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Psalms

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Psalm 91

1 As for you, the one who lives in the shelter of the Most High, and resides in the protective shadow of the Sovereign One— 2 I say this about the Lord, my shelter and my stronghold, my God in whom I trust— 3 he will certainly rescue you from the snare of the hunter and from the destructive plague. 4 He will shelter you with his wings; you will find safety under his wings. His faithfulness is like a shield or a protective wall.⁠ 5 You need not fear the terrors of the night, the arrow that flies by day,⁠ 6 the plague that stalks in the darkness, or the disease that ravages at noon. 7 Though a thousand may fall beside you, and a multitude on your right side, it will not reach you. 8 Certainly you will see it with your very own eyes—you will see the wicked paid back. 9 For you have taken refuge in the Lord, my shelter, the Most High. 10 No harm will overtake you; no illness will come near your home. 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. 16 I will satisfy him with long life and will let him see my salvation.”

Texts in conversation

Compare KTU 1.82:3 and Psalm 91:5

Ancient Near East, Ugaritic · Hebrew Bible

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Summary

The promise of safety from arrows and disease in Psalm 91 recalls Resheph's weapons at Ugarit, assuring those who trust God that these threats remain under his control.

Passages

KTU 1.82:3

Ancient Near East, Ugaritic · Cuneiform Texts from Ugarit
[…] Baal struck […] Tunnanu, and […] and poured out […] […] to the earth […] […] Baal, the arrows of Rashap […] his kidneys and his heart. […] your mouth on the mountain, […] your mouth […] your teeth. […] and your lips […] to Mot […] […] the voice of Shapshu […] serpents […] […] [And] he speaks […] take me […] take me. […] in the vineyards […] […] before me […] Baal […] […] Anat […] like […] […] dust […] your house he drives you out.
1350–1185 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in KTU

Psalm 91:5

Hebrew Bible
1 As for you, the one who lives in the shelter of the Most High, and resides in the protective shadow of the Sovereign One— 2 I say this about the Lord, my shelter and my stronghold, my God in whom I trust— 3 he will certainly rescue you from the snare of the hunter and from the destructive plague. 4 He will shelter you with his wings; you will find safety under his wings. His faithfulness is like a shield or a protective wall. 5 You need not fear the terrors of the night, the arrow that flies by day, 6 the plague that stalks in the darkness, or the disease that ravages at noon. 7 Though a thousand may fall beside you, and a multitude on your right side, it will not reach you. 8 Certainly you will see it with your very own eyes—you will see the wicked paid back.
600–201 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Psalms

References

“... Some scholars object to deber as a true deity name, but its partnering with rešep in Habakkuk 3:5 strongly suggests this is the case, “given the presence of [Resheph] in the Ugaritic texts as a god of destruction (KTU 1.14 I 18–19; 1.82:3).”99 Rešep appears in Deuteronomy 32:23–24, where Yahweh threatens his apostate people: 23And I will heap disasters upon them; I will spend my arrows on them; 24they shall be wasted with hunger (rāʿāb), and devoured by plague (rešep) and poisonous pestilence (qeṭeb). As noted above, Resheph is a deity of destruction at Ugarit. He is portrayed as an archer there (KTU 1.82:3), and so the phrase “spending my arrows” is interesting. Resheph is accompanied by qeṭeb and rāʿāb. The former appears in an Ugaritic text as a kinsman of Mōt (“Death”). The latter appears to be an epithet of Mōt.100 In Psalm 91:3–6, the psalmist writes that those who dwell in the shelter of the Most High and abide in the shadow of the Almighty will be delivered “from the deadly pestilence [deber]” (v. 3) and will not fear “the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence [deber] that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction [qeṭeb] that wastes at noonday” (v. 5–6). Why? Because these forces are not autonomous deities. Yahweh of Israel is in control of them. Consequently, he will protect his own from their lethal harm. ...”
Michael S. Heiser, Demons: What the Bible Really Says about the Powers of Darkness (Bellingham, WA: Lexham, 2020), PDF 39.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

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KTU 1.82:3 and Psalm 91:5

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