Psalm 91 Commentary and Bible Study

Here is a commentary and Bible study on Psalm 91 that I hope will help you better understand this most amazing psalm.

Psalm 91:1-2 “I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

Psalm 91 is mostly about seeking our safety in God for He alone is our refuge and our fortress. This psalm speaks about God as being like a fortress against which no enemy can destroy. Those who seek and trust in Him will never be disappointed.

Psalm 91:3-4 “For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.”

A snare is a trap set by someone who seeks to kill something. Typically, snares were set up to catch birds or animals and David knew this so he used the analogy of his enemies trying to trap him but God will keep all who trust in Him safe from pestilence and He protects them as an eagle does her young. The symbolism of God’s faithfulness being like a shield is totally appropriate for David because many sought his life, especially while King Saul was still alive.

Psalm 91:5-6 “You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.”

David, as a warrior king, experienced a lot of devastation and he was an eyewitness to real arrows that flew by day and the pestilence that came as a result of all the death. This “destruction that wastes at noonday” was sometimes directed at him and Israel but even with all of this death and destruction surrounding him, he said that he would “not fear.” We who trust in Christ have that same reassurance that David had from this destruction and the judgment that will come upon all who reject Christ as Lord and Savior (Rev 20:12-15).

Psalm 91:7-8 “A thousand may fall at your side ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked.”

Regardless of all who are falling around us, it is not going to come near the children of God. All we will do is look at it with our eyes from a distance and see the judgment of a holy God on an evil and wicked world. Sadly, they too would have been spared if they had believed in Jesus (John 3:36a) but the wrath of God is coming on all those who reject Him (John 3:36b).

Psalm 91:9-10 “Because you have made the LORD your dwelling place— the Most High, who is my refuge—no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent.”

Jesus once said that if we abide with Him and abide in His Word, He will abide with us (John 15:1-11) but for those who refuse to acknowledge that Jesus is God and is the only way to be saved (Acts 4:12) all sorts of evil will befall them. No plague, no evil, no death will ever again reach the children of God for they have made God their dwelling place and if God is for us, who could ever be against us (Rom 8:31)?

Psalm 91:11-13 “For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion and the adder; the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.”

These are the verses that the Devil took out of context in his temptation of Christ in the wilderness (Matt 4:1-11) indicating that Satan knows the Word of God better than we do. Jesus said that we’re not to tempt the Lord in such matters or put God to the test (Matt 4:7). These verses refer to the fact that angels are ministering spirits sent forth for those who are God’s own children (Heb 1:14). Since they are spirit, we are not able to see them, with the exception of God commanding them to appear and even appear in human form when He wills it.

Psalm 91:14-16 “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name. When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

I love this conclusion. Jesus said that no one or nothing can snatch us out of His hands or the Father’s hands (John 10:28-29) and so indeed, He does hold “fast to [us] in love.” God will deliver us, protect us, and answer us when we cry out to Him for help. If we live with the end in mind (Rev 22), we can endure more of the suffering of this present world, knowing that He works everything out that happens to us for our best (Rom 8:28).

Conclusion

The psalms are a great place to find solace and security when you’re being buffeted by the world around you. There is no better place to seek safety and shelter than the High Tower of God, for in Him, there is no need to fear what any man can do.

Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren church in Mulvane Kansas. Jack is also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believer’s daily walk with God and the Bible. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book Teaching Children the Gospel available on Amazon.