The Meaning of Psalms 91:5 Explained

Psalms 91:5

KJV: Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;

YLT: Thou art not afraid of fear by night, Of arrow that flieth by day,

Darby: Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night, for the arrow that flieth by day,

ASV: Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night, Nor for the arrow that flieth by day;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Thou shalt not be afraid  for the terror  by night;  [nor] for the arrow  [that] flieth  by day; 

What does Psalms 91:5 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 91:5 mean?

Not You shall be afraid of the terror by night [Nor] of the arrow [that] flies by day
לֹא־ תִ֭ירָא מִפַּ֣חַד לָ֑יְלָה מֵ֝חֵ֗ץ יָע֥וּף יוֹמָֽם

תִ֭ירָא  You  shall  be  afraid 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: יָרֵא 
Sense: to fear, revere, be afraid.
מִפַּ֣חַד  of  the  terror 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: פַּחַד  
Sense: terror, dread.
לָ֑יְלָה  by  night 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: לַיִל 
Sense: night.
מֵ֝חֵ֗ץ  [Nor]  of  the  arrow 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֵץ  
Sense: arrow.
יָע֥וּף  [that]  flies 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עוּף 
Sense: to fly, fly about, fly away.
יוֹמָֽם  by  day 
Parse: Adverb
Root: יׄומָם  
Sense: by day, in the daytime subst.