Psa. 91:1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
This Psalm has no introduction or identification of the composer. After reading through this Psalm, it is obvious that it is someone who treasured the fact that he was under the protection of Almighty God.
The “secret place” is a reference to a place of covering or protection, a hiding place. To dwell in the “secret place of the most High” is to dwell in the most secure and safe place available. That means you are basically hidden in plain view under cover of the protective hand of God. Webster defines dwell as “to linger…to continue…to abide as a permanent resident.” This describes a person who has fully committed his life to God in submission and obedience. The word linger gave me the idea of someone who likes where he is, he is comfortable there; there is nowhere else he would rather be.
I have learned through my studies in the Word that one characteristic of Hebrew poetry is repetition. The second part of this verse is basically a repeat of the first. Abiding in the shelter of the Almighty is another way of saying that you are living under the protection of YHWH. The Hebrew for shadow references being shaded or defended from a root that states “through the idea of hovering over.” It gives me the picture of a loving Father Who is very attentive to the smallest needs of his child.
Spurgeon: “Every child of God looks towards the inner sanctuary and the mercy-seat, yet all do not dwell in the most holy place; they run to it at times, and enjoy occasional approaches, but they do not habitually reside in the mysterious presence. Those who through rich grace obtain unusual and continuous communion with God, so as to abide in Christ and Christ in them, become possessors of rare and special benefits, which are missed by those who follow afar off, and grieve the Holy Spirit of God.”
Psa. 91:2 I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
Now the Psalmist makes it personal—“He is my refuge and my fortress: my God.” Refuge speaks of a place of shelter provided by someone you trust. Fortress speaks of a defense or a strong place. “My God” refers back to LORD (YHWH), the self-existent, eternal Supreme Being. The Psalmist is declaring a personal relationship with God—a relationship based on trust or faith in the God who gives him security, confidence and hope. This is a man whose mind is at rest or peace because he has faith in God’s protection of him.
Psa. 91:3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
The “snare of the fowler” speaks of an enemy who is out to trap you. My mind quickly identifies the enemy as Satan, the god of this world, but it can also refer to other evil spiritual forces as well as wicked men.
“noisome” = (in the sense of eagerly coveting and rushing upon; by implication, of falling); desire; also ruin:—calamity, iniquity, mischief, mischievous (thing), naughtiness, naughty, noisome, perverse thing, substance, very wickedness.
“pestilence” = (in the sense of destroying); a pestilence:—murrain, pestilence, plague.
I thought the above definitions from the Hebrew were interesting because they stretch your understanding. It seems as if he is referencing a sudden onset of plague or disease that affects many people or cattle. It seems to allow for application in today’s world of an evil attack using chemical or biological weapons to bring about the destruction of many. In fact, it could reference a sudden overwhelming destruction of any kind that is a result of evil forces.
The Psalmist is convinced that God will deliver His people from such evil. I believe that is true. I also believe that God’s deliverance can come in unexpected ways. I thought it was interesting that the Hebrew for deliver included a variety of possibilities—to snatch away, escape, preserve, recover, rescue. In my mind that allows for Him to take us home to escape being touched by the evil, to preserve us through the evil to recovery, or to remove us physically out of harm’s way.
I just realized the Psalmist switched from first person to third person. He is speaking on behalf of all those who trust in God the same way he does.
Psa. 91:4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
In this verse the Psalmist is comparing God’s protection of people of faith to a bird that is protecting its young by covering them with its wings. In scripture God is compared to an eagle. I believe he was thinking of the words of Moses in Deuteronomy.
Deuteronomy 32:9-12 “For the LORD’S portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance. He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye. As an eaglestirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings: So the LORD alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him.”
A shield is a reference to protection from a specific point of attack, while a buckler seems to reference a protective surrounding. God’s truth, His Word, provides us with a defense from spiritual attack in particular. The Lord Jesus exampled this truth when he faced the temptations of Satan in the wilderness. God’s word also provides people of faith with a protective hedge if they will but live according to its truth. When we step out of God’s revealed will for us as established by His word, we are inviting danger.
Psa. 91:5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
Psa. 91:6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
In these verses the Psalmist describes four things the believer has no need to fear.
The terror by night – Terror is a general term for anything that causes extreme fear, that causes us to feel dread, that agitates body and mind (according to Webster). Night is a reference not only to darkness, but to the presence of evil.
Job 24:13-15 “They are of those that rebel against the light; they know not the ways thereof, nor abide in the paths thereof. The murderer rising with the light killeth the poor and needy, and in the night is as a thief. The eye also of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight, saying, No eye shall see me: and disguiseth his face.”
Ephesians 6:12 “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
This is fear of danger that you cannot see.
The arrow that flieth by day – The Hebrew for arrow references a “piercer” or something that “wounds.” This would seem to reference fear from danger of which you are aware, an attack that you see is coming.
The pestilence that walketh in darkness – The root for pestilence references something that subdues or destroys. I couldn’t help but think of this verse from Peter when I saw that definition.
1Peter 5:8 “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour….”
The destruction that wasteth at noonday – Since this is Hebrew poetry, I am sure these are parallel sets of phrases, so again the Psalmist is speaking of danger you can identify—but I can’t help but think I’m missing a nugget of further enlightenment. Maybe the noonday is a reference to the time of day when we are getting fatigued and we aren’t as prepared for defense as we are bright and early in the morning. I decided to look for a little help on this phrase and Adam Clarke made an enlightening comment: “The ancients thought that there were some demons who had the power to injure particularly at noonday.”
Psa. 91:7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.
I think the “thousand” refers back to the arrows and figuratively to any danger or attack of the enemy. The size or number of the enemy(ies) of the person of faith are nothing compared to the power of the protecting hand of Almighty God.
Psa. 91:8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.
This seems to acknowledge a promise that we can be sure that the wicked will be judged; they will reap what they have sown. It is also implies that the person of faith will observe this judgment from a place of protection.
Psa. 91:9 Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;
Psa. 91:10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
This section is interesting because the Psalmist utilizes both first and third person. He is basically conveying the truth that those who have turned to YHWH in faith, as he has, and are trusting YHWH with their lives have no reason to fear any evil or wickedness. Paul restated this truth in his letter to the Romans.
Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
Everything that God allows to touch the lives of those who trust Him is meant for good. What we may at first determine to be evil is actually meant for good. It’s a matter of trusting God with the outcome. It’s a matter of accepting the truth stated by Isaiah.
Isaiah 55:8-9 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
Spurgeon words it so beautifully: “It is impossible that any ill should happen to the man who is beloved of the Lord; the most crushing calamities can only shorten his journey and hasten him to his reward. Ill to him is no ill, but only good in a mysterious form. Losses enrich him, sickness is his medicine, reproach is his honour, death is his gain. No evil in the strict sense of the word can happen to him, for everything is overruled for good.”
Psa. 91:11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
Psa. 91:12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
These verses immediately make me think of Satan’s use of them in tempting Jesus in the wilderness.
Matthew 4:5-7 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.”
It’s interesting to me that Satan made direct application of this scripture to the man Jesus, the perfect man of faith, the Son of God. It’s an amazing truth that as a child of God, the same truth applies to me. The angels are identified as ministering spirits to the children of faith.
Hebrews 1:13-14 “But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool? Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?”
They have been assigned to minister to ALL our ways, our journey through this life. It doesn’t mean that we will never get hurt. It does mean that God is in control and will only allow in our lives that which will work good. When Satan used these verses, he (as the wicked often do) looked at the words, not at the heart behind the words. He was using the Word for his own purposes—not God’s.
Psa. 91:13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.
I think this is the Psalmist’s expression of the invincibility of a person who is under the protection of Almighty God. The lion is the king of beasts and references a mighty fearful enemy. The adder references the asp, a poisonous snake whose bite causes death in a few hours. The dragon references a sea monster. Isn’t it interesting that all of these images are also applicable to Satan.
Lion - 1Peter 5:8 “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour….”
Adder/serpent - Revelation 12:9 “And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”
Dragon – Same as above. It’s also interesting that the future Antichrist, the beast that comes from the sea (sea monster), also falls into this description; and John is clear to tell us that he gets his power and authority from the dragon, Satan.
Revelation 13:1-2 "And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.”
In other words, the person of faith has nothing to fear from the attack of the spiritual forces of evil. Why? The answer follows.
Psa. 91:14 Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.
The Psalmist at this point becomes a prophet; he is speaking the words of the LORD. The Hebrew for love states, “to cling, delight in, desire.” To know God’s name is to understand the power behind that name and place your faith in the One that name represents. In context with loving God, it made the reference to “familiar friend” stand out as well. God delights in honoring those who honor Him. Jesus was very clear as to the greatest commandment.
Matthew 22:36-38 “Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.”
He was equally clear that the Father will respond in love to those that love Him.
John 14:23 “Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.”
The Lord comforted Jeremiah with this same truth.
Jeremiah 39:18 “For I will surely deliver thee, and thou shalt not fall by the sword, but thy life shall be for a prey unto thee: because thou hast put thy trust in me, saith the LORD.”
Spurgeon: “How elevated is the standing which the Lord gives to the believer. We ought to covet it right earnestly. If we climb on high it may be dangerous, but if God sets us there it is glorious.”
Psa. 91:15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.
The person who delights in the LORD and has placed his life in His hands by faith can be assured that God will answer when he calls. The next phrase is important—He will be with him in trouble. In other words, we aren’t promised never to experience trouble, but that God will always be with us in our time of trouble. Then He promises deliverance from that trouble—according to His wisdom, His purpose and His timing. Then He promises to honor him, and that speaks of glory and riches beyond our imagination. God always hears the prayer of His child and He always answers. Sometimes the answer is yes, sometimes no, sometimes wait a while or not yet. His presence, provision, deliverance and honor are sure. His word never fails.
Deuteronomy 31:6 “Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”
Isaiah 55:11 “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”
Spurgeon: “Believers are not delivered or preserved in a way which lowers them, and makes them feel themselves degraded; far from it, the Lord's salvation bestows honour upon those it delivers. God first gives us conquering grace, and then rewards us for it.”
Psa. 91:16 With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.
I thought it was interesting that the Hebrew for long referenced “forever.” That is the proper perspective. We all know of people of faith who have died young. The only way this verse makes sense is in reference to eternity. Scripture is clear in stating that our lives here are but a vapor and that we cannot be sure of tomorrow.
James 4:14 “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.”
Isaiah 40:6-8 “The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field: The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever. “
1Peter 1:24 “For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away….”
This verse fits right in with the truth stated by Jesus.
John 11:25-26 “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.”
The Hebrew for salvation references “deliverance; hence, aid, victory, prosperity:—deliverance, and health.” Salvation includes both deliverance from and victory to. Deliverance from everything evil and wicked and victory to gaining prosperity, health and everything associated with the blessings of God.
Psalms 92:0 ¶ A Psalm or Song for the sabbath day.
This is a psalm that speaks to the primary reason for the sabbath. It is a time for fellowship with God and offering up praise and thanks for our blessings and all He does on our behalf.
Spurgeon: “The Sabbath was set apart for adoring the Lord in his finished work of creation, hence the suitableness of this Psalm; Christians may take even a higher flight, for they celebrate complete redemption.”
Psalms 92:1 ¶ It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High:
Psalms 92:2 To shew forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night,
Psalms 92:3 Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the psaltery; upon the harp with a solemn sound.
The Psalmist starts by expressing how good it is for us to give thanks to the LORD and sing His praises from morning until night. It is an opportunity to show appreciation for His love and faithfulness through music.
I thoroughly agree with the Psalmist. Sharing our thanks and praise to God through music is a beautiful way to declare our love and appreciation. It is also a good way to share that truth with others. Music speaks to people in a special way; it is the language of the soul.
EBC Abridged: “As the priests and Levites prepared the morning and evening sacrifice (cf. Ex 29:39-41), the Levitical singers led God’s people in worship, using a ‘ten-stringed’ instrument, a ‘harp,’ and a ‘lyre.’”
Psalms 92:4 For thou, LORD, hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands.
I loved the NLT version of this verse: “You thrill me, LORD, with all you have done for me! I sing for joy because of what you have done.”
It is what God has done for us and those we love that inspires the composition of music. We are surrounded by the wonder and beauty of God’s creative works, the works of His hands. They are a cause for rejoicing in our God!
Psalms 92:5 O LORD, how great are thy works! and thy thoughts are very deep.
Psalms 92:6 A brutish man knoweth not; neither doth a fool understand this.
As the Psalmist acknowledges the great works of God, he also realizes that His thoughts are very profound and thorough of understanding—far beyond our human capabilities. Only the foolish or silly person doesn’t realize this truth.
Isaiah 55:8–9 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
Psalms 92:7 ¶ When the wicked spring as the grass, and when all the workers of iniquity do flourish; it is that they shall be destroyed for ever:
Again, I liked the NLT for this verse: “Although the wicked flourish like weeds, and evildoers blossom with success, there is only eternal destruction ahead of them.”
That is a very sobering truth. The success and prosperity of the wicked is often a stumblingblock to the Christian. On the flip side, the wicked often gain a sense of false security in light of their success and prosperity. The truth is that the reality of this lifetime is but a vapor in light of our eternity. The Christian should find great comfort in light of the eternal wonders and blessings that await us. Knowing the eternal destruction that awaits the wicked should motivate us to share the gospel with as many as possible. We should mirror the heart of God who is not willing that any should perish.
Romans 8:16–18 “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”
James 4:14 “For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.”
2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
I liked Guzik’s observation: “The wicked should understand that this world provides the best they will ever experience, and the righteous should know that this world provides the worst they will experience.”
Psalms 92:8 But thou, LORD, art most high for evermore.
The Psalmist is declaring the truth that the LORD, the self-existent eternal God, will remain exalted forever.
The eternity of God is so beyond my understanding and yet a great comfort to this child of faith. If I could understand all about God, He wouldn’t be God.
I liked Spurgeon’s comment: “This is the middle verse of the Psalm, and the great fact which this Sabbath song is meant to illustrate. God is at once the highest and most enduring of all beings. Others rise to fall, but he is the Most High to eternity. Glory be to his name! How great a God we worship! Who would not fear thee, O thou High Eternal One! The ungodly are destroyed for ever, and God is most high for ever; evil is cast down, and the Holy One reigns supreme eternally.”
Psalms 92:9 For, lo, thine enemies, O LORD, for, lo, thine enemies shall perish; all the workers of iniquity shall be scattered.
The truth is that all enemies of the LORD will die only to find themselves separated from His presence (from the Hebrew for “scattered”) for eternity.
Psalms 92:10 But my horn shalt thou exalt like the horn of an unicorn: I shall be anointed with fresh oil.
Psalms 92:11 Mine eye also shall see my desire on mine enemies, and mine ears shall hear my desire of the wicked that rise up against me.
“But” – In contrast to the enemies of the LORD, the Psalmist will experience God’s favor.
These verses certainly make one think of David. The Psalmist is speaking of experiencing God’s anointing and the elation of seeing his enemies defeated time and again as a result of that anointing.
Spurgeon: “The unicorn may have been some gigantic ox or buffalo now unknown, and perhaps extinct—among the ancients it was the favourite symbol of unconquerable power….”
Psalms 92:12 The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
The Psalmist closes with words of rejoicing over the blessings of the righteous. He compares the righteous man to fruitful and strong trees.
Courson: “Palm trees thrive in dry places. Also, the palm is the only tree that produces more and more fruit the older it gets. This means that, even through dry times, the righteous produce more fruit the older they get.”
Psalms 92:13 Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God.
Psalms 92:14 They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing;
Psalms 92:15 To shew that the LORD is upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.
I think to be planted in the house of the LORD is to possess a strong foundation of faith rooted in God’s word. Such a foundation provides an environment that promotes spiritual growth that results in spiritual fruit. It reminds me of the words of David regarding the man that is blessed from Psalm 1.
Psalms 1:2–3 “But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”
This person will still be producing spiritual fruit in old age with the same abundance as they did when they were young. This will give evidence that their faith is strong in the LORD in whom is no evil.
I so enjoy the beauty of expression of many of Spurgeon’s observations: “…those who dwell in habitual fellowship with God shall become men of full growth, rich in grace, happy in experience, mighty in influence, honoured and honourable.”
And another, drawing from the verbiage in Ecclesiastes 12: “Grace does not leave the saint when the keepers of the house do tremble; the promise is still sure though the eyes can no longer read it; the bread of heaven is fed upon when the grinders fail; and the voice of the Spirit in the soul is still melodious when the daughters of music are brought low.”
Ecclesiastes 12:3–4 “In the day when the keepers of the house [legs] shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders [teeth] cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows [eyes] be darkened, And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of musick shall be brought low….[loss of hearing]”