Psalm 91:12

Psalm 91:12

They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

a. NLT: They will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.

b. NIV: they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

c. Amplified Bible: They shall bear you up on their hands, lest you dash your foot against a stone.

d. Septuagint: They shall bear thee up on their hands, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.

e. Stone Edition Torah/Writings/Prophets: On [their] palms they will carry you, lest you strike your foot against a stone.

1. “They shall bear thee up in their hands…”

a. bear thee up [5375 * nasa’] [Strong: a primitive root; to lift, in a great variety of applications, literal and figurative, absol. and rel. (as follows):--accept, advance, arise, (able to, (armor), suffer to) bear(-er, up), bring (forth), burn, carry (away), cast, contain, desire, ease, exact, exalt (self), extol, fetch, forgive, furnish, further, give, go on, help, high, hold up, honorable (+ man), lade, lay, lift (self) up, lofty, marry, magnify, X needs, obtain, pardon, raise (up), receive, regard, respect, set (up), spare, stir up, + swear, take (away, up), X utterly, wear, yield.]

b. hands [3709 * kaph] [Strong: from 3721; the hollow hand or palm (so of the paw of an animal, of the sole, and even of the bowl of a dish or sling, the handle of a bolt, the leaves of a palm-tree); figuratively, power:--branch, + foot, hand((-ful), -dle, (-led)), hollow, middle, palm, paw, power, sole, spoon.]

1). This particular promise in Psalm 91:11, 12 is very positive and powerful, but as Scripture reveals, it can be misapplied as tempting God. When Jesus went into the desert after being filled with the Holy Ghost he experienced at least three powerful temptations from the devil recorded in Matthew and Luke. Both Gospels record the devil attempting to tempt Jesus with this promise from Psalm 91.

a). Matthew 4:5-7 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,

4:6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.

4:7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

b). Luke 4:9-12 And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence:

4:10 For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee:

4:11 And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.

4:12 And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

2). Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary: Preservation in danger is divinely pledged: shall I then create danger, either to put the promised security skeptically to the proof, or wantonly to demand a display of it? That were 'to tempt the Lord my God,' which, being expressly forbidden, would forfeit the right to expect preservation.

3). Adam Clark’s Commentary: To expose myself to any danger naturally destructive, with the vain presumption that God will protect and defend me from the ruinous consequences of my imprudent conduct, is to tempt God.

4). The same can be seen today with those who willfully handle snakes and drink poison to demonstrate their faith. It is tempting God.