Psalm 91:1

Psalm 91

1. According to a Midrash of Radak, Moses composed this Psalm on the day he completed the construction of the Tabernacle. Another Midrash , Midrash Tanchuma (Nasso 23) states that Moses composed this Psalm when he ascended Mount Sinai. Moses dwelt in the secret place of the Most High for three periods of forty days, a total of one hundred and twenty days.

2. Adam Clark says in his commentaries that the Targum says this Psalm is a dialogue between David, Solomon and Jehovah. This is interesting because there are three different personalities referred to in this Psalm. The speaker in Psalm 91:1, 2, the person he is speaking to in Psalm 91:3-13, and then the LORD speaks in Psalm 91:14-16.

Psalm 91:1

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

a. ASV: He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

b. YLT: He who is dwelling In the secret place of the Most High, In the shade of the Mighty lodgeth habitually,

c. Amplified Bible: He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall remain stable and fixed under the shadow of the Almighty [Whose power no foe can withstand].

d. Septuagint [Listed under Psalm 90:1]: He that dwells in the help of the Highest, shall sojourn under the shelter of the God of heaven.

e. Stone Edition Torah/Writings/Prophets: Whoever sits in the refuge of the Most High, he shall dwell in the [protective] shade of the Almighty.

1. “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High…”

a. [He that] dwelleth [Strong: 3427 yashab yaw-shab' a primitive root; properly, to sit down (specifically as judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to remain; causatively, to settle, to marry:--(make to) abide(-ing), continue, (cause to, make to) dwell(-ing), ease self, endure, establish, X fail, habitation, haunt, (make to) inhabit(-ant), make to keep (house), lurking, X marry(-ing), (bring again to) place, remain, return, seat, set(- tle), (down-)sit(-down, still, -ting down, -ting (place) -uate), take, tarry.][Gesenius: to dwell, remain, sit, abide, to sit, sit down, to be set, to remain, stay, to dwell, have one's abode, to be inhabited,  to set, place, to cause to sit, to cause to abide, set, to cause to dwell, to cause (cities) to be inhabited, to marry (give an dwelling to), to be inhabited, to make to dwell.]

b. [in the] secret place [Strong: 5643 cether say'-ther or (feminine) cithrah (Deut. 32:38), {sith-raw'}; a cover (in a good or a bad, a literal or a figurative sense):--backbiting, covering, covert, X disguise(-th), hiding place, privily, protection, secret(-ly, place).] [Gesenius: covering, shelter, hiding place, secrecy, covering, cover, hiding place, shelter, secret place, secrecy, secrecy (of tongue being slanderous)]

c. [of the] most High [Strong: 5945 'elyown el-yone'; from 5927;  an elevation, i.e. (adj.) lofty (compar.); as title, the Supreme:--(Most, on) high(-er, -est), upper(-most).]

1). Under the Old Covenant, God dwelt in a tabernacle or in the Temple because of the Covenant. Under the New Covenant which is a far better Covenant, God dwells in the human spirit.

a). Romans 8:9-11 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

8:10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

8:11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

b). 1 John 3:24 And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.

c). 1 John 4:15, 16 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.

4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

2). Under the New Covenant we have better promises, He dwells in us and we dwell in Him, in the secret place of the Most High.

2. “…shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.”

a. shall abide [Strong: 3885: luwn loon or liyn {leen}; a primitive root; to stop (usually over night); by implication, to stay permanently; hence (in a bad sense) to be obstinate (especially in words, to complain):--abide (all night), continue, dwell, endure, grudge, be left, lie all night, (cause to) lodge (all night, in, -ing, this night), (make to) murmur, remain, tarry (all night, that night).] [Gesenius:  to lodge, stop over, pass the night, abide, to lodge, pass the night, to abide, remain (fig.), to cause to rest or lodge, to dwell, abide.]

1). John 15:4-6 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

15:6  If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

b. [under the] shadow [Strong: 6738 tsel tsale; shade, whether literal or figurative:--defence, shade(-ow).] [Gesenius: shadow, shade, shadow, shadow, shade (as protection), shadow (symbolic of transitoriness of life).]

c. [of the] Almighty [Strong: 7706 Shadday shad-dah'-ee from 7703; the Almighty:--Almighty.]  [Gesenius:  almighty, most powerful, Shaddai, the Almighty (of God).]

1). The Scriptures are clear that the person who dwells in the secret place of the most High, abides under the Almighty’s shadow and in His word. We must be obedient to the Word, but this is only one half of accessing this Divine protection aspect of the Covenant. The other half is revealed in the next verse. We must “say”, we must confess with our mouth. As we shall find, the secret place of the Most High is not a physical place, but a spiritual Covenant position accessed by faith. The individual is positionally in the secret place of the Most High and under his wings, yet physically is out where there is destruction arrows flying and walking pestilences.