He that dwells in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
Read Chapter 91
Augustine of Hippo
AD 430
1. This Psalm is that from which the Devil dared to tempt our Lord Jesus Christ: let us therefore attend to it, that thus armed, we may be enabled to resist the tempter, not presuming in ourselves, but in Him who before us was tempted, that we might not be overcome when tempted. Temptation to Him was not necessary: the temptation of Christ is our learning, but if we listen to His answers to the devil, in order that, when ourselves are tempted, we may answer in like manner, we are then entering through the gate, as ye have heard it read in the Gospel. For what is to enter by the gate? To enter by Christ, who Himself said, "I am the door:" and to enter through Christ, is to imitate His ways. ...He urges us to imitate Him in those works which He could not have done had He not been made Man; for how could He endure sufferings, unless He had become a Man? How could He otherwise have died, been crucified, been humbled? Thus then do thou, when thou sufferest the troubles of this world, which ...
2. For many men are brave, when they are enduring persecution from men, and see them openly rage against themselves: imagining they are then imitating the sufferings of Christ, in case men openly persecute them; but if assailed by the hidden attack of the devil, they believe they are not being crowned by Christ. Never fear when thou dost imitate Christ. For when the devil tempted our Lord, there was no man in the wilderness; he tempted Him secretly; but he was conquered, and conquered too when openly attacking Him. This do thou, if thou wishest to enter by the door, when the enemy secretly assails thee, when he asks for a man that he may do him some hurt by bodily troubles, by fever, by sickness, or any other bodily sufferings, like those of Job. He saw not the devil, yet he acknowledged the power of God. He knew that the devil had no power against him, unless from the Almighty Ruler of all things he received that power: the whole glory he gave to God, power to the devil he gave not. ....
) (Calmet)
High. Hebrew helyon is a title of God, (Calmet) not the adjective to refuge, (Berthier) as Chaldean, Aquila, have taken it. "Thou hast placed thy dwelling most high. "So that there, ver. 10. It is evident that the following promises relate not to the Lord, (Calmet) but to the just man. Protestants, "because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most high thy habitation. "This transposition is not authorized by the text. (Haydock)
David. Septuagint add, "it has no title in Hebrew "and hence the Jews refer it to the preceding author, with St. Jerome But this rule is very uncertain. (Calmet) (Berthier)
Some suppose that Moses composed it when he led the Israelites out of Egypt, or in the wilderness; while others think that it is the work of David under some imminent danger. The Fathers apply it to Jesus Christ. Yet it may be considered simply as a moral instruction, (Calmet) superior in elegance to any Greek or Latin poem. (Muis)
Aid. Hebrew, "secret place. "Of heaven. Is not in Hebrew shaddai, which means, (Haydock) "the almighty self-sufficient, or destroying God. "(Calmet)
We must keep close to God by mental prayer, if we would enjoy the divine protection. (St. Gregory, Mor. vii. 7.) (Berthier)
