He will cover you with His pinions, And under His wings you may take refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and wall.
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.
- BSB He will cover you with His feathers; under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and rampart.
- NKJV He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler.
- 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 61:4I will dwell in your tent forever. I will take refuge in the shelter of your wings. Selah.
- Ps 57:1For the Chief Musician. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A poem by David, when he fled from Saul, in the cave. Be merciful to me, God, be merciful to me, for my soul takes refuge in you. Yes, in the shadow of your wings, I will take refuge, until disaster has passed.
- Ps 17:8Keep me as the apple of your eye. Hide me under the shadow of your wings,
- Deut 32:11As an eagle that stirs up her nest, that flutters over her young, he spread abroad his wings, he took them, he bore them on his feathers.
- Isa 43:1–2But now Yahweh who created you, Jacob, and he who formed you, Israel says: “Don’t be afraid, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by your name. You are mine.
- Ps 35:2Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for my help.
- Matt 23:37“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets, and stones those who are sent to her! How often I would have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you would not!
- Gen 15:1After these things Yahweh’s word came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Don’t be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.”
- Ruth 2:12May Yahweh repay your work, and a full reward be given to you from Yahweh, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.”
- Heb 6:17–18In this way God, being determined to show more abundantly to the heirs of the promise the immutability of his counsel, interposed with an oath;
- Titus 1:2in hope of eternal life, which God, who can’t lie, promised before time began;
- Mark 13:31Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
- Ps 138:2I will bow down toward your holy temple, and give thanks to your Name for your loving kindness and for your truth; for you have exalted your Name and your Word above all.
- Ps 89:23–24I will beat down his adversaries before him, and strike 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
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