Psalms 91:1-5

Psalm 91 ¹ 

91:1 As for you, the one who lives ²  in the shelter of the sovereign One, ³ 

and resides in the protective shadow ⁴  of the mighty king ⁵  –

91:2 I say this about the Lord, my shelter and my stronghold,

my God in whom I trust –

91:3 he will certainly rescue you from the snare of the hunter ⁶ 

and from the destructive plague.

91:4 He will shelter you ⁷  with his wings; ⁸ 

you will find safety under his wings.

His faithfulness is like a shield or a protective wall. ⁹ 

91:5 You need not fear the terrors of the night, ¹⁰ 

the arrow that flies by day,

[91:1]  ¹ sn Psalm 91. In this psalm an individual (perhaps a priest) addresses one who has sought shelter in the Lord and assures him that God will protect him from danger (vv. 1-13). In vv. 14-16 God himself promises to keep his loyal follower safe.

[91:1]  ² tn Heb “[O] one who lives.”

[91:1]  ³ tn Traditionally “the Most High.”

[91:1]  ⁴ sn The Lord is compared here to a bird who protects its young under the shadow of its wings (see v. 4).

[91:1]  ⁵ sn The divine name used here is “Shaddai” (שַׁדַּי, shadday; see also Ps 68:14). Shaddai (or El Shaddai) is the mighty king (sovereign judge) of the world who grants life/blesses and kills/judges. In Genesis he blesses the patriarchs with fertility and promises numerous descendants. Outside Genesis he both blesses/protects and takes away life/happiness.

[91:3]  ⁶ tn The word refers specifically to a fowler (or hunter of birds).

[91:4]  ⁷ tn Heb “put a cover over you” (see Ps 5:11).

[91:4]  ⁸ tc The Hebrew text has the singular, but the plural should be read. The final yod (י) of the suffix, which indicates the plural, has dropped off by haplography (note the yod [י] at the beginning of the next word).

[91:4]  ⁹ tn Traditionally the Hebrew term סֹחֵרָה (sokherah), which occurs only here in the OT, has been understood to refer to a buckler or small shield (see BDB 695 s.v.). But HALOT 750 s.v., on the basis of evidence from the cognate languages, proposes the meaning “wall.”

[91:5]  ¹⁰ tn This probably alludes to a sneak attack by enemies in the darkness of night (see Song 3:8).