Psalm 91 — Under the shelter of the Most High — Hebrew and Greek compared
Disparate in this chapter: 91:3, 91:6
Each card keeps the independently rendered source readings above their shared comparison and reception notes. The badge records the source’s governing classification; disparate readings are marked in red. Each reading retains its original reference.
Psalm 91 — Under the shelter of the Most High
Verse 91:1 Divergent
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[91:1] The one dwelling in the shelter of the Most High
will lodge in the shadow of Shaddai.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[90:1] A praise of a song, of David.
The one dwelling in the help of the Most High
will lodge in the shelter of the God of heaven.
Classification & Notes
Divergent. Text: Greek adds the Davidic song heading. Hebrew Shaddai is retained as a divine title without asserting an uncertain etymology; Greek explicitly says God of heaven. Shelter and shadow become help and shelter.
Verse 91:2 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[91:2] I say to YHWH, My refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[90:2] He will say to the Lord, You are my Helper and my refuge,
my God; I will hope in Him.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew first-person I say becomes Greek third-person he will say, followed by a quotation that shifts from You to Him. Fortress becomes refuge and refuge becomes Helper; no invented speaker names are supplied.
Verse 91:3 Disparate
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[91:3] For He will rescue you from the fowler’s trap,
from destructive pestilence.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[90:3] For He will rescue me from the hunters’ trap
and from a disturbing word.
Classification & Notes
Disparate. Text: Hebrew ‘you’ becomes Greek ‘me’; Hebrew ‘destructive pestilence’ becomes ‘a disturbing word’ in Greek. The changed threat is not recast as disease to align the columns.
Verse 91:4 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[91:4] With His pinions He will cover you;
under His wings you will take refuge.
His faithfulness is shield and buckler.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[90:4] With His shoulders He will overshadow you,
and under His wings you will hope;
His truth will surround you with a weapon.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Hebrew pinions differs from Greek metaphrena, the back or shoulder region; shoulders is provisional. Hebrew shield and buckler becomes a Greek weapon with an explicit surrounding verb. Wings remain in both.
Verse 91:5 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[91:5] You will not fear the terror of night,
the arrow that flies by day,
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[90:5] You will not fear nocturnal terror,
the missile flying by day,
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: The nocturnal danger and daytime projectile agree; the list continues into the following verse.
Verse 91:6 Disparate
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[91:6] the pestilence that walks in darkness,
the destruction that ravages at noon.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[90:6] the thing passing through darkness,
the calamity and the demon of noon.
Classification & Notes
Disparate. Text: Greek explicitly includes a midday demon and a separate calamity; Hebrew has pestilence and destruction. The demon is neither removed from Greek nor inserted into Hebrew. Rabbinic reception: Rashi also interprets these destructive terms as names of demons. Thus demonological reception is not confined to the Greek text, although only the Greek running line explicitly uses demon here. [RASHI-PS91-ROOT]
Verse 91:7 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[91:7] A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not approach you.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[90:7] A thousand will fall at your side
and ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: The quantities and protection agree. The unnamed it is retained without inserting a specific cause of death. Rabbinic reception: Rashi construes the falling verb as encamping or taking position, speaking of surrounding demons. The base above retains the ordinary fall rendering rather than importing that interpretation. [RASHI-PS91-ROOT]
Verse 91:8 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[91:8] You will only look with your eyes
and see the recompense of the wicked.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[90:8] You will only observe with your eyes
and see the repayment of sinners.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Wicked and sinners differ in designation; both describe witnessing recompense rather than administering it.
Verse 91:9 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[91:9] For You, YHWH, are my refuge.
You have made the Most High your dwelling place.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[90:9] For You, Lord, are my hope.
You have made the Most High your refuge.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: Both shift between direct divine address and address to the protected person; the second You in each column addresses that person and is capitalized only at the sentence’s beginning. Hebrew refuge and dwelling become Greek hope and refuge. No named speakers are invented. Rabbinic reception: Rashi supplies an implied you said before the refuge confession. That reading helps explain the voice change but the supplied speech verb is not printed in this base. [RASHI-PS91-ROOT]
Verse 91:10 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[91:10] No evil will befall you,
no plague will come near your tent.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[90:10] Evils will not approach you,
and a scourge will not come near your dwelling.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Both promise protection; befalling becomes approaching, plague becomes scourge, and tent becomes dwelling.
Verse 91:11 Same
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[91:11] For He will command His angels concerning you,
to guard you in all your ways.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[90:11] For He will command His angels concerning you,
to guard you in all your ways.
Classification & Notes
Same. Text: Both include in all your ways. Reception quotations that shorten the line do not authorize omission from this psalm’s base text. New Testament reception: Matthew4:6 quotes the angelic charge and following support image in the temptation scene, without the psalm’s all-your-ways clause. Jesus responds against testing God in4:7. The full psalm wording remains here. [NA28-MAT4-ROOT]
Verse 91:12 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[91:12] On their palms they will carry you,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[90:12] On their hands they will lift you,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Palms and hands and carrying and lifting differ slightly within the same protective image.
Verse 91:13 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[91:13] You will tread on a lion and a cobra;
you will trample a young lion and a dragon.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[90:13] You will step on an asp and a basilisk,
and trample a lion and a dragon.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: The first Hebrew lion becomes Greek asp; cobra becomes basilisk, while the second lion and dragon broadly correspond. These are source creature names, not exact zoological identifications or a modern fantasy taxonomy.
Verse 91:14 Different
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[91:14] Because he clings to Me, I will deliver him;
I will set him on high, because he knows My name.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[90:14] Because he hoped in Me, I will rescue him;
I will shelter him, because he knew My name.
Classification & Notes
Different. Text: The divine answer begins without an added speaker tag. Hebrew attachment becomes Greek hope, and elevation becomes shelter.
Verse 91:15 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[91:15] He will call Me, and I will answer him;
I am with him in distress;
I will free him and honor him.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[90:15] He will call upon Me, and I will hear him;
I am with him in affliction,
and I will take him out and glorify him.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: Both promise presence in distress and response; honor and glorify preserve the respective verbs.
Verse 91:16 Similar
Hebrew–English: Literal-Smooth (Rabbinic Priority)
[91:16] With length of days I will satisfy him
and let him see My salvation.
Greek–English: Literal-Smooth (Saints Priority)
[90:16] With length of days I will fill him
and show him My salvation.
Classification & Notes
Similar. Text: The satisfaction of a long life and divine salvation agree, without adding an explicit resurrection reference absent from the line.