Bible Strands
Psalms 91:1
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — A third-person declaration that introduces the psalm; the direct address to God arrives in verse 2. It states a condition and its consequence before the speaker commits to trust.
The words — יִתְלוֹנָן (yitlonan, H3885) is the main verb, a hitpael of לָוָן (lawan), "to lodge, pitch a tent," implying settling in rather than a passing visit. It pairs with יֹשֵׁב (yoshev, H3427), a participle of "to dwell," marking a continuous state rather than a single act.
The thread — The shelter (seter) and shadow (tzel) language recurs in Psalms 27:5 and 36:7, where God's protection is framed as concealment under a tent or wings. Psalms 32:7 adds the same motif: "You are my hiding place."
Why it lands — The verse is conditional: the promise attaches to dwelling, not to mere acknowledgment. It asks the reader to check whether they have actually taken up residence or are only passing through.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
Cross-references
- Psalms 32:7 You are my hiding place. You protect me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah
- Psalms 27:5 For in the day of trouble He will hide me in His shelter; He will conceal me under the cover of His tent; He will set me high upon a rock.
- Psalms 36:7 How precious is Your loving devotion, O God, that the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings!
- Psalms 17:8 Keep me as the apple of Your eye; hide me in the shadow of Your wings
- 1 John 4:15 If anyone confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.
- Psalms 31:20 You hide them in the secret place of Your presence from the schemes of men. You conceal them in Your shelter from accusing tongues.
- Isaiah 25:4 For You have been a refuge for the poor, a stronghold for the needy in distress, a refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat. For the breath of the ruthless is like rain against a wall,
- Psalms 61:3 For You have been my refuge, a tower of strength against the enemy.
- Psalms 121:5 The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is the shade on your right hand.
- Isaiah 32:2 Each will be like a shelter from the wind, a refuge from the storm, like streams of water in a dry land, like the shadow of a great rock in an arid land.