They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
Parallel translations
- WEB They will bear you up in their hands, so that you won’t dash your foot against a stone.
- BSB They will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your 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 fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.
- Prov 3:23Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble.
- Luke 4:11And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
- Isa 63:9In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old.
- Matt 4:6And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
- Isa 46:3Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, which are borne by me from the belly, which are carried from the womb:
- Job 5:23For thou shalt be in league with the stones of the field: and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
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.