King James Version

Psalm 91

Psalm 91 is the Bible's great psalm of protection. It promises that the one who dwells in "the secret place of the most High" and makes the LORD his refuge will be kept through fear, plague and danger, and it closes with God himself speaking, promising to deliver, answer and honour the one who loves him.

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Psalm 91 (KJV)

Living in the shelter of the Almighty v. 1-2

¹He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

²I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.

No fear of the snare, the night or the plague v. 3-8

³Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.

⁴He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

⁵Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;

⁶Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.

⁷A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.

⁸Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.

Angels given charge over you v. 9-13

⁹Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;

¹⁰There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.

¹¹For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

¹²They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

¹³Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.

God answers: I will deliver him v. 14-16

¹⁴Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.

¹⁵He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.

¹⁶With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.

What Psalm 91 means

The psalm opens with a picture of where safety lives. Verse 1 speaks of the one who dwells in the secret place of the most High and abides under the shadow of the Almighty. Verse 2 turns that into a personal confession: "He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust." The rest of the psalm unpacks what that trust looks like when trouble comes.

Verses 3-8 name the dangers plainly: the snare of the fowler (a bird-trapper's net), the noisome pestilence, the terror by night and the arrow that flieth by day. God's care is pictured as a bird sheltering its young: "He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust." Even when a thousand fall at one side and ten thousand at the other, the psalm says the danger shall not come nigh.

Verses 9-13 explain the reason: because the reader has made the LORD his habitation. Here comes the best-known promise, that God "shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways," bearing him up lest he dash his foot against a stone. Verse 13 adds the picture of treading on the lion and the adder.

In verses 14-16 the speaker changes. God speaks in the first person, and the promise rests on relationship: "Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him." God promises to answer when he calls, to be with him in trouble, and to satisfy him with long life and show him salvation.

Christians have long prayed this psalm in times of sickness, war and fear. It is also worth noticing how Jesus handled it. When the devil quoted verses 11-12 to tempt him to jump from the temple, Jesus answered from Deuteronomy that we must not tempt the Lord. Many readers take that as a guide: Psalm 91 is a promise to trust, not a dare to test God.

Background and context

Psalm 91 has no title in the King James Version, so the writer is not named. Jewish tradition has often linked it to Moses, since Psalm 90 just before it is headed as a prayer of Moses, while the ancient Greek translation (the Septuagint) gives it to David.

It sits in Book Four of the Psalms (Psalms 90-106). Its voices shift as it goes: a speaker in verse 2, an encouraging voice speaking to 'thee' in verses 3-13, and God himself in verses 14-16.

Key verses

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
Psalm 91:1 · KJV

I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
Psalm 91:2 · KJV

For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
Psalm 91:11 · KJV

Cross references

Matthew 4:5-6 The devil quotes verses 11-12 to Jesus on the pinnacle of the temple.Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
Luke 4:10-11 Luke's account of the same temptation and the same quotation.For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee: And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
Matthew 4:7 Jesus answers: "Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God."Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
Psalm 17:8 David prays to be hidden under the shadow of God's wings.Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings,
Psalm 46:1 God as "refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Psalm 34:7 The angel of the LORD encamps round about them that fear him.The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.
Luke 10:19 Jesus gives his disciples power to tread on serpents and scorpions, an echo of verse 13.Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

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Common questions

What is the main message of Psalm 91?

That the person who trusts the LORD and makes him a dwelling place is under his protection. The psalm names real dangers and answers each one with God's care, ending with God's own promise to deliver and answer.

Who wrote Psalm 91?

The Bible does not say. The psalm has no title in the KJV. Jewish tradition has often linked it to Moses, and the Greek Septuagint attributes it to David.

Is Psalm 91 a promise that nothing bad will ever happen to a believer?

Christians read it in different ways. Many see it as a promise of God's presence and final deliverance rather than a guarantee against all harm, noting that Jesus refused to use verses 11-12 to put God to the test.

Where is Psalm 91 quoted in the New Testament?

Verses 11-12 are quoted by the devil during the temptation of Jesus in Matthew 4:6 and Luke 4:10-11.

Why do people pray Psalm 91?

It is one of the most-loved psalms for times of sickness, danger and fear, because it speaks to them so directly: "Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night."