Texts in Conversation
Psalm 91 promises protection and victory over dangerous animals, including a serpent. The Greek Septuagint translation replaces the word for serpent with “dragon,” introducing mythological language.
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Psalm 91:13
Hebrew Bible
11 For he will order his angels to protect you in all you do. 12 They will lift you up in their hands, so you will not slip and fall on a stone. 13 You will subdue a lion and a snake; you will trample underfoot a young lion and a serpent. 14 The Lord says, “Because he is devoted to me, I will deliver him; I will protect him because he is loyal to me. 15 When he calls out to me, I will answer him. I will be with him when he is in trouble; I will rescue him and bring him honor.
Date: 6th-3rd Centuries B.C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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LXX Psalm 90:13
Septuagint
11 because he will command his angels concerning you, to guard you in your ways. 12 Upon hands they will lift you, lest you strike your feet against a stone. 13 You will tread upon snake and serpent, and you will trample down lion and dragon. 14 For in me he hoped, and I will rescue him. I will shelter him because he knew my name. 15 He will invoke me, and I will listen to him. I am with him in affliction, and I will deliver and honor him.
Date: 1st Century B.C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... The term ןיִנַּתּ sometimes appears to refer to an ordinary snake (e.g., Deuteronomy 32:33, Psalm 91:13). However, these too might bear mythological significance. Indeed, the LXX translates ןיִנַּתּ in Psalm 90:13 (= Masoretic text of 91:13) as δράκοντα ('dragon') ..."
Noegel, Scott B.
Jonah and Leviathan Inner-Biblical Allusions and the Problem with Dragons
(pp. 236-260) Studies in Judaism and Christianity from Second Temple to Late Antiquity Brescia 37, 2, 2015
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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When was Psalm 91:11 (protestant bible)/ 92:10 (King James Bible), the one with the passage "But my horn shalt thou exalt like the horn of an unicorn: I shall be anointed with fresh oil."