The
PS 91 belong to Book IV
Book of Ps , which is composed of a collection of texts 150 arranged by 5 poetry books. The Book of Psalms, for its
wisdom and
basic principles of human
action , is considered the heart of the Old Testament.
Book IV encompasses Psalms 90 to 106 . Psalm 91 is divided into 16 Verses.
The Psalms are
poems-prayers addressed to God, being the privileged way to address and speak to Him. These prayers represent
human experiences and
religious conscience . They portray the
common man , with his faults, insecurities, fears and hopes and, even today, we can identify with the Psalmist and draw inspiration from these texts to
pray and
plead with God when we feel
lost and
anguished or to express our
gratitude for some blessing received.
"There are enemies or friends, there is life or death, health or illness, pain or joy and, most of the time, there are no changes or gradations. Words are like stones and poetry like boulders carved by chisel"; "The Psalms are a bit like mountain paths, simple, especially when walking on snow, but they lead to the peaks; they are paths toward the peaks of meeting the Lord." - Carlo Maria Martini, Cardinal of Milan
Psalm 91 - God, Refuge and Protection
1 He who dwells under the protection of the Most High
and takes refuge in the shadow of the Almighty,
2 He may exclaim: "O Lord,
You are my refuge and my citadel; You
are my God, in whom I trust!"
3 It is He who will deliver you from the trap
and protect you from the evil plague.
4 He will cover you with his feathers;
under his wings you will have refuge
his fidelity is shield and breastplate.
5 You shall not fear the terror of the night,
nor the arrow that flies by day.
6 Thou shalt not fear the pestilence that rages in darkness,
nor the scourge that lay waste in broad daylight.
7 A thousand may fall on your left
and ten thousand on your right, and
it will not reach you.
8 Just open your eyes
and you will see the pay of evildoers.
9 For you said, "The Lord is my refuge"
and made the Most High your shelter.
10 No disgrace will come to you,
no epidemic will come to your tent.
11 By you He has commanded His angels
to guard you in all your ways.
12 They will carry you in the palm of their hands,
so that your foot does not stumble over any stone.
13 You will be able to walk on snakes and vipers,
trampling lions and dragons at your feet.
14 "Because he gave himself to me, I will set him free; I will
defend him, because he knows my name.
15 He calls on me and I answer him,
I will be with him in the tribulation,
to deliver him and cover him with honor.
16 I will satisfy you with long days of life
and will cause you to see my salvation."
Meaning and interpretation
The
Psalm 91 is a Psalm of wisdom model, with which it proposes a
meditation on what it means and implies trust in God . The model of life on which this meditation focuses is that of someone who
lives in the temple (Verses 1-2). Someone whose mission is to
propose the truths of wisdom , according to the master-disciple relationship, addresses him in the second person, detailing what it means to be under God's protection (Verses 3-13).
At the end of the Psalm, there is a kind of
oracle in which God confirms and accentuates the thought that the teacher of wisdom had expounded (Verses 14-16). The recipient of this
lesson of wisdom is literarily a singular person, but the spirit that infuses itself projects itself on the
experience of the entire nation .
The
Sapiential Psalms are books of Sacred Scripture (
Libri Sapientiales ) that contain, above all,
moral sentences from ancient Israel - Proverbs, Job, Qohelet (Ecclesiastes), Sirach (Ecclesiasticus), Song of Songs, Wisdom. These prayers are filled with ancient inspiration and wisdom, life experiences and the history of peoples. They analyze
human behavior ,
ethical choices and their consequences, and the search for the
meaning of life and death for each one of us and as a society.
Various themes are addressed in these Psalms such as justice / injustice; sinful / righteous; wisdom/foolishness; bad / good; fidelity / infidelity; the honor or lack of it, the virtue that exists in prudence in speaking, in being fair, in knowing how to be rich. The existence of God is never questioned. He is Creator, Lord, Judge, Wise.
The
Wisdom Psalms are also understood as a guide for everyone to
meditate on the issues of their daily lives and the mysteries of life. The Psalmist uses his own and others' experiences to
discern the path to take based on correct moral principles. They are based on the assumption that what we do in this world, we pay in this life. The wisdom style appears in Psalm 1; 14; 34; 36; 37; 39; 49; 53; 73; 74.
The Book of Psalms
The Joy and Happiness of the Righteous in Communion with God
The Psalms are
prayer-poems addressed to God, being the privileged way to address and speak to Him. Depicting the
common man , with his failures, insecurities, fears and hopes, we can still identify with the Psalmist and be inspired today in Psalms to make
prayers and
supplications to God in times of trouble or express our
gratitude for some blessing received.
The Psalms, despite being written in Antiquity, still
move ,
sensitize ,
awaken feelings ,
inspire and
enchant . In them, we can identify
anguish and
joy , deeply human feelings, praises, supplications, teachings of reflection on spiritual wisdom and prophetic words.
Written for
different situations , some Psalms are intimate, revealing the author's personal relationship with God; others provide guidelines and advice for life, others are compositions for specific liturgical events such as rituals and pilgrimages.
The
Book of Psalms is composed of a collection of 150 poetic texts and is divided into five parts, called Psalm Books or Booklets. Each Book closes with short
hymns of praise to God . The division into five parts was considered to correspond to the five books of Moses and it is assumed that each passage in the Pentateuch (first five books of the Bible, called Torah by the Jews) was read in parallel with the corresponding Psalm. Its main forms are
lamentation ,
supplication ,
praise and
gratitude .
The Power of Prayer in Dialogue with the Divine
The Psalms elevate our thoughts to the Divine and
prayer is the
power of the word . Prayer is the language of faith. Any thought, word or image addressed to God is called
prayer . It is through it that we come into contact with our
God within and, therefore, it is so powerful in
transforming life . Prayer can produce
miracles , turn dreams into reality, give us hope for
change ,
harmony and
peace with ourselves and the world.
Each Psalm has an
intention that helps us
meditate and
walk with our God . For many theologians, the Book of Psalms has a prophetic or messianic tone as its verses refer to the coming of Christ into the world of men to guide them through the uncertainty and doubts of Human existence.
The
prayer has the power to call the
Spiritual Universe full mode, honest, sincere, conscious, for the purpose of spiritual self-protection, family protection and those who are dear to us, to have peace of mind, spiritual and physical, for prosperity and success, to protect health and relationships, to ward off negative energies and, above all, to connect us to something bigger than ourselves. From this
peace , well-being, hope and goodness in front of everyone and everything result.
The
faith can change our lives. It gives us
tranquility and
spiritual strength to face challenges. It helps us to
meditate on our mission in life and to create a
balanced and healthy environment for ourselves and those we love. When you pray, fill your heart with
love and
determination . The Psalms will guide you on a path of
peace and
communion with the higher energy .
