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Commentary on Psalms 91 verses 1–8
In these verses we have,
I. A great truth laid down in general, That all those who live a life of communion with God are constantly safe under his protection, and may therefore preserve a holy serenity and security of mind at all times (Psa 91:1): He that dwells, that sits down, in the secret place of the Most High, shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty; he that by faith chooses God for his guardian shall find all that in him which he needs or can desire. Note, 1. It is the character of a true believer that he dwells in the secret place of the Most High; he is at home in God, returns to God, and reposes in him as his rest; he acquaints himself with inward religion, and makes heart-work of the service of God, worships within the veil, and loves to be alone with God, to converse with him in solitude. 2. It is the privilege and comfort of those that do so that they abide under the shadow of the Almighty; he shelters them, and comes between them and every thing that would annoy them, whether storm or sunshine. They shall not only have an admittance, but a residence, under God's protection; he will be their rest and refuge for ever.
II. The psalmist's comfortable application of this to himself (Psa 91:2): I will say of the Lord, whatever others say of him, "He is my refuge; I choose him as such, and confide in him. Others make idols their refuge, but I will say of Jehovah, the true and living God, He is my refuge: any other is a refuge of lies. He is a refuge that will not fail me; for he is my fortress and strong-hold." Idolaters called their idols Mahuzzim, their most strong-hold (Dan 11:39), but therein they deceived themselves; those only secure themselves that make the Lord their God, their fortress. There being no reason to question his sufficiency, fitly does it follow, In him will I trust. If Jehovah be our God, our refuge, and our fortress, what can we desire which we may not be sure to find in him? He is neither fickle nor false, neither weak nor mortal; he is God and not man, and therefore there is no danger of being disappointed in him. We know whom we have trusted.
III. The great encouragement he gives to others to do likewise, not only from his own experience of the comfort of it (for in that there might possibly be a fallacy), but from the truth of God's promise, in which there neither is nor can be any deceit (Psa 91:3, Psa 91:4, etc.): Surely he shall deliver thee. Those who have themselves found the comfort of making God their refuge cannot but desire that others may do so. Now here it is promised,
1.That believers shall be kept from those mischiefs which they are in imminent danger of, and which would be fatal to them (Psa 91:3), from the snare of the fowler, which is laid unseen and catches the unwary prey on a sudden, and from the noisome pestilence, which seizes men unawares and against which there is no guard. This promise protects, (1.) The natural life, and is often fulfilled in our preservation from those dangers which are very threatening and very near, while yet we ourselves are not apprehensive of them, any more than the bird is of the snare of the fowler. We owe it, more than we are sensible, to the care of the divine Providence that we have been kept from infectious diseases and out of the hands of the wicked and unreasonable. (2.) The spiritual life, which is protected by divine grace from the temptations of Satan, which are as the snares of the fowler, and from the contagion of sin, which is the noisome pestilence. He that has given grace to be the glory of the soul will create a defence upon all that glory.
2.That God himself will be their protector; those must needs be safe who have him for their keeper, and successful for whom he undertakes (Psa 91:4): He shall cover thee, shall keep thee secret (Psa 31:20), and so keep thee safe, Psa 27:5. God protects believers, (1.) With the greatest tenderness and affection, which is intimated in that, He shall cover thee with his feathers, under his wings, which alludes to the hen gathering her chickens under wings, Mat 23:37. By natural instinct she not only protects them, but calls them under that protection when she sees them in danger, not only keeps them safe, but cherishes them and keeps them warm. To this the great God is pleased to compare his care of his people, who are helpless as the chickens, and easily made a prey of, but are invited to trust under the shadow of the wings of the divine promise and providence, which is the periphrasis of a proselyte to the true religion, that he has come to trust under the wings of the God of Israel, Rut 2:12. (2.) With the greatest power and efficacy. Wings and feathers, though spread with the greatest tenderness, are yet weak, and easily broken through, and therefore it is added, His truth shall be thy shield and buckler, a strong defence. God is willing to guard his people as the hen is to guard the chickens, and as able as a man of war in armour.
3.That he will not only keep them from evil, but from the fear of evil, Psa 91:5, Psa 91:6. Here is, (1.) Great danger supposed; the mention of it is enough to frighten us; night and day we lie exposed, and those that are apt to be timorous will in neither period think themselves safe. When we are retired into our chambers, our beds, and have made all as safe as we can about us, yet there is terror by night, from thieves and robbers, winds and storms, besides those things that are the creatures of fancy and imagination, which are often most frightful of all. We read of fear in the night, Sol 3:8. There is also a pestilence that walketh in darkness, as that was which slew the first-born of the Egyptians, and the army of the Assyrians. No locks nor bars can shut out diseases, while we carry about with us in our bodies the seeds of them. But surely in the day-time, when we can look about us, we are not so much in danger; yes, there is an arrow that flieth by day too, and yet flies unseen; there is a destruction that wasteth at high-noon, when we are awake and have all our friends about us; even then we cannot secure ourselves, nor can they secure us. It was in the day-time that that pestilence wasted which was sent to chastise David for numbering the people, on occasion of which some think this psalm was penned. But, (2.) Here is great security promised to believers in the midst of this danger: "Thou shalt not be afraid. God by his grace will keep thee from disquieting distrustful fear (that fear which hath torment) in the midst of the greatest dangers. Wisdom shall keep thee from being causelessly afraid, and faith shall keep thee from being inordinately afraid. Thou shalt not be afraid of the arrow, as knowing that though it may hit thee it cannot hurt thee; if it take away the natural life, yet it shall be so far from doing any prejudice to the spiritual life that it shall be its perfection." A believer needs not fear, and therefore should not fear, any arrow, because the point is off, the poison is out. O death! where is thy sting? It is also under divine direction, and will hit where God appoints and not otherwise. Every bullet has its commission. Whatever is done our heavenly Father's will is done; and we have no reason to be afraid of that.
4.That they shall be preserved in common calamities, in a distinguishing way (Psa 91:7): "When death rides in triumph, and diseases rage, so that thousands and ten thousands fall, fall by sickness, or fall by the sword in battle, fall at thy side, at thy right hand, and the sight of their fall is enough to frighten thee, and if they fall by the pestilence their falling so near thee may be likely to infect thee, yet it shall not come nigh thee, the death shall not, the fear of death shall not." Those that preserve their purity in times of general corruption may trust God with their safety in times of general desolation. When multitudes die round about us, though thereby we must be awakened to prepare for our own death, yet we must not be afraid with any amazement, nor make ourselves subject to bondage, as many do all their life-time, through fear of death, Heb 2:15. The sprinkling of blood secured the first-born of Israel when thousands fell. Nay, it is promised to God's people that they shall have the satisfaction of seeing, not only God's promises fulfilled to them, but his threatenings fulfilled upon those that hate them (Psa 91:8): Only with thy eyes shalt thou behold and see the just reward of the wicked, which perhaps refers to the destruction of the first-born of Egypt by the pestilence, which was both the punishment of the oppressors and the enlargement of the oppressed; this Israel saw when they saw themselves unhurt, untouched. As it will aggravate the damnation of sinners that with their eyes they shall behold and see the reward of the righteous (Luk 13:28), so it will magnify the salvation of the saints that with their eyes they shall behold and see the destruction of the wicked, Isa 66:24; Psa 58:10.
When the great David heard and understood this, he [David] said to him “who dwells in the shelter of the most High; He will overshadow you with his shoulders,” which is the same as being behind God (for the shoulder is on the back of the body). Concerning himself David says, “My soul clings close to you, your right hand supports me.” You see how Psalms agree with the history. For as the one says that the right hand is a help to the person who has joined himself close behind God, so the other says that the hand touches the person who waits in the rock on the divine voice and prays that he might follow behind.
“Say to the Lord, ‘My refuge and my fortress, my God.’ ” I am hemmed in by enemies. You, therefore, are my refuge. “ ‘In whom I will trust.’ For he will rescue you from the snare of the hunters.’ ” Note carefully that the psalmist did not say “I trust” but “I will trust.” As long as we continue in a life of sin, we certainly are not trusting; if we put an end to sin, then our hope is confident. “For he will rescue you from the snare of the hunters.” There are many hunters in this world that go about setting traps for our soul. Nimrod the giant was a “mighty hunter before the Lord.” Esau, too, was a hunter, for he was a sinner. In all of holy Scripture, never do we find a hunter that is a faithful servant; we do find faithful fishermen.“For he will rescue you from the snare of the hunters.” “We were rescued like a bird from the fowler’s snare; broken was the snare, and we were freed.” What snare is this that has been broken? “The Lord,” says the apostle, “will speedily crush Satan under our feet”;10 “that you may recover yourselves from the snare of the devil.” You see, then, that the devil is the hunter, eager to lure our souls unto perdition. The devil is master of many snares, deceptions of all kinds. Avarice is one of his pitfalls, disparagement is his noose, fornication is his bait. “And from the destroying word.” As long as we are in the state of grace, our soul is at peace; but once we begin to play with sin, then our soul is in trouble and is like a boat tossed about by the waves.
“Nor the attack of the noonday demon.” This is better expressed by the Greek. Symptosis implies a chance occurrence when something strange happens unexpectedly; or symptoma may denote a disaster in which many perish at the same time. Grasp, then, what it means. Even though many have been seduced, nevertheless, you who are in the state of grace may escape seduction. I shall give you an example so that even the more simple[-minded] among you may understand what I mean. If you should go to the city, a monk all by yourself, and while you are strolling about you hear a shout in the circus and someone says to you, “Come and see, it is the circus,” and you hold back remonstrating, “I have no permission, I cannot go”; if he should call your attention to the thousands of people there and say to you, “Two hundred thousand people are there, are they all going to be lost, and you alone be saved?” You have to be aware that symptoma is the devil’s own doing. What I am trying to say is that you have to know that many do perish and are lost.
He then who so imitates Christ as to endure all the troubles of this world, with his hopes set upon God, that he falls into no snare, is broken down by no panic fears, he it is "who dwells under the defence of the Most High, who shall abide under the protection of God" [Psalm 91:1], in the words with which the Psalm, which you have heard and sung, begins. You will recognise the words, so well known, in which the devil tempted our Lord, when we come to them. "He shall say unto the Lord, You are my taker up, and my refuge: my God" [Psalm 91:2]. Who speaks thus to the Lord? "He who dwells under the defence of the Most High:" not under his own defence. Who is this? He dwells under the defence of the Most High, who is not proud, like those who ate, that they might become as Gods, and lost the immortality in which they were made. For they chose to dwell under a defence of their own, not under that of the Most High: thus they listened to the suggestions of the serpent, [Genesis 3:5] and despised the precept of God: and discovered at last that what God threatened, not what the devil promised, had come to pass in them.
“When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, made from a woman, made under the law.” People are upset by “made from a woman,” because we confess that he was born of a virgin. It is only of man that we confess he was made; God is always the one who makes, he cannot be made in order to be. God cannot be made; but he is made into, or becomes, something for someone, in the way in which it is said of him, “Lord, you have become (or have been made into) a refuge for us”; and, “The Lord has become (has been made) my helper.” How many things he has been made into, though he never was made at all! Now the Lord Christ was made man, … in order for him who was always the creator to be a creature. While remaining God, you see, he became man in order to become what he was not, not in order to stop being what he was.
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SUMMARY
Psalm 91:2 stands as a profound personal declaration of unwavering faith, articulating the psalmist's intimate conviction in the LORD as their ultimate and singular source of security, divine protection, and absolute trust. Following the foundational invitation to abide in God's presence in the preceding verse, this statement transforms a general theological truth into a deeply personal, possessive affirmation, establishing God as a bespoke refuge, an unassailable stronghold, and the singular object of absolute reliance amidst life's inherent dangers and uncertainties. It is a vocalized commitment that underpins the entire psalm's message of divine safeguarding.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Psalm 91:2 is rich in Metaphor, primarily employing military and architectural imagery to describe God. "Refuge" and "fortress" are powerful comparisons that evoke images of safety, strength, and impregnability, making abstract divine attributes tangible and relatable to the human experience of seeking security. The verse also heavily utilizes Personal Pronouns and Possessive Adjectives ("I," "my"), which serve to personalize the theological declaration, transforming a general truth about God into an intimate, covenantal confession. This creates a strong sense of individual ownership and relationship, inviting the reader into a similar posture of faith. Furthermore, the phrase "I will say" functions as a Declaration or Confession, emphasizing the volitional and active nature of the psalmist's faith. It's not merely an internal thought but an outward, verbalized commitment, which carries significant weight in ancient Near Eastern thought as an act of public or personal affirmation, solidifying the speaker's allegiance and reliance.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Psalm 91:2 encapsulates the profound biblical truth that God is not merely a distant deity but an intimately involved protector who invites His people into a relationship of absolute trust. This verse articulates a theology of divine immanence and providential care, asserting that God's omnipotence is directly applied to the security of the individual who acknowledges Him. It underscores the concept of covenant faithfulness, where God's protective nature is a direct outflow of His commitment to those who belong to Him. The declaration "my God" resonates with the foundational covenant formula, "I will be your God, and you will be my people," establishing a reciprocal relationship where human trust meets divine reliability. This active declaration of trust is presented as the proper response to God's revealed character, serving as a model for all believers to vocalize their reliance on Him in the face of life's dangers and uncertainties, affirming His steadfast presence and power.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Psalm 91:2 serves as a powerful invitation and challenge for contemporary believers navigating a world fraught with anxieties—economic instability, health crises, social unrest, and personal trials. The human tendency is often to seek security in tangible resources, personal strength, or fallible human systems. However, this verse redirects our gaze, calling us to shift our ultimate trust from these transient supports to the infallible, eternal God. To "say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress" is not merely a passive theological statement but an active declaration of spiritual warfare, a conscious decision to declare God's truth over our fears and circumstances. It requires intentionality, moving beyond intellectual assent to a deep, personal appropriation of God's protective character. This declaration fosters a posture of confident reliance, enabling us to face life's storms not with despair, but with the profound assurance that our ultimate safety is anchored in the Almighty, who is both our immediate shelter and our unshakeable stronghold, always present and always faithful.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does it mean to "say of the LORD" that He is my refuge? Is it just a mental affirmation?
Answer: To "say of the LORD" is far more than a mere mental affirmation; it is a profound, active declaration of faith. The Hebrew verb implies a vocal, intentional, and public (even if only to oneself or God) proclamation. It signifies a conscious act of commitment and allegiance, a staking of one's life on the truth that God is indeed one's ultimate shelter and stronghold. This declaration is a spiritual act that aligns one's heart, mind, and will with God's revealed character, transforming a general theological truth into a personal, lived reality. It's an act of faith that precedes and enables the deep trust mentioned in the latter part of the verse, much like the confession of faith described in Romans 10:9-10, where belief in the heart leads to confession with the mouth.
How can God be both a "refuge" and a "fortress"? What's the difference?
Answer: The two terms, "refuge" (מַחְסֶה, machăçeh') and "fortress" (מְצוּדָה, mâtsûwd'), work together to provide a comprehensive picture of God's protection, each emphasizing a distinct aspect. "Refuge" emphasizes the immediate availability and accessibility of God as a safe place to flee to in times of sudden danger or distress. It's the shelter one runs into for immediate safety, like a storm shelter or a hiding place from a sudden attack. "Fortress," on the other hand, highlights God's inherent, enduring strength and impregnability. It's a strong, fortified structure, often a mountain stronghold, that can withstand prolonged assaults, symbolizing an unshakeable, long-term defense. Together, they assure the believer that God is both the swift, accessible rescuer in moments of crisis and the unyielding, steadfast stronghold that provides continuous, long-term security against all forms of attack, whether physical, emotional, or spiritual. This dual imagery underscores the completeness and reliability of God's protective care, as powerfully articulated in Psalm 46:1.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Psalm 91:2 finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in Jesus Christ. While the Old Testament declares God as refuge and fortress, it is in Christ that this divine protection becomes fully accessible and personally embodied for humanity. Jesus Himself is the ultimate "secret place of the Most High" (Psalm 91:1), the one in whom we "abide" and find our eternal shelter. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, offering refuge from the ultimate enemy—sin and death—through His atoning sacrifice on the cross (John 1:29). He is our impenetrable fortress against the accusations of the enemy and the condemnation of the law, for "there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1). Our declaration, "I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust," is perfectly realized in our confession of Jesus as Lord and Savior. He is the embodiment of God's protective love, the one in whom we can place our complete trust, knowing that He has overcome the world (John 16:33) and promises eternal security to all who believe in Him, ensuring that "no one will snatch them out of my hand" (John 10:28-29). In Christ, the ancient promise of divine refuge and fortress is made tangible and eternally secure.