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They will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
Psalms 91:12 · Berean Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB They will bear you up in their hands, so that you won’t dash your foot against a stone.
  • KJV They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
  • NKJV In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.
  • NASB On their hands they will lift you up, So that you do not strike your foot against a stone.
  • NLT They will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

God's angels uphold His people so they do not stumble into harm.

Overview

The angels "bear up" the believer, guarding even from small missteps, "dash your foot against a stone." The image conveys careful, attentive divine protection. Jesus rebuffed Satan's misuse of this verse in the wilderness, modeling true trust that does not put God to the test (Luke 4:9-12).

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 7

  • Ps 37:24Though he falls, he will not be overwhelmed, for the LORD is holding his hand.
  • Prov 3:23Then you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble.
  • Luke 4:11and they will lift You up in their hands, so that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.’”
  • Isa 63:9In all their distress, He too was afflicted, and the Angel of His Presence saved them. In His love and compassion He redeemed them; He lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.
  • Matt 4:6“If You are the Son of God,” he said, “throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He will command His angels concerning You, and they will lift You up in their hands, so that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.’”
  • Isa 46:3“Listen to Me, O house of Jacob, all the remnant of the house of Israel, who have been sustained from the womb, carried along since birth.
  • Job 5:23For you will have a covenant with the stones of the field, and the wild animals will be at peace with you.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (3)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Psalms videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Psalms 91:12YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on PsalmsMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.

How Psalms 91:12 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.