Psalm 91 in Hebrew: Under the Shadow of Shaddai

The Talmud describes a ceremony held whenever Jerusalem or the Temple courtyard was enlarged. Among the songs sung that day was a psalm opening with the words yoshev beseter Elyon, "one who dwells in the shelter of the Most High." The same passage notes that some called it the "song of evil spirits" and others the "song of plagues," and that the sage Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi would recite its verses at night and fall asleep saying them.

That psalm is Psalm 91. Many centuries later it is still read before sleep, prayed in Christian night liturgies, and sung in Hebrew by music channels such as Hill Radiance, under the title Under the Shadow of Shaddai.

So what does the original text actually say, and who is the Shaddai in that title?

How does Psalm 91 begin in Hebrew?

The psalm has no heading and names no author. It opens straight with its central image:

יֹשֵׁב בְּסֵתֶר עֶלְיוֹן, בְּצֵל שַׁדַּי יִתְלוֹנָן

Yoshev beseter Elyon, betsel Shaddai yitlonan. Roughly: "One who dwells in the shelter of the Most High lodges in the shadow of Shaddai" (Psalm 91:1).

• Yoshev: one who sits or dwells, a word of staying rather than visiting.
• Beseter: in the hidden or covered place.
• Elyon: the Most High, another ancient divine title.
• Betsel: in the shade. In a land of strong sun, shade means relief.
• Yitlonan: spends the night, like a traveler who has found lodging.

Verse 2 shifts to the first person: "I say of the Lord, my refuge and my stronghold, my God in whom I trust" (91:2).

Who is Shaddai?

Shaddai (שַׁדַּי) is one of the names of God in the Hebrew Bible, often in the form El Shaddai. In Exodus 6:3, God says He appeared to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob "as El Shaddai."

Its exact meaning is debated. Traditional translations usually render it "Almighty," and Rashi, the eleventh-century commentator, explains the word in Psalm 91 as an expression of strength. Scholars have proposed other origins, none of them settled, which is why many modern translations simply keep the Hebrew name.

The name also has a very physical place in Jewish life. The Shulchan Aruch, the sixteenth-century code of Jewish law, records the custom of writing "Shaddai" on the back of the mezuzah scroll fixed to the doorposts of Jewish homes.

What does the rest of the psalm say?

The poem runs sixteen verses. Verse 4 pictures God covering with His feathers, with refuge under His wings. Then come the fears of night and day, "the terror by night" and "the arrow that flies by day." Verses 11 and 12 speak of angels charged to guard "in all your ways." In the closing verses the voice changes again, and God speaks in the first person, promising to answer the one who calls (91:15–16).

It is a poem of faith, voicing the trust of the one who prays. This article explains the text and how it has been read, not a guarantee about events.

Who wrote Psalm 91?

The Bible does not say. Jewish tradition links it to Moses: commenting on verse 1, Rashi writes that here "Moses, our teacher" urges people to shelter under the wings of the Divine Presence. The link comes from Psalm 90, which carries the heading "a prayer of Moses." Historians consider the authorship and date open questions, as with much of the Psalter.

Where is Psalm 91 read today?

In Jewish practice it belongs to the prayers said at bedtime alongside the Shema; the Shulchan Aruch mentions saying verses beginning yoshev beseter Elyon at that hour.

In Christianity, the psalm appears in the Gospels: in Matthew 4:6, during the temptation in the wilderness, the tempter quotes verses 11 and 12. In the Catholic Liturgy of the Hours it is the psalm of Sunday Night Prayer (Compline), listed as Psalm 90 under the Greek and Latin numbering. Older Catholic Bibles therefore call it Psalm 90.

How does Hill Radiance sing Psalm 91?

The Hill Radiance channel has two versions titled Under the Shadow of Shaddai, built on the Hebrew first verse. Many people listen to this kind of music in moments of calm, reading or prayer.

Listen for the rhythm of yoshev beseter Elyon: short Hebrew words, mostly stressed on the last syllable, give the line its slow, chant-like feel.

Conclusion: an ancient verse still sung

In the Talmud, Psalm 91 was sung as the city grew, and a sage repeated it before sleep. Today it sits in Jewish and Christian night prayers and in songs that try to keep the sound of the Hebrew. Knowing the words, from yoshev to Shaddai, is a way to hear the psalm for what it is: a poem of trust, read and sung for many centuries.

For more psalms and songs explained, visit the Hill Radiance section.

Frequently asked questions

How is the first verse pronounced?

Roughly "yo-SHEV be-SE-ter el-YON, be-TSEL sha-DAI yit-lo-NAN."

Does Shaddai mean Almighty?

That is the usual translation, but the word's origin is debated. Rashi explains it as an expression of strength.

Psalm 90 or 91?

Same text: 91 in Hebrew numbering, 90 in Greek and Latin numbering.

References

• Psalm 91, Hebrew text and translation. sefaria.org/Psalms.91
• Babylonian Talmud, Shevuot 15b. sefaria.org/Shevuot.15b
• Rashi on Psalms 91:1. sefaria.org
• Exodus 6:3. sefaria.org/Exodus.6.3
• Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh De'ah 288:15. sefaria.org
• Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 239:1. sefaria.org
• Matthew 4:5–7. biblegateway.com
• Liturgy of the Hours, Sunday Night Prayer. universalis.com