91:1One who dwells in the shelter of the High One lodges in the shadow of the Almighty.
91:2I say to Yahweh, ‘My refuge and my fortress, my God’. I trust in him.
91:3For he will deliver you from [the] trap of the bird catcher, from plague of destructions.
91:4With his feathers he will cover you and underneath his wings you will seek refuge.
A shield and a buckler (small shield) [will be] his reliability.
91:5You will not fear from dread at night [nightmare?],
from arrow that flies by day,
91:6from plague that walks in the darkness,
from destruction that destroys at noon.
91:7A regiment will fall at your side,
and a division at your right hand will not come near to you.
91:8Only with your eyes you will look
and you will see [the] retribution of the wicked.
91:9For you, Yahweh, my refuge, the high one, you set up your dwelling.
91:10Evil will not be sent to you. A plague will not approach your tent.
91:11For his angels he assigns to you to guard you in all your ways.
91:12On palms they will carry you lest you strike on a stone your foot.
91:13Upon lion and snake you will tread. You will trample young lion and serpent.
91:14For he loves me and I will deliver him.
I set him high, for he knows my name.
91:15He will call to me, and I will answer him.
I am with him in distress.
I will deliver him and I will honour him.
91:16[With] length of days I will satisfy him and I will show him my salvation.
91:1
One who dwells in the shelter of the High One lodges (Hithpolel Impf 3ms לוּן, לִין lodge, pass night) in the shadow of the Almighty
91:1
יֹ֭שֵׁב בְּסֵ֣תֶר עֶלְיֹ֑ון בְּצֵ֥ל דַּ֗י יִתְלֹונָֽן׃
91:1 LXX
Αἶνος ᾠδῆς τῷ Δαυείδ.
Ὁ κατοικῶν ἐν βοηθείᾳ τοῦ ὑψίστου ἐν σκέπῃ τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ αὐλισθήσεται.
91:2
I say to Yahweh, ‘My refuge and my fortress, my God’.
I trust in him.
91:2
אֹמַ֗ר לַֽ֭יהוָה מַחְסִ֣י וּמְצוּדָתִ֑י אֱ֝לֹהַ֗י
אֶבְטַח־בֹּֽו׃
91:2 LXX
ἐρεῖ τῷ θεῷ Ἀντιλήμπτωρ μου εἶ· καὶ καταφυγή μου ὁ θεός μου,
ἐλπιῶ ἐπ᾽ αὐτόν.
91:3
For he (emphatic) will deliver you from [the] trap of the bird catcher,
from plague of destructions.
91:3
כִּ֤י ה֣וּא יַ֭צִּֽילְךָ מִפַּ֥ח יָק֗וּשׁ
מִדֶּ֥בֶר הַוֹּֽות׃
91:3 LXX
ὅτι αὐτὸς ῥύσεται ἐκ παγίδος θηρευτῶν,
καὶ ἀπὸ λόγου ταραχώδους·
91:4
With his feathers he will cover you
And underneath his wings you will seek refuge
A shield and a buckler (small shield) [will be] his reliability.
91:4
בְּאֶבְרָתֹ֨ו ׀ יָ֣סֶךְ לָ֭ךְ
וְתַֽחַת־כְּנָפָ֣יו תֶּחְסֶ֑ה
צִנָּ֖ה וְֽסֹחֵרָ֣ה אֲמִתֹּֽו׃
91:4 LXX
ἐν τοῖς μεταφρένοις αὐτοῦ ἐπισκιάσει σοι,
καὶ ὑπὸ τὰς πτέρυγας αὐτοῦ ἐλπιεῖς·
ὅπλῳ κυκλώσει σε ἡ ἀλήθεια αὐτοῦ.
91:5
You will not fear (Qal Impf)
from dread at night [nightmare?],
from arrow that flies by day.
91:6
from plague that walks in the darkness
from destruction that destroys at noon.
91:5
לֹא־תִ֭ירָא
מִפַּ֣חַד לָ֑יְלָה
מֵ֝חֵ֗ץ יָע֥וּף יֹומָֽם׃
91:6
מִ֭דֶּבֶר בָּאֹ֣פֶל יַהֲלֹ֑ךְ
מִ֝קֶּ֗טֶב יָשׁ֥וּד צָהֳרָֽיִם׃
91:5 LXX
οὐ φοβηθήσῃ
ἀπὸ φόβου νυκτερινοῦ,
ἀπὸ βέλους πετομένου ἡμέρας,
91:6 LXX
ἀπὸ πράγματος διαπορευομένου ἐν σκότει,
ἀπὸ συμπτώματος καὶ δαιμονίου μεσημβρινοῦ.
91:7
A regiment will fall at your side,
And a division at your right hand will not come near to you.
91:7
יִפֹּ֤ל מִצִּדְּךָ֨ ׀ אֶ֗לֶף
וּרְבָבָ֥ה מִימִינֶ֑ךָ אֵ֝לֶ֗יךָ לֹ֣א יִגָּֽשׁ׃
91:7 LXX
πεσεῖται ἐκ τοῦ κλίτους σου χιλιάς,
καὶ μυριὰς ἐκ δεξιῶν σου, πρὸς σὲ δὲ οὐκ ἐγγιεῖ·
91:8
Only with your eyes you will look
and retribution of the wicked you will see.
91:8
רַ֭ק בְּעֵינֶ֣יךָ תַבִּ֑יט
וְשִׁלֻּמַ֖ת רְשָׁעִ֣ים תִּרְאֶֽה׃
91:8 LXX
πλὴν τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς σου κατανοήσεις,
καὶ ἀνταπόδοσιν ἁμαρτωλῶν ὄψῃ.
91:9
For you, Yahweh, my refuge, the high one, you set up your dwelling.
91:9
כִּֽי־אַתָּ֣ה יְהוָ֣ה מַחְסִ֑י עֶ֝לְיֹ֗ון
שַׂ֣מְתָּ מְעֹונֶֽךָ׃
91:9 LXX
ὅτι σύ, Κύριε, ἡ ἐλπίς μου· τὸν ὕψιστον
ἔθου καταφυγήν σου.
91:10
Evil will not be sent to you.
A plague will not approach your tent.
91:10
לֹֽא־תְאֻנֶּ֣ה אֵלֶ֣יךָ רָעָ֑ה
וְ֝נֶ֗גַע לֹא־יִקְרַ֥ב בְּאָהֳלֶֽךָ׃
91:10 LXX
οὐ προσελεύσεται πρὸς σὲ κακά,
καὶ μάστιξ οὐκ ἐγγιεῖ τῷ σκηνώματί σου·
91:11
For his angels he commands/assigns for you to guard you in all your ways.
91:11
כִּ֣י מַ֭לְאָכָיו יְצַוֶּה־לָּ֑ךְ
לִ֝שְׁמָרְךָ֗ בְּכָל־דְּרָכֶֽיךָ׃
91:11 LXX
ὅτι τοῖς ἀγγέλοις αὐτοῦ ἐντελεῖται περὶ σοῦ
τοῦ διαφυλάξαι σε ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς σου·
91:12
On palms they will carry you
Lest you strike on a stone your foot.
91:12
עַל־כַּפַּ֥יִם יִשָּׂא֑וּנְךָ
פֶּן־תִּגֹּ֖ף בָּאֶ֣בֶן רַגְלֶֽךָ׃
91:12 LXX
ἐπὶ χειρῶν ἀροῦσίν σε,
μή ποτε προσκόψῃς πρὸς λίθον τὸν πόδα σου.
91:13
Upon lion and snake you will tread
You will trample young lion and serpent. [Gen 3:15]
91:13
עַל־שַׁ֣חַל וָפֶ֣תֶן תִּדְרֹ֑ךְ
תִּרְמֹ֖ס כְּפִ֣יר וְתַנִּֽין׃
91:13 LXX
ἐπ᾽ ἀσπίδα καὶ βασιλίσκον ἐπιβήσῃ,
καὶ καταπατήσεις λέοντα καὶ δράκοντα.
91:14
For he loves me [note bet operating as direct object marker]
and I deliver him.
I set him high, for he knows my name.
91:14
כִּ֤י בִ֣י חָ֭שַׁק
וַאֲפַלְּטֵ֑הוּ
אֲ֝שַׂגְּבֵ֗הוּ כִּֽי־יָדַ֥ע שְׁמִֽי׃
91:14 LXX
ὅτι ἐπ᾽ ἐμὲ ἤλπισεν,
καὶ ῥύσομαι αὐτόν·
σκεπάσω αὐτόν, ὅτι ἔγνω τὸ ὄνομά μου.
91:15
He will call to me, and I will answer him.
I am with him in distress.
I will deliver him and I will honour him.
91:15
יִקְרָאֵ֨נִי ׀ וְֽאֶעֱנֵ֗הוּ
עִמֹּֽו־אָנֹכִ֥י בְצָרָ֑ה
אֲ֝חַלְּצֵ֗הוּ וַֽאֲכַבְּדֵֽהוּ׃
91:15 LXX
ἐπικαλέσεταί με, καὶ εἰσακούσομαι αὐτοῦ,
μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ εἰμι ἐν θλίψει,
καὶ ἐξελοῦμαι καὶ δοξάσω αὐτόν.
91:16
[With] length of days I will satisfy him
and I will show him my salvation.
91:16
אֹ֣רֶךְ יָ֭מִים אַשְׂבִּיעֵ֑הוּ
וְ֝אַרְאֵ֗הוּ בִּֽישׁוּעָתִֽי׃
91:16 LXX
μακρότητι ἡμερῶν ἐμπλήσω αὐτόν,
καὶ δείξω αὐτῷ τὸ σωτήριόν μου.
Verse 1 appears to be a topic sentence for the Psalm. God protects a person who makes this choice. In verse 2, the Psalmist says that he makes this choice.