Psalms 91:6
Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
Original Language Analysis
יַהֲלֹ֑ךְ
that walketh
H1980
יַהֲלֹ֑ךְ
that walketh
Strong's:
H1980
Word #:
3 of 6
to walk (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively)
Cross References
Numbers 16:48And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed.2 Kings 19:35And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the LORD went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses.2 Samuel 24:15So the LORD sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the time appointed: and there died of the people from Dan even to Beer-sheba seventy thousand men.
Historical Context
Psalm 91 is attributed to Moses by tradition (LXX superscription), possibly written during Israel's wilderness wandering when plagues struck (Numbers 16, 25). The psalm's military imagery ('shield,' 'buckler,' 'arrow') and plague language fit the Exodus context where God protected Israel from Egyptian plagues and desert dangers.
Questions for Reflection
- What modern 'pestilences that walk in darkness' (hidden threats) do you fear, and how does God's sovereignty address them?
- How does the 24-hour protection (darkness to noonday) challenge anxiety about timing or circumstances of danger?
Analysis & Commentary
Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday—The Hebrew דֶּבֶר (deber, pestilence) and קֶטֶב (qeteb, destruction) represent literal plagues and metaphorical spiritual dangers. The pairing of 'darkness' and 'noonday' creates a merism (totality through opposites): believers are protected from threats both hidden (nighttime disease) and exposed (daytime devastation).
The verb הָלַךְ (halak, 'walketh') personifies pestilence as a stalking predator, while שׁוּד (shud, 'wasteth') means to ravage or lay waste violently. Ancient Near Eastern cultures feared demons that struck at night (like Lilith) and noon (like Qeteb Meriri, 'noonday demon'). God's protection encompasses every hour and every threat—natural disasters, epidemic diseases, enemy attacks. This verse anchored pandemic theology during COVID-19 and the Black Death.