The Meaning of Psalms 91:1 Explained

Psalms 91:1

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

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

Darby: He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

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

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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

What does Psalms 91:1 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalms 91:1-16 - Security In Trusting The Lord
In harmony with the new light cast upon it by the Revised Version, this psalm has been divided as follows: Psalms 91:1-2, a soliloquy in which the believer states the blessedness of dwelling under God's sheltering care, and encourages his heart to exercise personal faith; Psalms 91:3-8, the assurance of a chorus of voices, which emphasize the safety of those who believe; Psalms 91:9 a, an exclamation in which the believer again expresses his resolve to exercise this personal faith; Psalms 91:9 b-13, the second assurance of a chorus of reassuring voices; Psalms 91:14-16, God's ratification of the whole attitude and expressions of the psalmist and his friends.
The psalm abounds in metaphors familiar to the East: the lion with its roar and leap in the open; the adder with its stealthy glide through the grass; the nocturnal assault; the devastating plague; the fowler's snare; the eagle's wing; the transitory tent. This is the traveler's psalm, and may well be read in private or with the family, whenever we are starting on a journey.
But notice the closing, Psalms 91:14-16. Our conceptions of God's care are too narrow. We fail to make enough use of the power, love, and presence of His fatherhood, which is waiting and longing to be called upon. Only we must exercise an appropriating faith. [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalms 91

1  The state of the godly
3  Their safety
9  Their habitation
11  Their servants
14  Their friend; with the effects of them all

What do the individual words in Psalms 91:1 mean?

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High under the shadow of the Almighty shall abide
יֹ֭שֵׁב בְּסֵ֣תֶר עֶלְי֑וֹן בְּצֵ֥ל שַׁ֝דַּ֗י יִתְלוֹנָֽן

יֹ֭שֵׁב  He  who  dwells 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
בְּסֵ֣תֶר  in  the  secret  place 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: סֵתֶר 
Sense: covering, shelter, hiding place, secrecy.
עֶלְי֑וֹן  of  the  Most  High 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: עֶלְיׄון 
Sense: high, upper.
בְּצֵ֥ל  under  the  shadow 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: צֵל  
Sense: shadow, shade.
שַׁ֝דַּ֗י  of  the  Almighty 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שַׁדַּי  
Sense: almighty, most powerful.
יִתְלוֹנָֽן  shall  abide 
Parse: Verb, Hitpael, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: לוּן 
Sense: to lodge, stop over, pass the night, abide.