Psalms 90:4
He will overshadow thee with his shoulders: and under his wings thou shalt trust.
Open Psalms 90:4 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Scapulis suis obumbrabit tibi, et sub pennis ejus sperabis.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- ἐν τοῖς μεταφρένοις αὐτοῦ ἐπισκιάσει σοι, καὶ ὑπὸ τὰς πτέρυγας αὐτοῦ ἐλπιεῖς· ὅπλῳ κυκλώσει σε ἡ ἀλήθεια αὐτοῦ.
- Hebrew (WLC) shown from Psalms 91:4
- בְּאֶבְרָת֨וֹ יָ֣סֶךְ לָ֭ךְ וְתַֽחַת כְּנָפָ֣יו תֶּחְסֶ֑ה צִנָּ֖ה וְֽסֹחֵרָ֣ה אֲמִתּֽוֹ
Haydock's commentary
With. Septuagint, "upon." St. Augustine, "between," as the Lord carried Israel, Deuteronomy xxxii. 11. (Calmet)
Hebrew, "he will cover thee with his feathers," (Haydock) like an eagle. (Menochius)
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.
The Fathers on this verse
St Augustine Expositions on the Book of Psalms, Psalm LXVIII
15. “Between the shoulders,” however. This is indeed a part of the body, it is a part about the region of the heart, at the hinder parts however, that is, at the back: which part of that dove silvered he saith is “in the greenness of gold,” that is, in the vigour of wisdom, which vigour I think cannot be better understood than by love. But why on the back, and not on the breast? Although I wonder in what sense this word is put in another Psalm, where there is said, “Between His shoulders He shall overshadow thee, and under His wings thou shalt hope:” forasmuch as under wings there cannot be overshadowed anything but what shall be under the breast. …
St Augustine Expositions on the Book of Psalms, Psalm XCI
5. “He shall defend thee between His shoulders, and thou shalt hope under His wings” ( ver. 4 ). He says this, that thy protection may not be to thee from thyself, that thou mayest not imagine that thou canst defend thyself; He will defend thee, to deliver thee from the hunter’s snare, and from an harsh word. The expression, “between His shoulders,” may be understood both in front and behind: for the shoulders are about the head; but in the words, “thou shalt hope under His wings,” it is clear that the protection of the wings of God expanded places thee between His shoulders, so that God’s wings on this side and that have thee in the midst, where thou shalt not fear lest any one hurt thee: only be thou careful never to leave that spot, where no foe dares approach. …