The Meaning of Psalms 91:12 Explained

Psalms 91:12

KJV: They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

YLT: On the hands they bear thee up, Lest thou smite against a stone thy foot.

Darby: They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

ASV: They shall bear thee up in their hands, Lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

They shall bear thee up  in [their] hands,  lest thou dash  thy foot  against a stone. 

What does Psalms 91:12 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalms 91:1-16 - Security In Trusting The Lord
In harmony with the new light cast upon it by the Revised Version, this psalm has been divided as follows: Psalms 91:1-2, a soliloquy in which the believer states the blessedness of dwelling under God's sheltering care, and encourages his heart to exercise personal faith; Psalms 91:3-8, the assurance of a chorus of voices, which emphasize the safety of those who believe; Psalms 91:9 a, an exclamation in which the believer again expresses his resolve to exercise this personal faith; Psalms 91:9 b-13, the second assurance of a chorus of reassuring voices; Psalms 91:14-16, God's ratification of the whole attitude and expressions of the psalmist and his friends.
The psalm abounds in metaphors familiar to the East: the lion with its roar and leap in the open; the adder with its stealthy glide through the grass; the nocturnal assault; the devastating plague; the fowler's snare; the eagle's wing; the transitory tent. This is the traveler's psalm, and may well be read in private or with the family, whenever we are starting on a journey.
But notice the closing, Psalms 91:14-16. Our conceptions of God's care are too narrow. We fail to make enough use of the power, love, and presence of His fatherhood, which is waiting and longing to be called upon. Only we must exercise an appropriating faith. [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalms 91

1  The state of the godly
3  Their safety
9  Their habitation
11  Their servants
14  Their friend; with the effects of them all

What do the individual words in Psalms 91:12 mean?

In [their] hands they shall bear you up lest you dash against a stone your foot
עַל־ כַּפַּ֥יִם יִשָּׂא֑וּנְךָ פֶּן־ תִּגֹּ֖ף בָּאֶ֣בֶן רַגְלֶֽךָ

כַּפַּ֥יִם  [their]  hands 
Parse: Noun, fd
Root: כַּף  
Sense: palm, hand, sole, palm of the hand, hollow or flat of the hand.
יִשָּׂא֑וּנְךָ  they  shall  bear  you  up 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural, second person masculine singular, Paragogic nun
Root: נָשָׂא  
Sense: to lift, bear up, carry, take.
פֶּן־  lest 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: פֶּן  
Sense: lest, not, beware lest adv.
תִּגֹּ֖ף  you  dash 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: נָגַף  
Sense: to strike, smite.
בָּאֶ֣בֶן  against  a  stone 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶבֶן  
Sense: stone (large or small).
רַגְלֶֽךָ  your  foot 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: רֶגֶל  
Sense: foot.