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Psalm 91 is a song of trust in God's protection. It promises that the person who "dwelleth in the secret place of the most High" will rest under God's shadow, safe from fear, danger and disease. It is often called the psalm of protection, and for thousands of years people have prayed it in times of plague, war and fear. Below is the full King James text, a verse-by-verse explanation, the question of who wrote it, and how Satan twisted it when he tempted Jesus.
The Full Text of Psalm 91 (KJV)
1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.
8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.
9 Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;
10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.
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.
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.
16 With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.
— Psalm 91:1-16 (KJV)
Who Wrote Psalm 91?
The Hebrew text of Psalm 91 has no title, so the Bible does not name its author. There are two main traditions, and both are held by respected readers.
- Moses. Jewish tradition connects Psalm 91 with Psalm 90, which is titled "A Prayer of Moses the man of God." Some rabbis taught that untitled psalms belong to the last named author before them. The images of plague, desert snakes and lions would fit Israel's years in the wilderness.
- David. The ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament, the Septuagint, gives Psalm 91 a heading that credits David. Its arrows, fortress and shield sound like the words of a man who knew battle.
Either way, the psalm was written by someone who had faced real danger and found God faithful in it.
Verse-by-Verse Meaning
Verses 1-2: The secret place
The psalm opens with four names for God: the most High, the Almighty, the LORD and my God. The "secret place" is a hidden shelter, and "shadow" in a hot desert land means shade and relief. Psalm 91 does not begin with a promise of safety but with a relationship: dwelling, abiding, and saying "in him will I trust."
Verses 3-4: Under his wings
A "fowler" was a hunter who caught birds with hidden traps. The "snare of the fowler" stands for the dangers we do not see coming, such as deception, plots and temptation. "Noisome pestilence" means a deadly disease.
Verse 4 gives one of the tenderest pictures in Scripture: God covering his people like a bird spreading its wings over its young (compare Psalm 17:8). Jesus used the same image when he wept over Jerusalem and said he longed to gather its children "as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings" (Matthew 23:37). God's truth is also a "shield and buckler." A buckler was a small round shield for close combat.
Verses 5-8: Fear by night and by day
These verses cover every hour: terror at night, arrows by day, sickness in darkness and destruction at noon. Whenever danger comes, the believer need not live in fear.
Verse 7 is dramatic: thousands fall all around, but "it shall not come nigh thee." Many readers see here the memory of the plagues in Egypt, when God spared Israel while judgment fell around them (Exodus 12:13). Verse 8 adds that the faithful will see justice done in the end.
Verses 9-13: Angels and the lion
The psalm repeats its main condition: "Because thou hast made the LORD... thy habitation." The promise of protection is tied to making God your home, not just a place you visit in an emergency.
Verses 11 and 12 promise that God will send his angels to guard his people. The Bible gives many examples of this, such as the angel who shut the lions' mouths for Daniel:
My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me...
— Daniel 6:22 (KJV)
Verse 13 says the believer will "tread upon the lion and adder." The lion stands for open, violent danger, and the adder for hidden, poisonous danger. "Dragon" in the King James Version translates a Hebrew word that can mean a large serpent. Jesus used similar language when he gave his disciples power "to tread on serpents and scorpions" (Luke 10:19).
Verses 14-16: God answers
In the last three verses the speaker changes. Now God himself speaks, and he makes a string of promises to the one who loves him: I will deliver him, set him on high, answer him, be with him in trouble, deliver him and honour him, satisfy him with long life, and show him my salvation.
Notice the phrase "I will be with him in trouble." God does not promise a life without trouble. He promises his presence in it.
How Satan Quoted Psalm 91 to Jesus
Psalm 91 is the only psalm the devil quotes in the Bible. During the temptation in the wilderness, Satan took Jesus to the highest point of the temple in Jerusalem:
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.
— Matthew 4:6 (KJV)
Satan quoted verses 11 and 12 almost exactly, but he left out a key phrase: "to keep thee in all thy ways." The promise is for someone walking in God's ways, not for someone who jumps off a building to force God to act. Jesus answered with another Scripture:
Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
— Matthew 4:7 (KJV)
Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 6:16. His reply teaches an important lesson about Psalm 91. It is a promise to trust, not a dare to test God. Reading one verse out of context, as Satan did, can turn a comfort into a trap. (Luke 4:9-12 records the same event.)
Does Psalm 91 Promise That Nothing Bad Will Happen?
This is an honest question, because faithful believers do get sick, suffer accidents and die. Christians read the psalm's promises in a few different ways.
- Real, physical protection. Many believers take the psalm as a genuine promise that God often protects his people from harm, and they pray it with confidence over their families.
- Ultimate, spiritual safety. Others stress that the deepest promise is that nothing can separate God's people from his love (Romans 8:38-39). Even when harm comes, the soul that rests in God is secure forever.
- A general truth, not a contract. Like the book of Proverbs, Psalm 91 describes how God usually cares for his people, without guaranteeing that no believer will ever suffer.
Most Christians hold some mix of these views. All agree that the heart of the psalm is trust, and that verse 15, "I will be with him in trouble," is true in every situation.
How to Pray Psalm 91
Psalm 91 is one of the most prayed passages in the Bible. Many soldiers have carried it into battle, which is why it is sometimes called the Soldier's Psalm, and countless families read it during illness and storms. Here are some simple ways to pray it:
- Pray it in the first person. Verse 2 already does this: "I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge." You can continue: "Lord, cover me with your feathers. I will not be afraid of the terror by night."
- Pray it over others. Put the name of a child, a spouse or a friend in place of "thee": "Lord, give your angels charge over Sarah, to keep her in all her ways."
- Pray it before sleep. Verses 5 and 6 speak directly to fear at night, which makes this a natural bedtime psalm. Our page of Bible verses about anxiety has more verses for sleepless nights.
- End with God's own words. Read verses 14-16 slowly, as God speaking to you personally.
Psalm 91 pairs naturally with Psalm 23: one pictures God as a fortress, the other as a shepherd. Daniel lived out Psalm 91 when God shut the lions' mouths, and you can watch his story in Daniel – The Movie.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main message of Psalm 91?
The main message is that those who make God their dwelling place are under his protection. The psalm promises shelter, rescue from danger, angelic care, and God's presence in trouble.
Why is Psalm 91 called the psalm of protection?
It is full of protection images: a refuge, a fortress, wings, a shield and guarding angels. It addresses danger of every kind, from disease to war to hidden traps. For this reason people have prayed it for centuries during plagues, battles and personal crises.
What does "the secret place of the most High" mean?
It refers to a close, personal relationship with God, a hidden place of safety in his presence. It is not a physical location but a way of living near God through trust, prayer and worship. The one who "dwells" there lives in that closeness every day, not just in emergencies.
Why did Satan quote Psalm 91 to Jesus?
Satan quoted verses 11-12 to tempt Jesus to throw himself from the temple and prove God would catch him (Matthew 4:6). He twisted a promise of protection into a test of God. Jesus refused, answering "Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God."
Is it good to read Psalm 91 every day?
Many Christians read or pray Psalm 91 daily, especially in uncertain times, and it is a beautiful habit. The psalm builds trust and calms fear. It works best as an expression of trust in God, not as a magic formula or a charm.
How many verses are in Psalm 91?
Psalm 91 has 16 verses. Verses 1-13 describe the safety of the person who trusts God, and verses 14-16 are God's own response, with his promises to deliver, answer and honor the one who loves him.
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