Psalm 91:4 Meaning of under His Wings

Psalm 91:4
“He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.”

Explanation and Commentary of Psalm 91:4

This section concerns taking shelter under the wings of the Almighty, as though we were young birds and he was our mother. In his shelter he will cover us “with his feathers,” and we will “find refuge.” God is our protector because he is faithful. Our relationship with him always rests on his faithfulness, which is unfailing.

How comforting it is to dwell along with the Psalmist on the power of the Lord and his love for us, that he would be a shield, a rock, a rampart, that, “no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent” (Ps 91:10).

This Psalm says that it is because we love him that he will protect us, rescue, answer us when we call, and satisfy us with long life. Our part is to love him and “acknowledge [his] name” (14), and he will show us his salvation (16).

Breaking Down the Key Parts of Psalm 91:4

#1 “He will cover you with his feathers,”
The Psalmist is using the metaphor of a bird with his mother. God is the protective mother who feeds, nurtures, and protects her young. The image is meant to invoke safety and warmth when we dwell in God.

#2 “and under his wings you will find refuge;”
There is no other place for the Christian to look for refuge. There is nowhere safer to be than in the arms of the Father. To come under his wings to find refuge would mean looking to him in prayer, looking to his word to see how to live, and then living out his commands, acknowledging his presence the whole way. This presupposes for the Christian acceptance of Jesus’ free gift of eternal life by believing in him and his powerful death and resurrection.

#3 “his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.”
Some hundreds of years after this was penned, God sent his Son, Jesus, to save the world through faith in him. He did this as a demonstration of his faithfulness, which is a shield and rampart, that is, a means of his protection over us. Faithfulness means that whatever he promises, he does. That is a shield for us. His character of faithfulness is a guarantee of our safety so that, no matter what may happen to us on earth, we have a safe eternal home with God in heaven, where we will dwell with him forever. We can also expect his help on earth much of the time when we call on him.

Expert Overview of Psalms

Biblical Translations of Psalm 91:4

NIV
He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

NLT
He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection.

ESV
He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.

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.