Faithlife Study Bible (FSB) is your guide to the ancient world of the Old and New Testaments, with study notes and articles that draw from a wide range of academic research. FSB helps you learn how to think about interpretation methods and issues so that you can gain a deeper understanding of the text.
91:1–16 A psalm of confidence, Psa 91 is sometimes called “The Soldier’s Psalm” because it emphasizes Yahweh’s protection of people in times of crisis. Three voices speak in succession.
The psalm opens with an individual proclaiming his trust in Yahweh (vv. 1–8). An audience then speaks to that individual, and describes Yahweh’s protection and care (vv. 9–13). The psalm concludes with Yahweh speaking about the faithful person; He promises to protect him (vv. 14–16).
91:3–6 The psalmist initially focuses on the image of a bird protecting its young. He then introduces images of military armor and weapons.
91:3 the snare of the fowler Refers to a bird trap. Because birds must come to the ground to eat, drink, and nest, they are vulnerable to clever hunters.
the plague of destruction The Hebrew text here seems to refer to disease (possibly the bubonic plague) and can be associated with siege warfare situations.
Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., Whitehead, M. M., Grigoni, M. R., & Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (Ps 91:3). Lexham Press.
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