CORPUS-PSALTERIUMVol. IV
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Corpus Psalterium · Vol. IV

Psalm XCI (91)

Cantillated — Dialogical Confidence

Paul Whitehorn

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Psalm 91 in Hebrew and English, and the words as they are sung.

1

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

יֹ֭שֵׁב בְּסֵ֣תֶר עֶלְי֑וֹן בְּצֵ֥ל שַׁ֝דַּ֗י יִתְלוֹנָֽן׃

2

I will say of Yahweh, “He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust.”

אֹמַ֗ר לַֽ֭יהוָה מַחְסִ֣י וּמְצוּדָתִ֑י אֱ֝לֹהַ֗י אֶבְטַח־בּֽוֹ׃

3

For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler, and from the deadly pestilence.

כִּ֤י ה֣וּא יַ֭צִּֽילְךָ מִפַּ֥ח יָק֗וּשׁ מִדֶּ֥בֶר הַוּֽוֹת׃

4

He will cover you with his feathers. Under his wings you will take refuge. His faithfulness is your shield and rampart.

בְּאֶבְרָת֨וֹ ׀ יָ֣סֶךְ לָ֭ךְ וְתַֽחַת־כְּנָפָ֣יו תֶּחְסֶ֑ה צִנָּ֖ה וְֽסֹחֵרָ֣ה אֲמִתּֽוֹ׃

5

You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day,

לֹא־תִ֭ירָא מִפַּ֣חַד לָ֑יְלָה מֵ֝חֵ֗ץ יָע֥וּף יוֹמָֽם׃

6

nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that wastes at noonday.

מִ֭דֶּבֶר בָּאֹ֣פֶל יַהֲלֹ֑ךְ מִ֝קֶּ֗טֶב יָשׁ֥וּד צָהֳרָֽיִם׃

7

A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it will not come near you.

יִפֹּ֤ל מִצִּדְּךָ֨ ׀ אֶ֗לֶף וּרְבָבָ֥ה מִימִינֶ֑ךָ אֵ֝לֶ֗יךָ לֹ֣א יִגָּֽשׁ׃

8

You will only look with your eyes, and see the recompense of the wicked.

רַ֭ק בְּעֵינֶ֣יךָ תַבִּ֑יט וְשִׁלֻּמַ֖ת רְשָׁעִ֣ים תִּרְאֶֽה׃

9

Because you have made Yahweh your refuge, and the Most High your dwelling place,

כִּֽי־אַתָּ֣ה יְהוָ֣ה מַחְסִ֑י עֶ֝לְי֗וֹן שַׂ֣מְתָּ מְעוֹנֶֽךָ׃

10

no evil shall happen to you, neither shall any plague come near your dwelling.

לֹֽא־תְאֻנֶּ֣ה אֵלֶ֣יךָ רָעָ֑ה וְ֝נֶ֗גַע לֹא־יִקְרַ֥ב בְּאָהֳלֶֽךָ׃

11

For he will put his angels in charge of you, to guard you in all your ways.

כִּ֣י מַ֭לְאָכָיו יְצַוֶּה־לָּ֑ךְ לִ֝שְׁמָרְךָ֗ בְּכָל־דְּרָכֶֽיךָ׃

12

They will bear you up in their hands, so that you won’t dash your foot against a stone.

עַל־כַּפַּ֥יִם יִשָּׂא֑וּנְךָ פֶּן־תִּגֹּ֖ף בָּאֶ֣בֶן רַגְלֶֽךָ׃

13

You will tread on the lion and cobra. You will trample the young lion and the serpent underfoot.

עַל־שַׁ֣חַל וָפֶ֣תֶן תִּדְרֹ֑ךְ תִּרְמֹ֖ס כְּפִ֣יר וְתַנִּֽין׃

14

“Because he has set his love on me, therefore I will deliver him. I will set him on high, because he has known my name.

כִּ֤י בִ֣י חָ֭שַׁק וַאֲפַלְּטֵ֑הוּ אֲ֝שַׂגְּבֵ֗הוּ כִּֽי־יָדַ֥ע שְׁמִֽי׃

15

He will call on me, and I will answer him. I will be with him in trouble. I will deliver him, and honor him.

יִקְרָאֵ֨נִי ׀ וְֽאֶעֱנֵ֗הוּ עִמּֽוֹ־אָנֹכִ֥י בְצָרָ֑ה אֲ֝חַלְּצֵ֗הוּ וַֽאֲכַבְּדֵֽהוּ׃

16

I will satisfy him with long life, and show him my salvation.”

אֹ֣רֶךְ יָ֭מִים אַשְׂבִּיעֵ֑הוּ וְ֝אַרְאֵ֗הוּ בִּֽישׁוּעָתִֽי׃

Hebrew: Westminster Leningrad Codex (public domain), from the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible. English: World English Bible (public domain). Verse numbers follow the English Bible; the Hebrew numbering is shown beneath where it differs.

He who dwells

in the secret place

of the Most High

Will abide

under the shadow

of the Almighty

I will say

to the LORD

My refuge

my fortress

My God

in Him I trust

For He will deliver you

from the snare

From the deadly pestilence

He will cover you

with His wings

Under Him

you will take refuge

You will not fear

the terror of night

You will not fear

the arrow by day

You will not fear

the darkness that moves

You will not fear

the plague at noon

You will not fear

You will not fear

A thousand fall

at your side

Ten thousand

at your right hand

But it will not

come near you

You will only see

with your eyes

The judgment

of the wicked

Because you say

the LORD is my refuge

The Most High

your dwelling place

No evil

will come near you

No plague

near your tent

You will not fear

the terror of night

You will not fear

the arrow by day

You will not fear

the darkness that moves

You will not fear

the plague at noon

You will not fear

You will not fear

He commands His angels

concerning you

To guard you

in all your ways

They will lift you up

in their hands

You will not strike

your foot against stone

You will tread

on the lion

On the serpent

you will stand

You will trample

the young lion

The dragon

under your feet

You will not fear

the terror of night

You will not fear

the arrow by day

You will not fear

the darkness that moves

You will not fear

the plague at noon

You will not fear

You will not fear

Because he loves Me

I will deliver him

I will set him high

he knows My name

He will call

I will answer

I am with him

in trouble

I will rescue him

and honor him

With long life

I will satisfy him

And show him

My salvation

Lyrics by Paul Whitehorn: a singable English rendering of the Hebrew, as sung on this recording.

Corpus Psalterium sets each psalm to music by its Hebrew grammar. Didactic psalms teach; Cantillated psalms are spoken, sung or performed before God. Hear all 150 psalms free.

About these songs. They are a summary and a commentary on the Psalms, not a word-for-word translation. Read what these songs are →

What These Songs Are, and What They Are Not

These songs are not a word-for-word translation of the Psalms. They were never meant to be. Nor do they try to capture every idea in every psalm. In a song, that would be impossible.

What we have done is capture the essence of each psalm: what matters most in it. Think of each song as a summary. Think of it as a cheat sheet. The purpose of the psalm is still being met. God's word to mankind is still being heard.

Behind many of these lines is word research: deep study of the meaning of the Hebrew. So where a line sounds different from your translation, and you think it is wrong, study it. We believe you will find that the essence of what we sing is true.

The truth is that no one can set the Psalms to music without also becoming a commentator. That is what this is. It is a modern commentary on the Psalms: not only the Psalms themselves, and not only the Psalms being sung. So do not think that every word of the psalm is here. It is not. Read the psalm itself, in full.

Why do this at all? Because we believe God intended humanity to be surrounded by His word. This was always the entertainment He wanted us to have: not hours of television, not a day lost in a phone looking at nonsense. The blessed man of Psalm 1 meditates on God's word day and night. How can we meditate on His word if we do not surround ourselves with it?

As ministers, our first responsibility is to share God's word with people. That is what these songs are for.

Paul Whitehorn