The Book of Psalms

Psalm 91

Psalm XCI · Vol. II, p. 1048

1 The state of the godly. 3 Their safety. 9 Their habitation. 11 Their servants. 14 Their friend; with the effects of them all.

Margin referencesNotes ↓

1 He that^a dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide¹ under the shadow of the Almighty.²

B.C. cir. 1016.

a Eze.12.16. Ps.27.5; 31.20; 32.7; 17.8; 57.1. Ju.9.15. ver.4.

1 Heb. lodge.

2 It would seem from the structure of this psalm, and the abrupt change of person, that it was intended to be sung by a double choir—one making a statement regarding God and the other responding. It is arranged as follows:—Statement, ver. 1. Response, ver. 2. Statement, ver. 3-8. Response, ver. 9. Statement, ver. 10-13. Response, ver. 14-16.—P.

2 I will say of the LORD, ^bHe is my refuge and my fortress: ^cmy God; in him will I trust.

b Ps.18.2; 46.1; 142.5; 71.2. De.33.27-29. Zec.2.5. 1 Pe.1.5.

c Ps.31.14; 73.28.

3 Surely^d he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.

d Ps.124.6,7. 2 Ti.2.26. Job 5.19-22. Is.46.4. 2 Co.1.10.

4 He^e shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy ^gshield and buckler.

e De.32.11. Is.31.5. Mat.23.37. Ps.17.8; 61.4; 57.1.

g Ge.15.1. He.6.17,18. 1 Th.5.23,24.

5 Thou^h shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;

h Ps.3.6; 4.8; 112.7; 121.5,6. Job 5.19-22. Pr.3.25. Is.41.10,14; 43.1,2. De.32.23,42. La.3.12,13.

6 Nor for ⁱthe pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noon-day.

i Ex.12.29,30. 2 Ki.19.35. 2 Sa.24.15.

7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it ^jshall not come nigh thee.

j ver.10. Ps.32.6.

8 Only^k with thine eyes shalt thou behold, and see the reward of the wicked.

k Pr.3.25,26. Ps.58.10; 64.8,9; 37.34. Mal.1.5. Is.3.11. Ro.2.8,9.

9 Because ^lthou hast made the LORD which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;

l Ps.142.4,5; 46.1-4. Eze.11.16. ver.1,2. He.6.18. Pr.18.10.

10 Thereⁿ shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.

A.M. cir. 2988. B.C. cir. 1016.

n ver.1. Pr.1.33; 12.21; 3.33. Ps.121.6,7; 46.1-4; xxxvii. Ro.8.28.

11 For^o he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

o 2 Ki.6.16,17. Ps.34.7. Mat.4.6. Lu.4.10. He.1.14.

12 They^p shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

p Is.46.4; 63.9. Pr.3.23. Job 5.23. Ps.37.24; 94.18.

13 Thou^q shalt tread upon the lion and adder:³ the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.

q Da.6.22. Mar.16.18. Ro.16.20.

3 Or, asp.

14 Because^r he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: ^sI will set him on high,⁴ because he hath known my name.⁵

r Is.3.10. Ps.119.165. Ro.2.7,10. Pr.1.33.

s Phi.2.9-11. Ps.89.16,17; 9.10. Is.33.16.

4 From ver. 14. to the end, the Father proclaims his exaltation of the Son, who now waiteth till all his enemies shall be put under his feet, and the last, which is death, shall be destroyed.—C.

5 The name is the revelation of the attributes or nature of God, chiefly in relation to man. See note on Ex. 34. 6, also Mat. 11. 27. Jn. 10. 15.—C.

15 He^t shall call upon me, and I will answer him: ^uI will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.

t Ps.50.15; 18.6; 34.5,6; 65.2. Is.58.9; 65.24. 1 Jn.5.14,15. Jn.15.7.

u Is.43.1,2; 41.10; 46.4. 2 Co.1.4,10. 1 Sa.2.30. Ps.28.9.

16 With^v long life⁶ will I satisfy him, and ^xshow him my salvation.

v Pr.3.2; 22.4. Ge.15.15. Job 5.22. Is.65.20.

6 Heb. length of days.

x Ps.50.23; 16.11. Is.45.17. 1 Jn.3.2.

Notes

Ver. 1. Secret place. In the bosom of the Father, where the Son was in glory 'before the foundation of the world'—our only conception of eternity (see Jn. 1. 18; and 17. 5; 1 Jn. 1. 2); for he that was before creation was, must have been eternal. C.

Ver. 2. I will say. That the speaker is Christ, his own tacit acknowledgment (Mat. 4.6, compared with ver. 11, 12) undeniably demonstrates. The amended translation of Lowth, instead of 'I will say,' gives 'who saith,' which seems more natural. C.

Ver. 4. The wings and feathers which God adopted in the emblematic cherubim that overshadowed the mercy-seat—which, again, was the emblem of Jesus, the propitiation or mercy-seat for our sins. C.

Ver. 9. The Lord which is my refuge. By supplying the words which is, the sense is obscured. 'The Lord my refuge,' like 'the Lord our righteousness,' should be taken as a title of Jehovah, appropriating the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, as his refuge; and, through him, the refuge of every believer in his name. C.

Ver. 11. Satan quoted this text correctly, so far as he went; and, so far, our Lord acknowledged the interpretation. But yet he quoted falsely, because he quoted imperfectly, and misrepresented the truth, as he suppressed an essential part. And so, in all ages, have all his servants dealt. C.

Reflections.—While I here contemplate Jesus Christ as the Father's Son, protecting, guarded, attended, heard in his prayers, honoured, and crowned with life and glory everlasting, let me with wonder behold the happiness of all people who make God their refuge and delightful habitation, who know his name, set their love on him, and call on him. Secured against every disappointment and danger, distinguished in the providence of God, guarded by angels, delivered from and victorious over the devil, that fowler, dragon, and lion of hell, Jehovah attends them in their troubles, hears their prayers, and gives them answers of peace. He exalts them on Christ their Rock, and makes them to sit with him on his throne; honours them with the relations of children, kings, and priests unto God, and decks them with blessed righteousness and imparted grace. And after preserving all who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, he bestows upon them his unutterable blessedness above. May these things in Christ be the desire of my heart.