Psalm 91 Verse-by-Verse

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Welcome to the Verse-by-Verse Notes for Psalm 91!

The Verse-by-Verse Notes present scholarly, exegetical materials (from all layers of analysis) in a verse-by-verse format. They often present alternative interpretive options and justification for a preferred interpretation. The Verse-by-Verse Notes are aimed at consultant-level users.

The discussion of each verse of this psalm includes the following items.

1. A link to the part of the overview video where the verse in question is discussed.
2. The verse in Hebrew and English.
3. An expanded paraphrase of the verse.
4. A grammatical diagram of the verse, which includes glosses for each word and phrase.
5. A series of notes on the verse, which contain information pertaining to the interpretation of the psalm (e.g., meaning of words and phrases, poetic features, difficult grammatical constructions, etc.).

Danger will not come near (vv. 1-8)

v. 1

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v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
1a	יֹ֭שֵׁב בְּסֵ֣תֶר עֶלְי֑וֹן	The one living in the shelter of the Most High,
1b	בְּצֵ֥ל שַׁ֝דַּ֗י יִתְלוֹנָֽן׃	who rests in the shade of the Almighty,

Notes

• The grammar of vv. 1-2 and their discourse consequences are crucial for understanding the structure of this psalm. The syntax is largely determined by the participial nature of the verb say (אמר) at the beginning of v. 2 (for which, see below). The results are discussed in detail in the exegetical issue, The Grammar and Participants of Ps. 91:2.
• Regarding the grammar of v. 1b as an asyndetic relative clause, GKC remarks: "Almost as a rule the participial construction beginning a sentence... is continued by means of a finite verb with or without וְ, before which the English construction requires us to supply the relative pronoun implied in the participle." This is particularly the case when the participle is followed "by a simple imperfect (as the modus rei repetitae in the present)" (§116x; cf. Delitzsch 1887: 60). Thus the finite verbal clause rests in the shade of the Almighty (בְּצֵ֥ל שַׁ֝דַּ֗י יִתְלוֹנָֽן) is introduced by the relative modifier who, further describing The one living rather than serving as the finite verb of this individual clause, as the ESV's He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. The blatant tautology of this latter interpretation has long been recognised (Delitzsch 1887: 62).
• The resultant syntax of vv. 1-2 is a lengthy verbal clause, whose finite verb happens to be a predicative qotel, says (the MT's אֹמַר slightly revocalised to אֹמֵר; cf. the predicative participles in Pss. 1:6, 29:9b). Vv. 1-2 thus introduce the reader to the kingly participant in the psalm:

• The result of this introduction with regards to the participants of the psalm involves the primary speaker of the psalm addressing the congregation with the introduction of the one who will become the second person addressee from v. 3 onwards. Admittedly, the addressee is unspecified, but is presumably the same as that of vv. 14-16: the Israelite congregation in general.
• The grammatical alternatives of vv. 1-2, as discussed in the exegetical issue, involve, on the on hand, the minor alteration of the participle אֹמֵר as substantival, rather than predicative, (in other words, our preferred says vs. the one who says), creating a verbless clause: The one living... is the one who says..., while on the other hand, these two participial phrases could be understood as standing in apposition, i.e., The one living...the one who says.... This would create a detached sentence fragment thematically introducing the primary participant of the psalm.
• The names used for God in v. 1 are notably rare, as discussed in the poetic feature, Divine Names. Their appearance here in v. 1 and the repetition of עֶלְיוֹן in v. 9 speak to their strategic structural placement in the psalm, highlighting both God's proximity to the psalm's kingly figure, in the case of Shaddai (שַׁדַּי), and his superiority and majesty in the case of Elyon (עֶלְיוֹן).
• For the imagery of shade, see the following table:

v. 2

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v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
2a	אֹמַ֗ר לַֽ֭יהוָה מַחְסִ֣י וּמְצוּדָתִ֑י	says to YHWH: “You are my refuge and fortress,
2b	אֱ֝לֹהַ֗י אֶבְטַח־בּֽוֹ׃	my God, in whom I trust.”

Notes

• For discussion of the morphology of אמר and the preferred participial reading, אֹמֵר, see the exegetical issue The Grammar and Participants of Ps. 91:2. For the larger discourse consequences of our preferred reading, see the comments on v. 1 above. (Only the MT's I will say results in v. 2 as its own independent clause.)
• The introduction of direct speech here is echoed with very similar content in v. 9a – the only other case of direct speech in the psalm is YHWH speaking in vv. 14-16 – which create a thematic inclusio around on the outer bounds of the first major discourse section in the psalm (vv. 3-8), as noted by a number of scholars (Caquot 1958: 21; Tate 1990: 449; Zenger 2005: 431; van der Lugt 2014: 32; Vreugdenhil 2020: 146). It is also widely recognised that v. 9 borrows the verb of speech, אמר, from our current verse (Rashi; Theodoret of Cyrus 2001: 105; Hupfeld 1871, 18; Ehrlich 1905: 221; Zenger 2005: 426; van der Lugt 2014: 33). See discussion of v. 9 below for details.
• The contents of the speech both here and in v. 9a contain the confession that YHWH is the king's refuge, for the semantics of which see the following Venn diagram:

• For the imagery of fortress see the following table:

v. 3

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v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
3a	כִּ֤י ה֣וּא יַ֭צִּֽילְךָ מִפַּ֥ח יָק֗וּשׁ	For, he will rescue you from a hunter’s trap
3b	מִדֶּ֥בֶר הַוּֽוֹת׃	and from a destructive plague.

Notes

• For the function of the כִּי, For, which begins this verse (as well as that of vv. 9 and 14) see the exegetical issue The Discourse of Ps. 91.
• The psalm here begins an unambiguous speech of the psalmist directly speaking to the king who had confessed his trust in YHWH in v. 2 (as well as the beginning of the pattern of yiqtol verbs, virtually until the end of the psalm). Thus the he of our present verse is YHWH, and the you is the king. In other words, "The 'you' is promised liberation and protection. The text assumes that this is the same person as in verse 2" (Vreugdenhil 2020: 146; cf. Radak, Ibn Ezra, Erhlich 1905).
• The discourse כִּי followed by the fronting of He (הוא) begin a new macrosyntactic paragraph from v. 3 to v. 8.

• The fronted He (הוא) also initiates the pattern He... You... me after the three instances of כִּי which begin the three following paragraphs, as discussed in the poetic feature, He, You, and me.

• This new poetic section is characterised by the repeated use of the preposition מִן throughout vv. 3-7:

• The following grammatical alternative involves the waw found in the LXX's καὶ and the Peshitta's ܘ. Nevertheless, the juxtaposition of the two prepositional phrases in the MT indicate their addition even without a conjunction.

• For the imagery of the hunter's trap see the following table:

• Thus, the hunter has been treated as the king's enemies, along with the wicked (v. 8) and lions and snakes (v. 13), as discussed in the following participant set:

v. 4

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v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
4a	בְּאֶבְרָת֨וֹ ׀ יָ֣סֶךְ לָ֭ךְ	He will cover you with his pinion
4b	וְתַֽחַת־כְּנָפָ֣יו תֶּחְסֶ֑ה	and you fill find refuge under his wings.
4c	צִנָּ֖ה וְֽסֹחֵרָ֣ה אֲמִתּֽוֹ׃	His faithfulness will be a shield and a wall.

Notes

• V. 4 is one of only three tricola in the psalm, along with v. 7 providing a symmetrical image of line length for vv. 4-7:

• Its three lines coincide with its three clauses, which are all fronted for focus:

• Note that the lamed in לָ֭ךְ functions to introduce the contact with the undergoer (i.e., the direct object; BHRG §39.13[2]) in the verb phrase יָ֣סֶךְ לָ֭ךְ, so should only be glossed in translation where necessary under these semantic circumstances.
• Note that the verb find refuge (חסה) in v. 4b is from the same root as refuge in vv. 2 and 9a.
• The following two grammatical alternatives for v. 4c represent the LXX and Peshitta's readings, respectively. They either treat סֹחֵרָה as a predicative participle (as DHH's ¡Su fidelidad te protegerá como un escudo!; cf. PDV, BDS, HFA, GNB), or an adjectival participle (as CSB's His faithfulness will be a protective shield; cf. NFC).

• The word translated wall (סֹחֵרָה) appears only here in the whole Hebrew Bible (see Macintosh 1973 for extended discussion). It is evidently derived from the root סחר, to go around/trade (ּBDB, DCH, HALOT), so its rare form here is extended from go around >> protect and thus nominalised as wall of protection (cf. Macintosh 1973: 60). Gesenius' Handwörterbuch (2013, 882) notes the following cognate exemplars: Akkadian sihirtu as Umkreis (perimeter) and Umgebung (surroundings); igar sihirti as Umfassungsmauer (perimeter wall); Syriac. sāḥartā, sḥārtā as ummauerte Einfriedung (walled enclosure).
• For the semantics of אֱמֶת, here glossed faithfulness, see the following Venn diagram:

• For the imagery of both wings and shield see the following tables:

v. 5

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v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
5a	לֹא־תִ֭ירָא מִפַּ֣חַד לָ֑יְלָה	You will not be afraid of danger of the night
5b	מֵ֝חֵ֗ץ יָע֥וּף יוֹמָֽם׃	or of the arrow that flies during the day

Notes

• V. 5 begins with the verbal phrase You will not be afraid (לֹא־תִ֭ירָא). For a negated verb as prohibition, we would typically expect אַל תִּירָה, with אַל in the place of לֹא as our verse has it. Instances in which לֹא תִּירָא is unambigously prohibitive typically involve the context of idolatry and serving other gods (Judg. 6:10; 2 Kgs. 17:35, 37ff; Isa. 8:12, 19), which is not the case here. Thus it is safe to conclude that the verb phrase as we have it here is not strictly deontically modal and does not express a prohibitive command. Nonetheless, "The direct speech-act performed by these utterances is the act of telling the people what they will do in the future, but indirectly they function as commands” (Shulman 2000: 172). Therefore, for this indicative verb it is important to keep in mind the secondary illocutionary force of the speaker-oriented modality. It is thus appropriate to view the current verse as initiating a lengthy exhortation, the explanation of which is offered in vv. 7-8:

• The indirect directive of v. 5a thus creates one big grammatical clause across vv. 5-6, with embedded asyndetic relative clauses:

• Notice also that the dangers mentioned in these two verses form a chiastic pattern of day and night / dark and light terms, indicating a merism, such that the king need not fear anything (cf. Tate 1990: 454). Nevertheless, Tate's conclusion that the exact nature of these concepts are probably intentionally elusive (ibid., 455) seems slightly exaggerated, in light of the enemies who shoot arrows in the dark (Ps. 11:2), a "destroyer at noon" (Jer. 15:8), Jerusalem being attacked at precisely midday (Jer. 6:4-6), and plague and arrows as elements of exile (Deut. 28:21; 32:33-34; cf. Ps. 89:33), intermingled with enemy sieges (1 Kgs. 8:37).

v. 6

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6a	מִ֭דֶּבֶר בָּאֹ֣פֶל יַהֲלֹ֑ךְ	or of the plague that moves in the deep darkness
6b	מִ֝קֶּ֗טֶב יָשׁ֥וּד צָהֳרָֽיִם׃	or of the disaster that devastates at noon.

Notes

• The word translated disaster (קֶטֶב) is quite rare in the Hebrew Bible, occurring only here and in Deut. 32:24, Isa. 28.2, and Hos. 13.14. It has been rendered wind (that devastates) (ܪܘܚܐ; Peshitta), chance, mishap (συμπτώματος; LXX), company of demons (מסיעת שידין; Targum Psalms) and sting (morsu; Jerome). The latter is the most popular take in Hos. 13:14, as in the sting of death, though both Dearman (2010) and Goldingay (2021) render the word here as destruction, while Gruber (2017: 547-548) prefers plagues or pestilence. It seems, rather, that plagues or pestilence provide the surrounding context of the few uses of קֶטֶב and thus cause the cutting off, which may be the semantic primitive, as Arabic qaḍaba, qaṭaba as abschneiden (cut off) or stutzen (prune, trim) and Ethiopian qaṭaba kürzen (cut) would seem to indicate (Gesenius 2013: 1162). Thus the more neutral extension cutting off >> disaster has been preferred here.

v. 7

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v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
7a	יִפֹּ֤ל מִצִּדְּךָ֨ ׀ אֶ֗לֶף	Though a thousand fall at your side
7b	וּרְבָבָ֥ה מִימִינֶ֑ךָ	and ten thousand at your right side;
7c	אֵ֝לֶ֗יךָ לֹ֣א יִגָּֽשׁ׃	to you it will not come near.

Notes

• The event semantics of this verse make quite plausible the modality of possibility, hence the concessive though translation offered here.
• Alter considers the cause of suffering in the psalm to be that of an epidemic, "whose effects are imagined and likened to that of a battlefield by the previous use of arrow & shield (2019: 219). While there are effects of plague and epidemic, these are more likely the result of a siege battle as noted above.
• Though the identity of those who fall is not explicitly given, between the possibilities of the enemies or the king's neighbours/soldiers, the latter is more plausible in light of the concessive nature of the clause and the epidemic-like effects of being closed in a besieged city. The point, rather than victory over his enemies (which is clear throughout the psalm, especially vv. 8, 13), seems to be the special treatment of the anointed king and the fulfillment of the Davidic covenantal promises.
• The final instances of the preposition מִן throughout vv. 3-7 (see v. 3 above) are to be interpreted as orientation in space (BHRG §39.14(2)(a)), rather than detachment, as the previous cases.

v. 8

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v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
8a	רַ֭ק בְּעֵינֶ֣יךָ תַבִּ֑יט	Rather, you will look with your eyes,
8b	וְשִׁלֻּמַ֖ת רְשָׁעִ֣ים תִּרְאֶֽה׃	and you will see wicked people’s punishment.

Notes

• V. 8 concludes the first larger section of the psalm (vv. 3-8). Its use of the verb see (ראה) at the very end of the verse concludes the first half and is repeated in the very last line of the psalm (v. 16b). See the poetic feature Seeing is Believing for further discussion:

• Though we have treated the first word of the verse (רַק) as an adversative conjunction, it is most commonly used as an adverbial, only. Thus, the following grammatical alternative is a possibility:

• The adverbial reading of רַק in the present context (You will only look with your eyes) is unlikely, however, because there is no other way to look. It is therefore preferable to interpret רַק as having scope over the entire clause, which is in contrast to the possibility of the destruction coming near the king. The the focus-fronted with your eyes can be interpreted as intensive, as illustrated here:

• The word שִׁלֻמָה is another hapax (a word occurring only here in the Hebrew Bible). It follows the piel nominative pattern, but is much more common as a masculine form, שִׁלּוּם, as the consonants שלום in 11Q11 of this verse. Nonetheless, the rare feminine form of this piel pattern is not unheard of (see בִּכּוּרָה in Mic. 7:1 and Hos. 9:19; מִלֻּאָה in Ex. 28:17; 39:13), so should be considered semantically equivalent to the masculine (Segal 1909: 60), as the ancient versions and our translation (punishment) indicate.

His angels will protect you (vv. 9-13)

v. 9

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v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
9a	כִּֽי־אַתָּ֣ה יְהוָ֣ה מַחְסִ֑י	For [you say:] “YHWH, you are my refuge.”
9b	עֶ֝לְי֗וֹן שַׂ֣מְתָּ מְעוֹנֶֽךָ׃	You have made the Most High your home.

Notes

• This verse initiates the second large discourse section of the psalm, as evident from how the poetic structure has been informed by macrosyntax and the global speech act and participant analysis:

• For the poetic poetic features Divine Names and He, You, and me, see vv. 1 and 3 above, respectively.
• For the grammar of this verse and the possible alternatives therein, see the extended discussion in our exegetical issue The Grammar of Ps. 91:9.
• Our conclusions in the exegetical issue involve understanding v. 9a as the king addressing YHWH, while 9b returns to the main speaker of the psalm addressing the king once again. The other possibility is that the king continues speaking in v. 9b, declaring that YHWH has made his home in the most high place (again, see the exegetical issue for further discussion).
• For discussion of the function of כִּי here (and in vv. 3 and 14) see the exegetical issue The Discourse of Ps. 91. What follows the כִּי is a widely-recognised elision of the verb of speech, אמר, borrowed from v. 2 (Rashi; Theodoret of Cyrus 2001: 105; Hupfeld 1871, 18; Ehrlich 1905: 221; Zenger 2005: 426; van der Lugt 2014: 33), thus, you say.
• For the imagery of home see the following table:

v. 10

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v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
10a	לֹֽא־תְאֻנֶּ֣ה אֵלֶ֣יךָ רָעָ֑ה	Harm will not come to you
10b	וְ֝נֶ֗גַע לֹא־יִקְרַ֥ב בְּאָהֳלֶֽךָ׃	and disease will not reach your home,

Notes

• The word translated come (תְאֻנֶּ֣ה) is rare, occurring in the pual stem only here and in Prov. 12:21. In the latter case (לֹא־יְאֻנֶּ֣ה לַצַּדִּ֣יק כָּל־אָ֑וֶן), its sense is compatible with that of Ps. 91:10, as the ESV's No ill befalls the righteous, though it has been diversely interpreted by the ancient versions. Nevertheless, in view of the quite uniform interpretation among the ancient versions of Ps. 91:10 and the pattern of verbs of movement and approaching (cf. v. 10b), the neutral come has been preferred here.
• For the word translated harm (רָעָה) as forming part of the consequences of exile, see Deut. 32:23.
• The preposition בְּ in the reach verb phrase is used to introduce the object of reaching (GKC §119k), and should thus only be glossed in translation if necessary under these semantic circumstances.
• Although the use of אֹהֶל (lit. tent) could indicate the king's temporary lodgings either travelling or on a war campaign (Tate 1990: 456), it is more likely that is simply refers to where someone lives (Vreugdenhil 2020: 307). Thus, we have maintained the more neutral home.

v. 11

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v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
11a	כִּ֣י מַ֭לְאָכָיו יְצַוֶּה־לָּ֑ךְ	because he will order his angels concerning you,
11b	לִ֝שְׁמָרְךָ֗ בְּכָל־דְּרָכֶֽיךָ׃	to protect you in all of your ways.

Notes

• For the semantics of angel (מַלְאָךְ) see the following Venn diagram:

• The preposition לְ in the order verb phrase functions as "specification" (IBHS §11.2.10.d), hence concerning you.
• The repetition of the root דרך (here, ways) in v. 13's you will tread brings to the fore the thematic concern of movement in this poetic section:

• Nonetheless, we read ways here as abstract, i.e., in all of your life experiences, rather than specific paths of travel.

v. 12

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v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
12a	עַל־כַּפַּ֥יִם יִשָּׂא֑וּנְךָ	They will carry you in their arms,
12b	פֶּן־תִּגֹּ֖ף בָּאֶ֣בֶן רַגְלֶֽךָ׃	so that your foot does not stumble on any stones.

Notes

• The fronting of the phrase in their arms (עַל־כַּפַּ֥יִם) creates a structural repetition and thus continuity with the עַל phrase beginning v. 13 (see the poetic structure visual in v. 11 above). Thus, as v. 12b would have it, rather than a stone, it will be his enemies (v. 13) that he stands on.
• This same fronting also creates an inclusio with your foot at the end of the verse, using similar body parts (כַּף and רֶגֶל), such that the overall message of the verse becomes Instead of your sole touching a stone, their soles (palms) will carry you.
• The grammar of v. 12b is ambiguous between the verb תִּגֹּ֖ף being read as 2ms with רַגְלֶֽךָ as the object (So that you do not strike your foot on any stones) and between תִּגֹּ֖ף as 3fs with רַגְלֶֽךָ as the subject (So that your foot does not strike (stumble on) any stones). The preferred reading is רַגְלֶֽךָ as the grammatical subject and the verb 3fs (cf. Jerome, Aquila, Stec's [2004] rendering of TgPss; TOB, NBS, EÜ, ZÜR; see also Prov. 3.23 for an unambiguously intransitive reading of נגף), while the dispreferred reading is represented by the LXX, Symmachus, the Peshitta, Mt. 4.6, Lk. 9.11, most English versions, ELB, and Luther 2017).

• The stumbling mentioned here is "usually used in a figurative way to denote sustaining any kind of hardship in life" (SDBH).

v. 13

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v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
13a	עַל־שַׁ֣חַל וָפֶ֣תֶן תִּדְרֹ֑ךְ	You will tread upon a lion and a viper;
13b	תִּרְמֹ֖ס כְּפִ֣יר וְתַנִּֽין׃	you will trample a young lion and a serpent.

Notes

• As mentioned above (v. 12), the fronted עַל phrase (upon a lion and a viper) creates continuity with v. 12. However, the inversion the current verse (with v. 13b returning to verb-initial order) also creates a cohesive unit concluding this poetic section (see visual in v. 11 above).
• There is a slight shift in the speech act of this verse, breaking the continuity of assurance to offer a short encouraging explanation before moving into vv. 14ff's vow.

• For the imagery of lions and snakes, see the following tables:

"I will give him long life" (vv. 14-16)

v. 14

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v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
14a	כִּ֤י בִ֣י חָ֭שַׁק וַאֲפַלְּטֵ֑הוּ	For he has clung to me, so I will rescue him.
14b	אֲ֝שַׂגְּבֵ֗הוּ כִּֽי־יָדַ֥ע שְׁמִֽי׃	I will keep him safe because he knows my name.

Notes

• V. 14 represents the last of three abrupt discourse shifts in the psalm as indicated by the macrosyntax, global speech act, and participant analysis:

• For discussion of the function of כִּי here (and in vv. 3 and 9) see the exegetical issue The Discourse of Ps. 91.
• See the following poetic structure for how the הוּ suffixes create a cohesive unit between vv. 14-16:

• See the poetic feature He, You, and me for the effect of the fronting of בִי in this verse and its inclusio function with שְׁמִי at the end of the verse:

• See the verbal semantics of the weyiqtol וַאֲפַלְּטֵ֑הוּ with its result modality, hence the conjunction so in so I will rescue him. This creates a causal inversion throughout the verse: X so Y (v. 14a) // Y because X (v. 14b).

v. 15

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v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
15a	יִקְרָאֵ֨נִי ׀ וְֽאֶעֱנֵ֗הוּ	He cries out to me, so I will answer him.
15b	עִמּֽוֹ־אָנֹכִ֥י בְצָרָ֑ה	I will be with him in trouble;
15c	אֲ֝חַלְּצֵ֗הוּ וַֽאֲכַבְּדֵֽהוּ׃	I will rescue him and I will honour him.

Notes

• Just as the sentence For he has clung to me, so I will rescue him in v. 14, we have another weyiqtol verb of result here (וְֽאֶעֱנֵ֗הוּ): He cries out to me, so I will answer him.
• In v. 15b the prepositional phrase with him (עִמּוֹ) is fronted for focus in order to confirm YHWH's presence with the king. It is particularly significant that, even in troublesome situations which probably involve those around him dying (v. 7a-b), he is still not alone.
• Normally when someone calls out to YHWH, he rescues them from trouble and then the rescued person glorifies YHWH - not the other way around! In v. 15c, YHWH's honouring him (אֲכַבְּדֵֽהוּ) after rescuing him seems very much above-and-beyond treatment, so the anointed king seems to be the only realistic discourse referent.

v. 16

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v.	Hebrew	Close-but-clear
16a	אֹ֣רֶךְ יָ֭מִים אַשְׂבִּיעֵ֑הוּ	I will give him his fill of long life
16b	וְ֝אַרְאֵ֗הוּ בִּֽישׁוּעָתִֽי׃	and I will show him my salvation.

Notes

• For the repetition of the root in the verb show (ראה) see the poetic feature Seeing is Believing, as shown in v. 8 above.
• As mentioned in the previous verse, the honouring of the king seems to be above-and-beyond treatment. The long life promised in v. 16a seems likewise above-and-beyond. It seems that these concluding elements of the psalm extend beyond rescuing the king from the current or near-future threats and danger, so have been judged to entail a further event:

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=Bibliography=
=Footnotes=
[[Category:Verse-by-Verse Notes]]
[[Chapter::#]]