies by day.”
Using night and day communicates to us that we do not have to fear at all in an
entire twenty-four-hour period. God is always caring for us no matter what a
twenty-four-hour period may bring. Whether it be terror, arrow, pestilence, or
destruction God has our back. “And we know that all things work together for
good to them that love God, to them that are called according to His purpose”
(Romans 8:28).
We see the use of hyperbole in verse 13 where it speaks
of treading upon the lion and cobra and trampling them underfoot. It is a
picture of the evils that might threaten. No matter what it is “through God we
shall do valiantly; for it is he who shall cast down our enemies” (Psalm
60:12). The hyperbole makes exaggerated claims that should not be taken
literally. “Since poetry tends to utilize hyperbole and by its nature engages
in strong images to make the point sharp and succinct, the patrons of this explanation
purpose that the problem is resolved in the nature of poetry itself.”[9] Which brings us back to 11
and 12. Does God literally give His angels charge over you to keep you in all
your ways? Do they bear you up lest you dash your foot against a stone? Satan
used this against Christ in His temptation, and Christ answered with, “It is
written, “You shall not tempt the Lord your God” (Matthew 4:5-8). It tells us in Hebrews 1:14 “Are they not all
ministering spirits sent out to render service for the sake of those who will
inherit salvation?” It might appear that the first part is a statement, and the
second part a hyperbole that might be an exaggerated claim. Dashing the foot
against a stone might be falling into temptation, or making a mistake that
could be fatal. It does let us know that God looks out for us.
INTERPRETIVE
ISSUES
One of the interpretive issues is the change in the
person. It starts in third person, and
then goes to first person than to second person with God speaking in the last
three verses. It raises the question of who is speaking? What is the problem
being addressed, and how is the problem solved? Some believe it was a general
blessing or possibly a temple entrance liturgy. By beginning with “He” it
leaves it open. It could be anyone who has sought God and found Him, and is
dwelling in the secret place of the Most High. Verse 2 is the speaker who tells
us that God is his refuge and fortress. In verse 3 the speaker appears to be
telling another person that God will deliver him, and goes through all the
different situations of deliverance. God speaks in the third person. The Psalm
appears to have been left open for the reader to determine. “The variety of
images all9ows this psalm to be used for any situation [10]of threat.”
All the situations that
it speaks of could apply to experiences in war. In the book, Psalm 91: Military Edition: God’s Shield of
Protection tells of a soldier who had gone into battle. He was a Pennsylvania
lieutenant who was on a mission. He was discovered by the enemy and had only a
moment to cry out to God. He was shot in the chest and knocked back. The man
with him thought him dead, and grabbed the gun from his hand and began
shooting. The enemy was driven back, and it was discovered that the bullet had
gone into the Bible he was carrying stopping at Psalm 91 pointing to verse 7.
Psalm 91 may to be left open, so it becomes applicable to the lives of many
throughout the generations. Using the third person to begin it says there is
security for those who trust in the Lord.
The
metaphorical language used leaves it open for interpretation. God does not make
mistakes. His Word preforms what He sends it to do. The Gospels refer to Psalm
91 in reference to Christ temptation. Christ uses the words of Psalm 91 to
counter Satan. The question of whether Psalm 91 was used to drive out evil
spirits has also been suggested.
Psalm 91 is not easily classified. It has been considered
a lament as well as praise and Thanksgiving. These might be included with the
category of trust and confidence. Bullock
uses the pestilence in verses 3-7 as a reason to categorize it as a lament. He
also uses the complaint against the authors enemies in verse 8. He finds the
problem, complaint, and solution. The solution is in 9-13. “There we find a
divine message in the form of an oracle.” [11]
THEOLOGY
AND APPLICATION
There
are those who look at Psalm 91 as a great comfort, and those who feel that its
stance is unrealistic. The Psalmist gives a picture of God’s protection in the
most horrendous circumstances, but while he does show us God’s action he
believer is given a picture of what is required of him if he is to enjoy these
promises. This brings us to the age-old question: Why do bad things happen to
good people? This is a question that can be difficult when witnessing, and the
question of why would a merciful God allow so much suffering? We do not like
the answer to this question, because it takes us back to the garden of Eden.
God not only created man with a free will, but also the angels have a free
will. God is not going to override our freedom of choice, and we make bad
choices.
Let
us look at Lucifer’s choices. In the end, he tried to take the throne of God.
He wanted to be God. We can read in Isaiah 14:12-17 which speaks of Lucifer as
does Ezekiel 28. It is debated whether these are speaking of Lucifer or the
king of Babylon or Tyre. “He smote the people, not in justice, for their correction
and reformation, but in wrath (v.6), to gratify his own peevish resentments, and that with a continual stroke, pursued them with his forces, and gave
them no respite, no breathing time, no cessation of arms. He ruled the nations,
but he ruled them in anger.”[12] We
see the desire for ultimate power either way. They wanted to be gods. There is
always a battle between good and evil. In fact, if you look at movies like the Avengers it is a battle between good and
evil. It is the struggle that has raged since the beginning.
We
watch the news and see all the wars and hear the rumors of war. The real battle
that is being waged in between God and Satan for the souls of man. Psalm 91
gives us hope. It tells us of God’s protective power, and His love for His
children.
Looking
at verse 1 we see him dwelling in the secret place of the Most High. If we leap
ahead to verse 14 where God speaks He tells us that “he” has set his love upon
God. The LXX Septuagint says, “He has hoped in me.” This is one of the reasons
that God will deliver him. The other reason is because “he has known my name.”
God will answer when he calls, and be with him in trouble. God does not promise
no trouble, but we know He is with us. He will deliver, honor, and satisfy.
Most importantly “And show him My salvation.”
We
have our eyes on our situations in life, and God is concerned about our
homecoming when we leave this life. “For those He foreknew He also
predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son, that he might be the
firstborn among many brothers and sisters” (Romans 8:29).
CONCLUSION
Psalm
91 may to some seem to be a bit overstated, but as we walk the walk we find
that He is always with us guiding, protecting, comforting. He is the source of
our total supply. As we read this Psalm we should be reminded that it was
written before Christ came, and our perspective may be slightly different from
the author and the audience of the time this was written. We have the Holy
Spirit with with us always. Psalm 91, whether written by Moses or David, was
written when they lived under the law. The writer could speak of God’s
protective power without forgetting that these blessing were obtained by more
than following the law. They were obtained by loving God. “Love the Lord your
God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength”
(Deuteronomy 6:5). When Christ came, He added to it. “This is the greatest and
foremost commandment. The second is like it. ‘You shall love your neighbor as youself.”
(Matthew 22:38-40).
Psalm
91 is a psalm of trust and confidence in God. When we dwell in the secret place
of the Most High, under His wings he will be our refuge and our fortress. How
can a person be afraid when they are in the presence of the Almighty? If these
promises seem to fall short now as we daily face realities they will be
fulfilled when we see Him face to face.
“When we look back
on our life from the perspective of eternity, we are going to see that the
power of Satan was so great, that the weakness of our flesh was feeble, and
that the hostility of the world was so strong, that every day of our lives – if
God had not intervened – we would never have made it through a day.”
John Calvin
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Belcher
Jr., Richard P. The Messiah and the
Psalms. Ross-Shire, Scotland: Christian Focus Publications, Ltd.,2006.
Brenton,
Lancelot. LXX SEPTUAGINT: An English
Translation of the Greek Old Testament. United States of America: Beloved
Publishing, 2014.
Broyles,
Craig C. Psalms. Grand Rapids,
Michigan: BakerBooks, 1999.
Bullock,
C. Hassel. Encountering the Book of
the Psalms. Grand Rapids, Michigan:
Baker Academic, 2001.
Futato,
Mark D. Interpreting the Psalms.
Grand Rapid, Michigan: Kregel, 2007.
Green,
Sr., JAY P. The Interlinear Bible
Hebrew-Greek-English. United States of America: Hendrickson Publishers,
2015.
Henry,
Matthew. Matthew Henry’s Commentary on
the Whole Bible. Peabody, Mass: Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., 1996.
Strong,
James. Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of
the Bible. Iowa Falls, Iowa: World Bible Publishers, no date given,
[1] Lancelot Brenton.
LXX Septuagint. United States of
America: Beloved Publishing, 2014, 451.
[2] Richard P. Belcher
Jr. The Messiah and the Psalms. (Ross-Shire,
Scotland: Christian Focus Publication, Ltd., 2006), 58.
[3] Craig C. Broyles, Psalms. (Grand Rapid, Michigan:
BakerBooks,1999), 361.
[4] Lancelot Brenton.
LXX Septuagint. (United States of
America: Beloved Publishing, 2014), 451.
[5] Richard P. Belcher
Jr. The Messiah and the Psalms. (Ross-Shire,
Scotland: Christian Focus Publication, Ltd.,2006), 59.
[6] Matthew Henry. Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole
Bible, vol. 3. (Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson Publisher, Inc., 1996),482.
[7] James Strong. Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the
Bible. (Iowa Falls, Iowa: World Bible Publishers, No year given), Hebrew
2836.
[8] Mark D. Futato. Interpreting the Psalms. (Grand Rapids,
Michigan: Kregel,2007), 141.
[9] C. Hassel Bullock.
Encountering the Book of Psalms. (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic,
2001), 228.
[10] Craig C. Broyles. Psalms. (Grand Rapids, Michigan:
BakerBooks1999), 361.
[11] C. Hassel Bullock. Encountering the Book of Psalms. (Grand
Rapids: Michigan: Baker Academic,2001), 139-142.
[12]
Matthew Henry. Matthew Henry’s Commentary
on the Whole Bible. Vol.4 (Peabody, Mass: Hendrickson, Publishers, Inc.
1996),
