He will cover you with His feathers; under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and rampart.
Parallel translations
- WEB He will cover you with his feathers. Under his wings you will take refuge. His faithfulness is your shield and rampart.
- KJV He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
- NKJV He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler.
- NASB He will cover you with His pinions, And under His wings you may take refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and wall.
- NLT He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection.
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 shelters His people tenderly, like a bird covering its young, and His faithfulness is their shield.
Overview
The image of feathers and wings conveys God's intimate, protective care, while "shield and rampart" stress His strong defense. God's own faithfulness is the believer's armor. Jesus drew on this maternal imagery, longing to gather His people under His wings (Matt. 23:37).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- Ps 61:4Let me dwell in Your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of Your wings. Selah
- Ps 57:1For the choirmaster. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A Miktam of David, when he fled from Saul into the cave. Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy, for in You my soul takes refuge. In the shadow of Your wings I will take shelter until the danger has passed.
- Ps 17:8Keep me as the apple of Your eye; hide me in the shadow of Your wings
- Deut 32:11As an eagle stirs up its nest and hovers over its young, He spread His wings to catch them and carried them on His pinions.
- Isa 43:1–2Now this is what the LORD says—He who created you, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine!
- Ps 35:2Take up Your shield and buckler; arise and come to my aid.
- Matt 23:37O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling!
- Gen 15:1After these events, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.”
- Ruth 2:12May the LORD repay your work, and may you receive a rich reward from the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have taken refuge.”
- Heb 6:17–18So when God wanted to make the unchanging nature of His purpose very clear to the heirs of the promise, He guaranteed it with an oath.
- Titus 1:2in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began.
- Mark 13:31Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.
- Ps 138:2I bow down toward Your holy temple and give thanks to Your name for Your loving devotion and Your faithfulness; You have exalted Your name and Your word above all else.
- Ps 89:23–24I will crush his foes before him and strike down those who hate him.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 91:4 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.