The state of the godly, 1, 2. Their safety, 3-8. Their habitation, 9, 10. Their servants, 11-13. Their friend; with the effects of them all, 14-16.
1 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High/
shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress,/
my God in whom I trust."
3 Surely he shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler/
and from the noisome pestilence.
4 He shall cover you with his feathers,/
and under his wings you shall trust./
His truth shall be your shield and buckler.
5 You shall not be afraid for the terror by night,/
nor for the arrow that flies by day,
6 Nor for the pestilence that walks in darkness,/
nor for the destruction that wastes at noon-day.
7 A thousand shall fall at your side,/
and ten thousand at your right hand,/
but it shall not come near you.
8 Only with your eyes you shall behold/
and see the reward of the wicked.
9 For you, LORD, are my refuge!/
You have made the Most High your habitation.
10 There shall no evil befall you,/
neither shall any plague come near your dwelling.
11 For he shall give his angels charge over you/
to keep you in all your ways.
12 They shall bear you up in their hands,/
lest you dash your foot against a stone.
13 You shall tread upon the lion and the adder./
The young lion and the serpent you shall trample under feet.
14 "Because he has set his love upon me, therefore I will deliver him./
I will set him on high because he has known my name.
15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him./
I will be with him in trouble./
I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him/
and show him my salvation."
Matthew Henry Commentary - Psalms, Chapter 91[➚]
John Calvin's Chapter Summary:
In this psalm we are taught that God watches over the safety of his people, and never fails them in the hour of danger. They are exhorted to advance through all perils, secure in the confidence of his protection. The truth inculcated is one of great use, for though many talk much of God's providence, and profess to believe that he exercises a special guardianship over his own children, few are found actually willing to intrust their safety to him.
[v.9] - This verse contains a change in person, which explains any difficulty in reading this verse. First, the psalmist speaks to God, "For you, LORD, are my refuge!" Then, he resumes to speak to himself, or to the godly, "You have made the Most High your habitation."
[v.11-12] - Quoted in Matthew 4:6; Luke 4:10-11.
[v.13] - Reference, Genesis 3:15.