Psalms 91:1

1 Happy is he whose resting-place is in the secret of the Lord, and under the shade of the wings of the Most High;

Psalms 91:1 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 91:1

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High,
&c.] Or the Supreme; a title of God, who is superior to all beings, the Creator and Preserver of them, God over all, higher than the highest of angels or men; see ( Genesis 14:22 ) , "his secret place" is his heart, his bosom, where his only begotten Son lies; and into which he takes his people, where they are set as a seal, and who enjoy intimate communion with him; which is no other than his gracious presence, called "the secret of his presence", ( Psalms 31:20 ) , which none but saints are admitted to, when his everlasting love, which was a secret in his heart, is made known unto them, and in which they also dwell, ( 1 John 4:16 ) , as they likewise do in the eternal decree of election; which perhaps is meant by "the clefts of the rock, and secret places of the stairs", where the church is said to dwell, ( Song of Solomon 2:14 ) , unless rather Christ the Rock, and who may be signified by the cleft of that Moses was put into, when the goodness of the Lord passed before him, is intended; and who is the hiding place from the wind: mention is made of "the secret" of God's "tabernacle", ( Psalms 27:5 ) , in which he hides his people; alluding to the tabernacle, or temple, and the most holy place in it, called his secret place, ( Ezekiel 7:22 ) , and may refer to the ministry of the word and ordinances, where saints dwell, and enjoy much communion with God; and who are particularly under his special providence, protection, and power; which may here be designed:

shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty:
who is able to do all things for his people, and is "Shaddai", all sufficient, as this word is thought to signify; has a sufficiency of happiness in and for himself, and of provisions for all his creatures, and of power and grace for his own children: his "shadow" may be the same with his secret place, his power and protection, often in this book of Psalms called "the shadow of his wings", ( Psalms 17:8 ) ( 36:7 ) ( 57:1 ) , in allusion to birds that overshadow and protect their young with their wings; though perhaps the allusion here may be to the shadow of a tree, and design the word and ordinances of the Lord's house, which are a delightful, refreshing, reviving, and fruitful shadow, ( Song of Solomon 2:3 ) ( Hosea 14:7 ) , where gracious souls dwell, and abide with great delight and pleasure. Christ, the Son of God, is sometimes compared to the shadow of a rock, or tree, which screens and shelters from heat; as he preserves his people from the heat of a fiery law, the flaming sword of justice, the wrath of God, the fiery darts of Satan, and the fury of persecutors: under this shadow do they abide or lodge all night, safe and secure, as the word ^F15 signifies: the Targum calls this shadow the shadow of the clouds of glory; the Arabic version, "the shadow of the God of heaven."

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FOOTNOTES:

F13 So in Tikkune Zohar, correct. 20. fol. 50. 1.
F14 T. Hieros. Sabbat, fol. 8. 2.
F15 (Nnwlty) "indesinenter pernoctans", Junius & Tremellius; "pernoctat", Piscator, Gejerus; "pernoctabit", Michaelis.

Psalms 91:1 In-Context

1 Happy is he whose resting-place is in the secret of the Lord, and under the shade of the wings of the Most High;

2 Who says of the Lord, He is my safe place and my tower of strength: he is my God, in whom is my hope.

3 He will take you out of the bird-net, and keep you safe from wasting disease.

4 You will be covered by his feathers; under his wings you will be safe: his good faith will be your salvation.

5 You will have no fear of the evil things of the night, or of the arrow in flight by day,