Who is the Protector in Psalm 91?

Psalm 91 is one of the most famous chapters in the book of Psalms. We all know that Psalm 91 is a hymn of protection. It is a psalm that talks about divine protection. However, who is really our divine protector?

So, in this post, we must first learn who the Protector is in Psalm 91.

Table of Contents

Why should we know who the Protector is in Psalm 91?

Here are the reasons why we must identify the Protector in this Psalm:

It builds our confidence and trust
It points us to the Being with whom we should establish a relationship with
It establishes the credibility of Psalm 91

God’s name and titles

So, in identifying who the Protector is in Psalm 91, there are four names or titles used to refer to Him.

Let’s first read Psalm 91:1-2:

¹ He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

² I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust.”

We see here the name and titles of God are used. There are four of them:

Most High
Almighty
LORD
God

By enumerating these names and titles, the psalmist is establishing the great and ultimate Authority of this Psalm 91.

We could see that it is not enough to simply mention one title. But to absolutely leave no doubt in the minds of the readers and hearers of this Psalm, four of the titles or name was used to refer to the Protector in Psalm 91.

So, let’s go through each of them.

Most High

The Hebrew word for Most High is Elyon. It is commonly written as well as El Elyon, which means God Most High.

When you say, Most High, it can only refer to the Father. Most High expresses the fact that there is no one who is higher, who is of greater authority, who is of supreme rulership, than the Most High Father.

Even Yahshua, or more popularly known as Jesus Christ, said, Himself, in John 14:28:

²⁸ You have heard Me say to you, ‘I am going away and coming back to you.’ If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, I am going to the Father,’ for My Father is greater than I.

When the Psalmist says, “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High,” he was making a point that you are actually receiving the greatest and most powerful protection there is in the entire universe!

Now, how wonderful and mind-blowing is that? People may hire hundreds of bodyguards, create thousands of armies, or buy millions of guns, but they can never outdo the type of protection we get from the Most High.

Almighty

The word Almighty came from the Hebrew word Shaddai, which is often expressed as El Shaddai or God Almighty.

When we call God Almighty, we acknowledge the fact that He is the most powerful Being, not just in strength but also in authority.

In Genesis 17:1, we read the first time God used the title El Shaddai to introduce Himself:

“I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless.”

God was telling Abraham as well as His people today that we must walk before Him and be blameless simply because He is God Almighty.

We don’t follow other gods. We don’t follow idols. We don’t follow other people. Our ultimate goal is to walk before God because He is El Shaddai.

LORD

Perhaps, among the three words used in Psalm 91:1-2, this is the most important one. Sadly, almost all modern bible translations have hidden the true meaning of God’s name by replacing it with the title, LORD.

When God said in Isaiah 42:8, “I am the LORD; that is my name,” He was referring to His personal name revealed to us — Yahweh.

LORD is not a name. It’s a title. You don’t say, “I am the doctor; that is my name.”

When Moses asked God’s name in Exodus 3, he was not asking simply just wanting to know God’s name. Moses was asking for God’s name to distinguish Him from other gods in Egypt.

You see, in an ancient world where paganism was the main religion, your god needed to have a name to be distinguished from all other gods.

In the same way, when Yahweh revealed His name, He was distinguishing Himself from other false gods.

That’s why it is totally significant for us to see that the Psalmist included the personal name of Yahweh in Psalm 91.

This tells us that no one is going to protect us like Yahweh. He was specifically identified to be the God who will keep us from danger.

Isn’t it comforting that Yahweh, Himself, the Supreme God and Ruler of all would protect us?

[To learn more, please read “What is the true name of God?“]

God

God is a generic title and the most commonly used title of God in the Bible. The Psalmist included the title God simply because He is the one true God. While there are other gods that humans worship, He is the only living God who is able to help.

By including the name God in Psalm, we are given the final assurance that our divine protection comes from above. It gives us the understanding that you and I are protected by not a false God, but a true and powerful one!

It’s quite interesting to note that the Hebrew word for God is Elohim, which is plural in form. This means that it will be not only God the Father who will protect us, but also Yahshua (Jesus Christ), who is part of the God Family.

As you can see, we are protected by Two of the most powerful Beings in the entire universe!