For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse doesn't just mention two dangers; it presents them as complementary illustrations of God's protection. The "snare of the fowler" represents sudden, cunning traps, while the "deadly pestilence" evokes widespread, unseen destruction, highlighting that God's deliverance covers both the insidious and the overwhelming.
For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence.
English Standard Version (ESV)
In Psalm 91, a dialogue unfolds where one speaker begins to describe the blessings of finding refuge in God. The next speaker emphatically affirms these promises, assuring the listener of God's protection from hidden dangers, like a hunter's trap, and from widespread disease. This sets the stage for the detailed descriptions of God's safeguarding presence that follow throughout the psalm.
Life can feel like navigating a field full of unseen traps. Ever felt blindsided by trouble?
The Psalmist uses vivid imagery to describe the kinds of threats God protects us from.
The Snare of the Fowler
This isn't just about birds being caught! It represents all the sneaky, hidden dangers and wicked schemes people devise against us. Think of it like a hunter setting a trap that looks harmless but leads to capture. It speaks to insidious plots and deceptive attacks that can ruin lives without warning.
The Deadly Pestilence
This refers to widespread, fatal sicknesses – the kind that sweep through communities and strike with terrifying speed. It's a picture of overwhelming, deadly forces that seem unstoppable. It can also represent any overwhelming calamity that brings widespread destruction and death.
When faced with such threats, is there real hope for escape? What does 'Surely' really mean here?
The word 'Surely' at the beginning of the verse (often translated as 'For he will surely deliver you') isn't a mere suggestion; it's a statement of profound confidence and certainty.
A Proclaimed Guarantee
It signals that the deliverance promised is not a possibility, but a guaranteed outcome for those who trust God. It's God Himself, or a confident declaration about God's character and actions, assuring protection. This assurance is built on His power and faithfulness to His people.
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More Than Just Survival
This deliverance isn't just about avoiding the trap or the plague. It's about being actively rescued by God. It implies not just safety, but a direct, powerful intervention that pulls us out of harm's way, preserving us for His purposes.
Understand the original words
natsal · Hebrew Verb
To snatch away, rescue, or save; it refers to God's act of setting His people free from danger, distress, or enemies.
pach · Hebrew Noun
A trap or net used by a hunter; metaphorically represents the hidden dangers, plots, or temptations set by the wicked or the enemy.
yaqosh · Hebrew Noun
A bird catcher; one who lays traps. It represents those who seek to entrap or destroy the righteous.
This passage uses a similar image of a 'snare' to describe escaping danger, directly echoing the imagery of the fowler's trap in Psalm 91:3.
Proverbs 6:5This proverb speaks of 'making yourself like a gazelle to escape' from a hunter's snare, reinforcing the idea of being delivered from sudden, hidden dangers depicted in Psalm 91:3.
2 Timothy 2:26This New Testament passage describes believers being rescued from the 'snare of the devil,' drawing a parallel to spiritual deliverance from insidious traps, just as Psalm 91:3 speaks of deliverance from literal snares.
Exodus 12:13During the Passover, God passed over the homes of the Israelites, sparing them from the plague that struck Egypt, illustrating divine protection from widespread deadly pestilence as promised in Psalm 91:3.
Luke 4:38-40Jesus healed many people from various sicknesses and fevers, demonstrating His authority over diseases and showing a glimpse of the protective power God offers against 'pestilence' mentioned in Psalm 91:3.
pulpitPsalms 91:3: "Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence."
Verse 3. - Surely he shall deliver thee. The second speaker takes up the word, and naturally changes the person. Addressing the first speaker, he says - Yes, assuredly, God shall deliver thee from whatever dangers beset thee: as, first, from the snare of the fowler (comp. Psalm 124:7; Proverbs 6:5); and, secondly, from the noisome pestilence (comp. ver. 6), i.e. from all dangers whatsoever…
ellicottPsalms 91:3: "Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence."
(3 ) Snare of the fowler. —The image of the net has occurred frequently before. (See Psalm 10:15 , &c) Here, as in Ecclesiastes 9:12 , it is used generally of any unexpected peril to life. Noisome pestilence.—Literally, pestilence of calamities, i.e., fatal. (See Psalm 57:1, where the same word “calamities” occurs.)
The verse doesn't just mention two dangers; it presents them as complementary illustrations of God's protection. The "snare of the fowler" represents sudden, cunning traps, while the "deadly pestilence" evokes widespread, unseen destruction, highlighting that God's deliverance covers both the insidious and the overwhelming.
In Psalm 91, a dialogue unfolds where one speaker begins to describe the blessings of finding refuge in God. The next speaker emphatically affirms these promises, assuring the listener of God's protection from hidden dangers, like a hunter's trap, and from widespread disease. This sets the stage for the detailed descriptions of God's safeguarding presence that follow throughout the psalm.
In Psalm 91, a dialogue unfolds where one speaker begins to describe the blessings of finding refuge in God. The next speaker emphatically affirms these promises, assuring the listener of God's protection from hidden dangers, like a hunter's trap, and from widespread disease. This sets the stage for the detailed descriptions of God's safeguarding presence that follow throughout the psalm.
"For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence." — The verse doesn't just mention two dangers; it presents them as complementary illustrations of God's protection. The "snare of the fowler" represents sudden, cunning traps, while the "deadly pestilen…
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Last reviewed October 2026