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King James Version · read & reflect

Psalm 91

Psalm 91 is the Bible's great psalm of refuge. It pictures the person who shelters in God as dwelling 'in the secret place of the most High' and abiding 'under the shadow of the Almighty' — kept through pestilence, terror by night, and the arrow that flies by day. Its promises are not a charm against all hardship but a settled confidence that God himself is a dwelling place, and that those who love him are never outside his care. It has been prayed in plagues, wars, and sleepless nights for centuries.

Key verses

  • He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

    Psalms 91:1

  • I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.

    Psalms 91:2

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

    Psalms 91:11

Psalm 91 in full (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.

Frequently asked questions

What does Psalm 91 mean?
Psalm 91 promises God's protection to the person who takes refuge in him. Its images — the fowler's snare, the pestilence, the arrow by day — stand for every danger, and the point is not that the faithful escape all trouble but that God is a shelter through it, near enough to be called 'my refuge and my fortress'.
Who wrote Psalm 91?
The psalm is untitled in the Hebrew text, so its author is unnamed. Jewish tradition often groups it with Psalm 90 and ascribes it to Moses, while others read it as anonymous. Either way its theme is constant: God as refuge and protector.
What is Psalm 91 used for?
It is widely prayed for protection, for peace in fear, and for comfort at night, and it is often read at times of illness, danger, or anxiety — precisely the situations its verses name.
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