Psalm 91 Analysis

Psalm 91 is about God watching over his people and keeping them safe during times of danger. “This is a psalm for times of exposure and encirclement or challenging the power of evil” (Kidner, 1973, p. 363). God does not guarantee harm or evil will not come our way, but if and when it does, God will take us under his wings for protection and safety from danger. Kidner gives an interesting example of dangers, “Most of these dangers are of a kind which strike unseen, against which the strong are helpless as the weak” (Kidner, 1973, p. 364). Psalm 91 tells us God will stand in front of us, between us and with us no matter what the danger. “In the whole collection there is not a more cheering Psalm, its tone is elevated and sustained throughout,
This psalm does not have a title, so there is not a way to be sure of the author. There are ways of determining who may be the author by “following a Jewish tradition that says if the writer of a particular psalm is not identified in the title of the psalm then you can go back to the nearest psalm that is titled and safely assume it is the same author” (Lohman, 2001). If referring back to Psalm 90, the author of that particular Psalm is Moses, so Psalm 91 could also be linked to Moses, who was the man of God. “This psalm is sufficiently similar to Psalm 90, a psalm of Moses that it might also be written by him. As a Christian, we know that the person who God chose to hold the pen is not as important as who guides the pen. 2 Timothy 3:16 tell us “All Scripture is God-breathed” and in Hebrews we learn that “the Word of God is alive and active. Sharper than a two-edged sword.” God-breathed, alive and active, these are powerful descriptors that give us great confidence and encouragement. It is always important and interesting to understand who held the pen, the circumstances they were in, and how the particular scripture connects with other versus but the greater confidence comes from knowing who breathed the
The pledge of God’s protection, to all who accept Him, is the theme throughout this psalm. One of the ways God shelters us from harm or temptations is in verse 11, “For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways” (BibleGateway, 1993). These angels from God could be used to keep us from temptations, which come about in our daily lives, such as inappropriate relationships, internet pornography and even gossip. Once His Word is poured into our minds, it is there forever. His angels can thwart these current day harms and distractions. Although this psalm is “not to be interpreted in isolation as a blanket against harm”, we can have peace in knowing God will be with us during our journeys of pain (Buckner,