1He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. 2I will say of Yahweh, "He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust." 3For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler, and from the deadly pestilence. 4He will cover you with his feathers. Under his wings you will take refuge. His faithfulness is your shield and rampart. 5You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day; 6nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that wastes at noonday. 7A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it will not come near you. 8You will only look with your eyes, and see the recompense of the wicked. 9Because you have made Yahweh your refuge, and the Most High your dwelling place, 10no evil shall happen to you, neither shall any plague come near your dwelling. 11For he will put his angels in charge of you, to guard you in all your ways. 12They will bear you up in their hands, so that you won't dash your foot against a stone. 13You will tread on the lion and cobra. You will trample the young lion and the serpent underfoot. 14"Because he has set his love on me, therefore I will deliver him. I will set him on high, because he has known my name. 15He will call on me, and I will answer him. I will be with him in trouble. I will deliver him, and honor him. 16I will satisfy him with long life, and show him my salvation." A Psalm. A song for the Sabbath day.
The Book ofPsalms 91Chapter XCI 91
· 16 verses · 2 minute read
About this chapter
Psalms 91 — The Psalm of Protection
Psalms 91 stands as the great "Psalm of Protection"—recited in times of war, plague, and crisis throughout the ages. The promise is breathtaking: whoever dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday. The names of God stacked deliberately in the opening verse are no accident—Elyon (Most High), Shaddai (Almighty), Yahweh (the Lord), Elohim (God). Each name captures a distinct facet of divine care and sovereignty. Verse 11—"For he shall give his angels charge over thee"—is the very promise Satan twisted when tempting Jesus in the wilderness (Matthew 4:6). Yet Satan omitted verse 12: "lest thou dash thy foot against a stone." The promise is not exemption from stumbling, but rescue in the stumble. This is not a free pass from suffering—Jesus himself suffered—but rather an unshakeable guarantee of God's presence within suffering. The language rings with military imagery: shield (tsinnah), buckler (socherah), refuge (machseh). God does not merely protect us from a distance; he becomes our fortress, our stronghold, our very dwelling place. The psalm invites us into an intimacy with the Almighty that transcends circumstance, transforming fear into trust and anxiety into rest.
Author unknown; rabbinic tradition attributes it to Moses. The psalm was recited in evening prayers and during times of epidemic—including notably during the 2020 pandemic—as believers sought comfort in ancient words.
Read this when facing real or perceived danger—illness, conflict, threat, or the anxieties that visit in the night.
Key verses in Psalms 91
Psalms 91:1 · Promise · High comfortPsalms 91:15 · Promise · High comfortPsalms 91:4 · Promise · High comfort
Explore each verse of Psalms 91
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