Tehillim 91 | A Song of Afflictions

The psalm describes the sense of security in God, who protects those who place their trust in Him from troubles and perils. In his book “Studies in Sefer Tehillim,” Rav Elchanan Samet highlights a unique feature of this psalm, regarding the frequent shifts in voice and perspective. It opens in the third person, describing the one who trusts in God: “He who lives in the shelter of the Most High” (91:1), and then immediately shifts to the words of the believer himself: “I say of the Lord, ‘My refuge and stronghold’” (verse 2). The voice then transitions to a speaker addressing the believer directly: “For He will save you from the fowler's snare” (verse 3). After several such shifts, even God’s own voice is introduced at the end of the psalm: “Because he loves Me, I will rescue him” (verse 14).

Rav Samet suggests that the psalm presents a kind of play. The central figure is a young person, filled with naïve trust in God at the outset of his journey. He does not yet grasp the meaning of it, nor the possible dangers that lurk in reality. The speaker's teacher seeks to guide him, warning him of the dangers that might be ahead and educating him toward trusting in God. He explains that the greater the student’s trust in God, the greater the protection he will merit in return. The psalm is structured in two main sections, in which the teacher and student speak. The student begins with a declaration of faith in God, and the teacher responds with elaboration. Between the two parts, the student advances in his understanding, and accordingly, the teacher’s response deepens as well. In the first part, the student speaks about God: “I say of the Lord, ‘My refuge and my stronghold, my God in whom I trust’” (verse 2). But in the second part, he speaks directly to God: “For You – 'the Lord is my refuge” (verse 9). Similarly, the teacher’s response evolves. In the first half, he warns of many perils that may come, yet assures the student he need not fear them: “You need not fear terror by night, nor the arrow that flies by day” (verse 5). But in the second part, those dangers are not merely non-threatening, they are kept at bay entirely: “No harm will befall you; no sickness will come near your home” (verse 10). The psalm concludes with God’s own words as the objective voice, as it were, affirming the teacher’s message. These divine words are not addressed to the student directly, but rather revealed only to us, the readers. And through thee words of God, we come to understand that the teacher spoke truly: the one who places his trust in God will indeed behold salvation.

I highly recommend reading Rav Samet’s full article, linked here.