Psalm 91 Text

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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, discourse, and poetic 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.

Simple Reading (Hebrew)
Forthcoming. 		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.

Text (Hebrew) Verse Expanded Paraphrase
יֹ֭שֵׁב בְּסֵ֣תֶר עֶלְי֑וֹן בְּצֵ֥ל שַׁ֝דַּ֗י יִתְלוֹנָֽן׃ 1 When enemies threaten to attack and besiege the king's city, it is The one living in the shelter of the Most High, who rests in the shade of the Almighty where he will be untouched by danger,
אֹמַ֗ר לַֽ֭יהוָה מַחְסִ֣י וּמְצוּדָתִ֑י אֱ֝לֹהַ֗י אֶבְטַח־בּֽוֹ׃ 2 who says to YHWH: “You are my refuge and fortress, my God, in whom I trust to act when I need him.”
כִּ֤י ה֣וּא יַ֭צִּֽילְךָ מִפַּ֥ח יָק֗וּשׁ מִדֶּ֥בֶר הַוּֽוֹת׃ 3 You trust in him For, when your enemies attack and lay siege to your city, you know that he who delivers his anointed king from the hand of foreigners will rescue you from your enemy in the same way an animal is rescued from a hunter's trap and he will rescue you from a destructive plague which often strikes during a siege.
בְּאֶבְרָת֨וֹ יָ֣סֶךְ לָ֭ךְ וְתַֽחַת־כְּנָפָ֣יו תֶּחְסֶ֑ה צִנָּ֖ה וְֽסֹחֵרָ֣ה אֲמִתּֽוֹ׃ 4 When these enemies come He will cover you with his pinion like a mother bird who shields her young from the elements and will fight to deter predatory threats and you will find refuge under his wings. You know all this because His covenant faithfulness which he swore to your father David will be a shield and a wall to protect you from danger.
לֹא־תִ֭ירָא מִפַּ֣חַד לָ֑יְלָה מֵ֝חֵ֗ץ יָע֥וּף יוֹמָֽם׃ 5 Because you are confident that YHWH is protecting you, You will not be afraid of anything at any time, no matter when or how your enemy attacks. You will not be afraid of danger of the enemy attacks at night or of the enemy's arrow that flies during the day
מִ֭דֶּבֶר בָּאֹ֣פֶל יַהֲלֹ֑ךְ מִ֝קֶּ֗טֶב יָשׁ֥וּד צָהֳרָֽיִם׃ 6 or of the plague that moves in the deep darkness or of the disaster which devastates at noon, that is, plagues and epidemics which are common effects of siege warfare, strike at any time, and which may be as deadly as the fighting itself.
יִפֹּ֤ל מִצִּדְּךָ֨ ׀ אֶ֗לֶף וּרְבָבָ֥ה מִימִינֶ֑ךָ אֵ֝לֶ֗יךָ לֹ֣א יִגָּֽשׁ׃ 7 And even if the battle becomes fierce and the siege prolongs, Though a thousand fall at your side and ten thousand at your right side both friend and foe; even still, to you it, that is, the disaster, will not come near. You will not be killed or captured or taken into exile.
רַ֭ק בְּעֵינֶ֣יךָ תַבִּ֑יט וְשִׁלֻּמַ֖ת רְשָׁעִ֣ים תִּרְאֶֽה׃ 8 Rather, you will look with your eyes and you will see wicked people's punishment —that is, the punishment that YHWH will inflict on your enemies.
כִּֽי־אַתָּ֣ה יְהוָ֣ה מַחְסִ֑י עֶ֝לְי֗וֹן שַׂ֣מְתָּ מְעוֹנֶֽךָ׃ 9 Even under such dire circumstances, you still live confidently in the shelter of the Most High, For, when [you say] "YHWH, you are my refuge," you can do so because you have made the Most High your home.
לֹֽא־תְאֻנֶּ֣ה אֵלֶ֣יךָ רָעָ֑ה וְ֝נֶ֗גַע לֹא־יִקְרַ֥ב בְּאָהֳלֶֽךָ׃ 10 So even if your city is besieged and an epidemic breaks out, you will not be the victim of exile or plague. Harm will not come to you and disease will not reach your home,
כִּ֣י מַ֭לְאָכָיו יְצַוֶּה־לָּ֑ךְ לִ֝שְׁמָרְךָ֗ בְּכָל־דְּרָכֶֽיךָ׃ 11 because not only are you generally protected, but because YHWH is faithful to his covenant partners he will even order his angels concerning you to surround you to protect you in all of your ways.
עַל־כַּפַּ֥יִם יִשָּׂא֑וּנְךָ פֶּן־תִּגֹּ֖ף בָּאֶ֣בֶן רַגְלֶֽךָ׃ 12 They will carry you in their arms, so that your foot does not stumble on any stones and no obstacle will keep you from victory, rather, your way will be smooth.
עַל־שַׁ֣חַל וָפֶ֣תֶן תִּדְרֹ֑ךְ תִּרְמֹ֖ס כְּפִ֣יר וְתַנִּֽין׃ 13 You will tread upon and thus publicly display your victory over a lion and a viper, those enemy kings who consider themselves as fierce and cunning as wild animals who attack suddenly from their hiding places; you will trample a young lion and a serpent. You will not only see their punishment, but you will even bring it about.
כִּ֤י בִ֣י חָ֭שַׁק וַאֲפַלְּטֵ֑הוּ אֲ֝שַׂגְּבֵ֗הוּ כִּֽי־יָדַ֥ע שְׁמִֽי׃ 14 You seek refuge in YHWH to the end that he will not only protect you but will also bring about your victory over your enemies For, he has vowed"He has clung to me, so I will rescue him since my faithfulness protects like a shield, and he knows it. I will keep him safe, setting him high as if in a fortress on a rocky cliff, because he knows my name, and he is among those who seek me.
יִקְרָאֵ֨נִי ׀ וְֽאֶעֱנֵ֗הוּ עִמּֽוֹ־אָנֹכִ֥י בְצָרָ֑ה אֲ֝חַלְּצֵ֗הוּ וַֽאֲכַבְּדֵֽהוּ׃ 15 He will cry out to me, so I will answer him as my faithful nature has led him to expect. I haven't promised that trouble will never arise, but I am never far away, either. He's not alone! I will be with him in his trouble; I'm stronger than his enemies, so I will rescue him and I will even honour him. Just as his enemies will be publicly shamed in their defeat, so I will ensure he is publicly honoured.
אֹ֣רֶךְ יָ֭מִים אַשְׂבִּיעֵ֑הוּ וְ֝אַרְאֵ֗הוּ בִּֽישׁוּעָתִֽי׃ 16 Part of how I will honour him is that I will give him his fill of long life and I will show him my salvation.

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.