Psalms 91:14 · Bible study
Psalms 91:14 Commentary: The Security of Those Who Love and Know God
Hebrew · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore the Hebrew words for 'set his love' and 'know my name' in Psalm 91:14, and how they lead to God's promise of deliverance and exaltation.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God promises deliverance and exaltation to those who cling to Him in love and intimately know His character.
- Key words: חָשַׁק (set his love, cling with affection), יָדַע (know, experiential knowledge), שֵׁם (name, character), פָּלַט (deliver, rescue), שָׂגַב (set on high, exalt).
- Main debate: Whether the conditions are human initiative or response to God's prior love (see 1 John 4:19); most commentators allow both.
- Theological theme: Covenant intimacy and security, love for God and knowledge of God lead to His saving action.
- Best use: Pastoral comfort for those suffering or afraid, reminding them that God responds to a heart that trusts Him.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
“Because he loves Me, I will deliver him; because he knows My name, I will protect him.
WEB World English Bible 2000
“Because he has set his love on me, therefore I will deliver him. I will set him on high, because he has known my name.
KJV King James Version 1769
Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
Because in Me he hath delighted, I also deliver him--I set him on high, Because he hath known My name.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him; I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
They that are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of the house of our God.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Por cuanto en mí ha puesto su voluntad, yo también lo libraré: pondrélo en alto, por cuanto ha conocido mi nombre.
Por ele ter me amado tanto, eu também o livrarei; em alto retiro eu o porei, porque ele conhece o meu nome.
Puisqu’ il m’ aime, je le délivrerai;
“Er begehrt mein, so will ich ihm aushelfen; er kennt meinen Namen, darum will ich ihn schützen.
Dewijl hij Mij zeer bemint, spreekt God, zo zal Ik hem uithelpen; Ik zal hem op een hoogte stellen, want hij kent Mijn Naam.
Poich’egli ha posta in me la sua affezione, io lo libererò; lo leverò in alto, perché conosce il mio nome.
Iż się we mnie, mówi Pan, rozkochał, wyrwę go, i wywyższę go, przeto, iż poznał imię moje.
Насажденные в доме Господнем, они цветут во дворах Бога нашего;
神說：因為 他專心愛 我，我就要搭救他；因為 他知道 我的名，我要把他安置在高處。
Because he has given me his love, I will take him out of danger: I will put him in a place of honour, because he has kept my name in his heart.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Psalms 91:14
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions unanimously agree that this verse is a direct divine promise spoken by God himself (Wesley, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown). The Hebrew verb חָשַׁק (chashaq) expresses a strong, clinging love. Adam Clarke notes it means fixing one's heart and soul on God. Barnes describes it as “the strongest attachment,” like falling in love. The Qal perfect form indicates a settled, completed action, a love that endures. The second condition, “known my name,” does not mean mere intellectual awareness. Barnes explains it as understanding God's true character. Gill adds that it is an intimate, experiential knowledge. The deliverance (פָּלַט) and being set on high (שָׂגַב) are the promised outcomes. Clarke and Cambridge agree that “set on high” pictures being placed out of reach of enemies. All commentators see this as the climax of Psalm 91, confirming the earlier promises of angelic protection.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: That genuine love for God and intimate knowledge of His character result in His deliverance and exaltation.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Interpretation of 'set his love' (חָשַׁק) | It denotes a clinging, affectionate attachment (Barnes, Cambridge, Clarke). | Some emphasize the human act of loving God (Clarke), while others note it is a response to God's prior love (Gill, citing Deuteronomy). |
| Nature of the deliverance | Deliverance from enemies, danger, and trouble is promised. | Traditions differ on whether this is primarily physical protection in this life (some Pentecostals) or spiritual and eternal deliverance (Reformed emphasis). |
| Meaning of 'know my name' | It involves intimate recognition of God's revealed character. | Some see it as intellectual belief (evangelicals), others as covenantal relationship requiring obedience (Reformed and Methodist traditions). |
| Applicability of the promise | This promise is for those who truly love God. | Is it for all believers unconditionally (many evangelicals) or for those with a particular level of trust (some Calvinists)? |
Historical & Cultural Context
Psalm 91 stands in the wisdom tradition of psalms of trust, offering assurance to those who make God their refuge. The structure shifts in verses 14, 16: after the earlier voice of a psalmist or teacher, God himself now speaks (Wesley, JFB). This change underscores the authority and certainty of the promise.
The phrase “set his love upon me” (חָשַׁק) appears elsewhere in Deuteronomy 7:7 and 10:15, where God “set his love” on Israel. There it describes God's covenantal choice; here it describes the believer's response. “Knowing my name” in the ancient Near East meant far more than knowing a label. A name carried the character, reputation and power of its bearer. To know Yahweh's name was to trust in his revealed nature, a God of mercy, faithfulness and deliverance (cf. Psalm 9:10; Exodus 34:6, 7).
“Set him on high” (שָׂגַב) carries a military or architectural sense. Poole comments that it is like being placed aloft on a fortress, safe from attack. The same word is used in Psalm 59:1 (“Set me on high from those who rise up against me”). In a world of constant threats, lion, cobra, pestilence, and night terrors (vv. 13, 5, 6), this promise offered tangible security. The psalm as a whole breathes the confidence of someone who has experienced God's protection and now testifies to it.
Textual Notes
The consulted commentaries and textual notes do not mention any significant textual variant for Psalm 91:14. The Masoretic Text is stable here, with no major manuscript differences.
Reception History
In the early church, this verse was read as a promise of Christ's protection over His people. Medieval Christians used it in prayers for deliverance from plague and danger. During the Reformation, Calvin emphasized it as a call to trust God's providence rather than human strength. The Wesleyan tradition highlights the condition of loving God, while Reformed interpreters stress God's sovereign initiative. In many traditions, Psalm 91:14 is a favorite verse for funerals and times of crisis, offering hope in God's ultimate salvation.
Preaching This Verse
Three-Point Outline
- The Conditions: Setting love on God and knowing His name. These are not bare emotions but deliberate, clinging affection and intimate relationship.
- The Promises: Deliverance and exaltation. God rescues from trouble and lifts the believer to a secure, honored place.
- The Wider Blessings (vv. 15, 16): Answered prayer, God's presence in trouble, honor, long life, and salvation. The promise expands beyond protection to full covenantal blessing.
Five-Point Outline
- Divine origin: God himself speaks, guaranteeing the promise.
- The nature of true love for God: clinging, settled, singular.
- Knowing God's name: moving from information to transformation.
- Deliverance as God's response: rescue from every form of evil.
- Exaltation as the outcome: being lifted above danger and given honor.
Illustration Hooks
- A child who has learned to trust a parent's character will run to them in the dark, not away. Knowing the name means knowing the heart behind it.
- A climber anchored to a secure bolt high on a cliff feels free to move, because the rope holds. Being “set on high” gives a new perspective and safety.
- A person who has been rescued from a burning building by a firefighter does not just know the firefighter's name, they know what that person is capable of, and they trust them.
Questions Your Congregation Is Asking
- Does this promise mean God will protect me from every physical harm? If not, how do I interpret it?
- What does it practically look like to “set my love” on God in a distracted, busy life?
- Is this an earned reward or a description of what happens naturally when we truly know God?
Leading a Discussion
Psalm 91:14 unveils the heart of the covenant relationship: love and knowledge lead to security. As God speaks these words, He reveals what He values in His people and what we can confidently expect. Use these questions to help your group connect the verse to daily faith.
Discussion Questions
- Observation: What two actions does God highlight in this verse? What two results follow?
- Interpretation: The Hebrew word for “set his love” (חָשַׁק) means to cling to someone with strong affection. How does this differ from a casual “love” or approval of God?
- Interpretation: To “know my name” in ancient Israel meant knowing God's character. Read Exodus 34:6, 7. What aspects of God's character are especially relevant when we face fear or danger?
- Application: Picture someone going through a severe trial who still loves God. How does this verse encourage them, even if the trial does not end? Does the promise of “deliverance” always mean physical escape?
- Application: What is one practical step you could take this week to “know God's name” more deeply, through Scripture, prayer, or community?
- Connection: How does the promise of being “set on high” (exalted) relate to Jesus' teaching that the humble will be lifted up (Luke 14:11)?
- Prayer: Close by reading Psalm 91:14, 16 slowly together, then invite each person to thank God for one way they have known His name.
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| I Chronicles 29:3 | In addition, because I have set my affection on the house of my God, since I have a treasure of my own of gold and silver, I give it to the house of my God, over and above all that I have prepared for the holy house: |
| Psalms 9:10 | Those who know your name will put their trust in you, for you, Yahweh, have not forsaken those who seek you. |
| Psalms 59:1 | For the Chief Musician. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A poem by David, when Saul sent, and they watched the house to kill him. Deliver me from my enemies, my God. Set me on high from those who rise up against me. |
| Psalms 89:16 | In your name they rejoice all day. In your righteousness, they are exalted. |
| Psalms 89:17 | For you are the glory of their strength. In your favor, our horn will be exalted. |
| Psalms 91:9 | Because you have made Yahweh your refuge, and the Most High your dwelling place, |
| Isaiah 33:16 | he will dwell on high. His place of defense will be the fortress of rocks. His bread will be supplied. His waters will be sure. |
| John 14:23 | Jesus answered him, “If a man loves me, he will keep my word. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
11 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke highlights that God’s deliverance and exaltation are a direct response to a person fixing their whole heart and soul on Him. Knowing God’s name here means loving, honoring, and serving Him as He deserves, recognizing Him as the God of infinite mercy.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes emphasizes that the love described here is the strongest possible attachment, like falling in love, springing from the heart's delight in God's beauty. God's deliverance and exaltation are the direct response to this deep, personal affection and to truly knowing God's character.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin insists that the first verse of this psalm presents two distinct ideas, not a mere repetition. He argues that dwelling in God’s secret place and abiding under His shadow each convey a different aspect of the safety believers enjoy, where no weapon can reach them.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator highlights that the Hebrew phrase for "set his love" means clinging to God with love, reflecting God's own covenantal love for Israel. The promise of safety and recognition of God's revealed character shows divine protection is a personal, relational response to the faithful soul.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
Because he hath loued me, therefore will I deliuer him: I will exalt him because hee hath knowen my Name.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill highlights that "set his love upon me" implies a deliberate, exclusive, and unshakable affection for God, not a passing feeling. Because of this fixed love, God promises deliverance from harm and a secure exaltation. Knowing God's name, for Gill, means an intimate, trust-filled experience of His character, not mere head knowledge.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB highlights that in these verses God Himself speaks, using every available term for safety and peace to express complete, unquestioning confidence. The phrase "set his love" points to a love of the most intense and devoted kind.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch stresses that the angelic protection promised here applies universally to everyone who trusts in God, not only in extraordinary cases. The wild animals represent two kinds of evil: the open destructive power of lions and the secret venomous malice of adders and dragons. The closing promise echoes Psalm 50, pointing to the full reality of God's merciful purpose.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange argues that the same person both dwells in God's protection and speaks the words of trust, rejecting the idea of different speakers or a chorus. He emphasizes that the dangers listed are real-life threats, not demons or spirits, and that God's protection extends to every kind of peril.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry draws a clear connection between the Christian's duty and privilege: those who actively make God their dwelling place through constant communion, delight, and dependence will experience the safety and welcome of being truly at home in Him. This mutual indwelling brings peace and freedom from legal accusations or guilty fears.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley notes that the word "Because" marks the start of a section where God himself is speaking. The verse and the two that follow are not the human writer's words but God's direct statement.Wesley simply notes that the word "Because" marks the beginning of a section where God himself is speaking. This verse and the two that follow are directly from God, not from the human writer.