Mazmur 90:1

Book 4
(Psalms 90-106)

Psalm 90 ¹ 

A prayer of Moses, the man of God.

90:1 O Lord, you have been our protector ²  through all generations!

Mazmur 91:1

Psalm 91 ³ 

91:1 As for you, the one who lives ⁴  in the shelter of the sovereign One, ⁵ 

and resides in the protective shadow ⁶  of the mighty king ⁷  –

[90:1]  ¹ sn Psalm 90. In this communal lament the worship leader affirms that the eternal God and creator of the world has always been Israel’s protector. But God also causes men, who are as transient as grass, to die, and in his fierce anger he decimates his covenant community, whose brief lives are filled with suffering and end in weakness. The community asks for wisdom, the restoration of God’s favor, a fresh revelation of his power, and his blessing upon their labors.

[90:1]  ² tn Or “place of safety.” See Ps 71:3.

[91:1]  ³ sn Psalm 91. In this psalm an individual (perhaps a priest) addresses one who has sought shelter in the Lord and assures him that God will protect him from danger (vv. 1-13). In vv. 14-16 God himself promises to keep his loyal follower safe.

[91:1]  ⁴ tn Heb “[O] one who lives.”

[91:1]  ⁵ tn Traditionally “the Most High.”

[91:1]  ⁶ sn The Lord is compared here to a bird who protects its young under the shadow of its wings (see v. 4).

[91:1]  ⁷ sn The divine name used here is “Shaddai” (שַׁדַּי, shadday; see also Ps 68:14). Shaddai (or El Shaddai) is the mighty king (sovereign judge) of the world who grants life/blesses and kills/judges. In Genesis he blesses the patriarchs with fertility and promises numerous descendants. Outside Genesis he both blesses/protects and takes away life/happiness.