Psalm 91 Text
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Psalm 91/Text
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The sheltered one
Psalm 91
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Listen & Read: Psalm 91
Read along and listen to our audio recordings for Psalm 91. Choose between simple, unaffected audio recordings (in Hebrew or English), or a dramatized reading that takes into account our emotional and discourse analyses. You can also choose between a text-only view, or a view overlaid with our summary At-a-Glance, Expanded Paraphrase, or Participant Analysis tracking.
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Simple Reading (English) Forthcoming. |
| Dramatic Reading (Hebrew) Forthcoming. |
Dramatic Reading (English) Forthcoming. |
Text Only (Hebrew and English) The text below is divided according to the psalm's poetic lines. For additional information, see our Poetic Structure layer.
| Text (Hebrew) | Verse | Text (CBC) |
|---|---|---|
| יֹ֭שֵׁב בְּסֵ֣תֶר עֶלְי֑וֹן | 1a | The one living in the shelter of the Most High, |
| בְּצֵ֥ל שַׁ֝דַּ֗י יִתְלוֹנָֽן׃ | 1b | who rests in the shade of the Almighty, |
| אֹמַ֗ר לַֽ֭יהוָה מַחְסִ֣י וּמְצוּדָתִ֑י | 2a | says to YHWH: “You are my refuge and fortress, |
| אֱ֝לֹהַ֗י אֶבְטַח־בּֽוֹ׃ | 2b | my God, in whom I trust.” |
| כִּ֤י ה֣וּא יַ֭צִּֽילְךָ מִפַּ֥ח יָק֗וּשׁ | 3a | For, he will rescue you from a hunter’s trap |
| מִדֶּ֥בֶר הַוּֽוֹת׃ | 3b | and from a destructive plague. |
| בְּאֶבְרָת֨וֹ יָ֣סֶךְ לָ֭ךְ | 4a | He will cover you with his pinion; |
| וְתַֽחַת־כְּנָפָ֣יו תֶּחְסֶ֑ה | 4b | and you will find refuge under his wings. |
| צִנָּ֖ה וְֽסֹחֵרָ֣ה אֲמִתּֽוֹ׃ | 4c | His faithfulness will be a shield and a wall. |
| לֹא־תִ֭ירָא מִפַּ֣חַד לָ֑יְלָה | 5a | You will not be afraid of danger of the night |
| מֵ֝חֵ֗ץ יָע֥וּף יוֹמָֽם׃ | 5b | or of the arrow that flies during the day |
| מִ֭דֶּבֶר בָּאֹ֣פֶל יַהֲלֹ֑ךְ | 6a | or of the plague that moves in the deep darkness |
| מִ֝קֶּ֗טֶב יָשׁ֥וּד צָהֳרָֽיִם׃ | 6b | or of the disaster that devastates at noon. |
| יִפֹּ֤ל מִצִּדְּךָ֨ ׀ אֶ֗לֶף | 7a | Though a thousand fall at your side |
| וּרְבָבָ֥ה מִימִינֶ֑ךָ | 7b | and ten thousand at your right side, |
| אֵ֝לֶ֗יךָ לֹ֣א יִגָּֽשׁ׃ | 7c | to you it will not come near. |
| רַ֭ק בְּעֵינֶ֣יךָ תַבִּ֑יט | 8a | Rather, you will look with your eyes; |
| וְשִׁלֻּמַ֖ת רְשָׁעִ֣ים תִּרְאֶֽה׃ | 8b | and you will see wicked people’s punishment. |
| כִּֽי־אַתָּ֣ה יְהוָ֣ה מַחְסִ֑י | 9a | For [you say:] “YHWH, you are my refuge.” |
| עֶ֝לְי֗וֹן שַׂ֣מְתָּ מְעוֹנֶֽךָ׃ | 9b | You have made the Most High your home. |
| לֹֽא־תְאֻנֶּ֣ה אֵלֶ֣יךָ רָעָ֑ה | 10a | Harm will not come to you, |
| וְ֝נֶ֗גַע לֹא־יִקְרַ֥ב בְּאָהֳלֶֽךָ׃ | 10b | and disease will not reach your home, |
| כִּ֣י מַ֭לְאָכָיו יְצַוֶּה־לָּ֑ךְ | 11a | because he will order his angels concerning you |
| לִ֝שְׁמָרְךָ֗ בְּכָל־דְּרָכֶֽיךָ׃ | 11b | to protect you in all of your ways. |
| עַל־כַּפַּ֥יִם יִשָּׂא֑וּנְךָ | 12a | They will carry you in their arms |
| פֶּן־תִּגֹּ֖ף בָּאֶ֣בֶן רַגְלֶֽךָ׃ | 12b | so that your foot does not stumble on any stones. |
| עַל־שַׁ֣חַל וָפֶ֣תֶן תִּדְרֹ֑ךְ | 13a | You will tread upon a lion and a viper; |
| תִּרְמֹ֖ס כְּפִ֣יר וְתַנִּֽין׃ | 13b | you will trample a young lion and a serpent. |
| כִּ֤י בִ֣י חָ֭שַׁק וַאֲפַלְּטֵ֑הוּ | 14a | For he has clung to me, so I will rescue him; |
| אֲ֝שַׂגְּבֵ֗הוּ כִּֽי־יָדַ֥ע שְׁמִֽי׃ | 14b | I will keep him safe because he knows my name. |
| יִקְרָאֵ֨נִי ׀ וְֽאֶעֱנֵ֗הוּ | 15a | He cries out to me, so I will answer him. |
| עִמּֽוֹ־אָנֹכִ֥י בְצָרָ֑ה | 15b | I will be with him in trouble; |
| אֲ֝חַלְּצֵ֗הוּ וַֽאֲכַבְּדֵֽהוּ׃ | 15c | I will rescue him and I will honour him. |
| אֹ֣רֶךְ יָ֭מִים אַשְׂבִּיעֵ֑הוּ | 16a | I will give him his fill of long life; |
| וְ֝אַרְאֵ֗הוּ בִּֽישׁוּעָתִֽי׃ | 16b | and I will show him my salvation. |
Structure Overlay Below, the text has been overlaid with our summary structural analysis. For details on the structure, see the Structure At-a-Glance here.
| Text (Hebrew) | Verse | Text (CBC) |
|---|---|---|
| יֹ֭שֵׁב בְּסֵ֣תֶר עֶלְי֑וֹן | 1a | The one living in the shelter of the Most High, |
| בְּצֵ֥ל שַׁ֝דַּ֗י יִתְלוֹנָֽן׃ | 1b | who rests in the shade of the Almighty, |
| אֹמַ֗ר לַֽ֭יהוָה מַחְסִ֣י וּמְצוּדָתִ֑י | 2a | says to YHWH: “You are my refuge and fortress, |
| אֱ֝לֹהַ֗י אֶבְטַח־בּֽוֹ׃ | 2b | my God, in whom I trust.” |
| כִּ֤י ה֣וּא יַ֭צִּֽילְךָ מִפַּ֥ח יָק֗וּשׁ | 3a | For, he will rescue you from a hunter’s trap |
| מִדֶּ֥בֶר הַוּֽוֹת׃ | 3b | and from a destructive plague. |
| בְּאֶבְרָת֨וֹ יָ֣סֶךְ לָ֭ךְ | 4a | He will cover you with his pinion; |
| וְתַֽחַת־כְּנָפָ֣יו תֶּחְסֶ֑ה | 4b | and you will find refuge under his wings. |
| צִנָּ֖ה וְֽסֹחֵרָ֣ה אֲמִתּֽוֹ׃ | 4c | His faithfulness will be a shield and a wall. |
| לֹא־תִ֭ירָא מִפַּ֣חַד לָ֑יְלָה | 5a | You will not be afraid of danger of the night |
| מֵ֝חֵ֗ץ יָע֥וּף יוֹמָֽם׃ | 5b | or of the arrow that flies during the day |
| מִ֭דֶּבֶר בָּאֹ֣פֶל יַהֲלֹ֑ךְ | 6a | or of the plague that moves in the deep darkness |
| מִ֝קֶּ֗טֶב יָשׁ֥וּד צָהֳרָֽיִם׃ | 6b | or of the disaster that devastates at noon. |
| יִפֹּ֤ל מִצִּדְּךָ֨ ׀ אֶ֗לֶף | 7a | Though a thousand fall at your side |
| וּרְבָבָ֥ה מִימִינֶ֑ךָ | 7b | and ten thousand at your right side, |
| אֵ֝לֶ֗יךָ לֹ֣א יִגָּֽשׁ׃ | 7c | to you it will not come near. |
| רַ֭ק בְּעֵינֶ֣יךָ תַבִּ֑יט | 8a | Rather, you will look with your eyes; |
| וְשִׁלֻּמַ֖ת רְשָׁעִ֣ים תִּרְאֶֽה׃ | 8b | and you will see wicked people’s punishment. |
| כִּֽי־אַתָּ֣ה יְהוָ֣ה מַחְסִ֑י | 9a | For [you say:] “YHWH, you are my refuge.” |
| עֶ֝לְי֗וֹן שַׂ֣מְתָּ מְעוֹנֶֽךָ׃ | 9b | You have made the Most High your home. |
| לֹֽא־תְאֻנֶּ֣ה אֵלֶ֣יךָ רָעָ֑ה | 10a | Harm will not come to you, |
| וְ֝נֶ֗גַע לֹא־יִקְרַ֥ב בְּאָהֳלֶֽךָ׃ | 10b | and disease will not reach your home, |
| כִּ֣י מַ֭לְאָכָיו יְצַוֶּה־לָּ֑ךְ | 11a | because he will order his angels concerning you |
| לִ֝שְׁמָרְךָ֗ בְּכָל־דְּרָכֶֽיךָ׃ | 11b | to protect you in all of your ways. |
| עַל־כַּפַּ֥יִם יִשָּׂא֑וּנְךָ | 12a | They will carry you in their arms |
| פֶּן־תִּגֹּ֖ף בָּאֶ֣בֶן רַגְלֶֽךָ׃ | 12b | so that your foot does not stumble on any stones. |
| עַל־שַׁ֣חַל וָפֶ֣תֶן תִּדְרֹ֑ךְ | 13a | You will tread upon a lion and a viper; |
| תִּרְמֹ֖ס כְּפִ֣יר וְתַנִּֽין׃ | 13b | you will trample a young lion and a serpent. |
| כִּ֤י בִ֣י חָ֭שַׁק וַאֲפַלְּטֵ֑הוּ | 14a | For he has clung to me, so I will rescue him; |
| אֲ֝שַׂגְּבֵ֗הוּ כִּֽי־יָדַ֥ע שְׁמִֽי׃ | 14b | I will keep him safe because he knows my name. |
| יִקְרָאֵ֨נִי ׀ וְֽאֶעֱנֵ֗הוּ | 15a | He cries out to me, so I will answer him. |
| עִמּֽוֹ־אָנֹכִ֥י בְצָרָ֑ה | 15b | I will be with him in trouble; |
| אֲ֝חַלְּצֵ֗הוּ וַֽאֲכַבְּדֵֽהוּ׃ | 15c | I will rescue him and I will honour him. |
| אֹ֣רֶךְ יָ֭מִים אַשְׂבִּיעֵ֑הוּ | 16a | I will give him his fill of long life; |
| וְ֝אַרְאֵ֗הוּ בִּֽישׁוּעָתִֽי׃ | 16b | and I will show him my salvation. |
Expanded paraphrase The expanded paraphrase seeks to capture the implicit information within the text and make it explicit for readers today. It is based on the CBC translation and uses italic text to provide the most salient background information, presuppositions, entailments, and inferences.
This resource is forthcoming.
Participant Tracking Text Participant Analysis focuses on the characters in the psalm and asks, “Who are the main participants (or characters) in this psalm, and what are they saying or doing? Our full analysis can be found in the Participant Analysis layer.
This resource is forthcoming.