There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. The faithful man is to be preserved from evil of every kind. His very "dwelling" is to be protected so that his family may suffer no hurt. read more
For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways (comp. Psalms 34:7 ). The faithful are under the constant care of angels ( Hebrews 1:14 ), who guide them and direct them perpetually. Satan made a crafty use of this promise when he tempted our Lord ( Matthew 4:6 ; Luke 4:10 , Luke 4:11 ). No doubt it applies to him pre-eminently, as the specially "Faithful One." read more
The angels. "He shall give his angels charge," etc. The restful spirit of absolute trust in God rises in this psalm to its loftiest height. It is a glorious commentary on Isaiah 26:3 . The Divine answer at the close ( Isaiah 26:14-16 ) shows how near the Lord is to the soul that trusts him. Compare, as an equally glorious New Testament parallel, Romans 8:31-39 . St. Paul defies "angels and principalities" of evil to harm God's children. Here holy angels are declared to be their... read more
Angel agencies. For associations of "angels" with Moses and his times, we may recall the New Testament saying, that the "Law was given by the disposition of angels." Moses had associated angels with Abraham and Jacob; and when God proposed to withdraw his personal guidance of Israel, he offered Moses to send "an angel" before them. It was a common belief, even among the heathen, that human beings have each their guardian genius; but the psalmist here does not appear to refer to any such... read more
His angels. The mention of them is introduced here in order to show how the blessed promise of Psalms 91:10 is fulfilled. The angels are continually spoken of in Scripture. First of all, we read of them in connection with the story of Hagar, and from thence onward the pages of Holy Scripture make perpetual references to them. It, therefore, cannot but be important to us that we should understand, so far as we may, what is written concerning them. For we cannot think that their work and... read more
They shall bear thee up in their hands; rather, upon their hands— lifting thee over difficulties and stumbling blocks. Lest thou dash thy foot against a stone (comp. Proverbs 3:23 , Proverbs 3:24 ). Moral impediments are, no doubt, chiefly meant. read more
The angels' charge of little things. To whom is this promise addressed? Not to any and everybody indiscriminately, but only to those who dwell "in the secret place of," etc. ( Psalms 91:1 ). Therefore it was especially applicable to our Lord. Some have concluded, that, as this verse was made use of by Satan when he tempted our Lord, the psalm is to be limited in its application to him only. But this is an error. Satan quoted it; but, as he always does when he quotes Scripture—a not... read more
Typical perils of the saints. (See also Psalms 91:5 , Psalms 91:6 , Psalms 91:10 .) Those dealt with may be read in the light of wilderness experiences. Then we have: 1 . The common Eastern terror of the night, both as time of insecurity and time of spread of disease. Thieves work at night; sudden attacks of enemies are made at night; the angel of pestilence strikes at night; wild beasts roam at night; fires mostly break out at night. 2 . The dangers of sunstroke and... read more
There shall no evil befall thee - The Chaldee Paraphrase has, “The Lord of the world answered and said, ‘There shall no evil befall thee,’” etc. The sentiment, however, is that the psalmist could assure such an one, from his own personal experience, that he would be safe. He had himself made Yahweh his refuge, and he could speak with confidence of the safety of doing so. This, of course, is to be understood as a general truth, in accordance with what has been said above.Neither shall any plague... read more
Get Bible verse every day in your inbox
Read on Mobile
The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 91:9-11
The security of the saints. I. THE DWELLING PLACE OF THE GOOD MAN — GOD . In such an abode we find: 1 . Shelter, protection . ( John 14:23 .) 2 . Nutriment . 3 . Rest . 4 . Companionship . II. THE SAFETY OF THIS ABODE . 1 . Omnipotent love encompasses him . 2 . The power of the good man to convert all things to his welfare . "All things are yours." III. THE GUARDS AND SERVANTS OF THE GOOD MAN . The... read more