The Meaning of Psalms 91:6 Explained

Psalms 91:6

KJV: Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.

YLT: Of pestilence in thick darkness that walketh, Of destruction that destroyeth at noon,

Darby: For the pestilence that walketh in darkness, for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.

ASV: For the pestilence that walketh in darkness, Nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

[Nor] for the pestilence  [that] walketh  in darkness;  [nor] for the destruction  [that] wasteth  at noonday. 

What does Psalms 91:6 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 91:6 mean?

[Nor] of the pestilence in darkness [that] walks [Nor] of the destruction [that] lays waste at noonday
מִ֭דֶּבֶר בָּאֹ֣פֶל יַהֲלֹ֑ךְ מִ֝קֶּ֗טֶב יָשׁ֥וּד צָהֳרָֽיִם

מִ֭דֶּבֶר  [Nor]  of  the  pestilence 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular
Root: דֶּבֶר 
Sense: pestilence, plague.
בָּאֹ֣פֶל  in  darkness 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֹפֶל  
Sense: darkness, gloom.
יַהֲלֹ֑ךְ  [that]  walks 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
מִ֝קֶּ֗טֶב  [Nor]  of  the  destruction 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular
Root: קֶטֶב  
Sense: destruction.
יָשׁ֥וּד  [that]  lays  waste 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁדַד  
Sense: (Qal) to ruin, destroy, spoil, devastate.
צָהֳרָֽיִם  at  noonday 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: צֹהַר 
Sense: noon, midday.