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Interpretation of Psalm 90

This psalm is a wonderful poetic testimony that God is the guarantee of safety, help and comfort to everyone who trusts in Him. The author of this psalm is unknown.

Ps. 90:1-2. “Living under the shelter of the Most High” A shelter is a tent, a place of safety and rest for the traveler. Here the idea is figuratively expressed that he who trusts in the Almighty finds protection and peace in Him (“canopy” is a shadow).

Ps. 90:3-8. An allegorical description of a number of disasters, deliverance from which is sent by the Lord. “The catcher’s net” implies an unexpected danger or misfortune, arranged by a cunning, insidious enemy; "pernicious ulcer" is a disease that threatens death. In verse 4 we see the image of a bird keeping its young under its wings. In confessing God's truth, a person finds protection (“the fence of the vineyard” is an image of protection).

Verse 5 conveys images of danger that threatens both secretly and openly (“terrors in the night” and “an arrow flying by day”). “The plague that walks in the darkness” (verse 6) is synonymous with “terrors in the night.” By "the plague that devastates at noon" some are inclined to understand the effect of the destructive south wind in the desert.

Verse 7 contains poetic hyperbole: where a thousand and ten thousand would fall from one calamity or another, he who trusts in the Most High would be preserved by Him (verses 7-9).

Ps. 90:9-16. In verse 10 there is a promise of safety for the righteous and for his house. It is impossible not to notice the change in the author’s speech from verse to verse: first in verse 1 he speaks of the righteous man in the 3rd person, then in verse 2 he speaks on his behalf, and later the author addresses him on his own behalf (verses 3-8 ), and then in the name of the Lord, in verses 15-16.

The psalmist says that the Almighty resorts to His servants, the Angels, commanding them to protect the righteous in all his ways. Where a “stumbling block” or danger awaits him, the Angels are “commanded” to carry him in their arms, as it were. Matthew 4:6 describes how Satan quoted verses 11-12 of this psalm when he tempted Christ in the wilderness.

“Aspid” and “basilisk” are the names given to different types of poisonous snakes. It is believed that “basilisk” meant a cobra, and “dragon” meant a boa constrictor. All these are images of evil, troubles and diseases, protection from which God will send to those who trust in Him. He who knows the name of God and loves his Creator will be heard by God when he calls to Him. The phrase “I am with him in sorrow” indicates that the righteous is still not promised complete “protection from sorrow.” But he is promised support in grief, and peace of mind amid misfortunes. The Lord will “satisfy” the righteous with the length of earthly days, promising to “glorify” him.

Text of the prayer Living help works miracles in the world. If a believer says these words, then even in the most difficult moments the Lord will tell you what needs to be done next. This sacred text can heal sick people, protect them from misfortunes, and be the best protection if it’s very scary. They say that this prayer appeared long before Christianity appeared in Rus'. This means that the current text has changed a little and has become more understandable, but the meaning has not undergone any innovation. In Rus', every person believed that the prayer for Living Help would definitely protect them from evil spirits.

Text of the prayer Alive for help in Russian

Alive in the help of the Most High, he will dwell in the blood of the Heavenly God. Says the Lord: My God is my protector and my refuge, and I trust in Him. For He will deliver you from the net of the trap, and from the words of rebellion, His splash will fall over you, and under His wing you hope: His truth will surround you with a weapon. Fear not from the fear of the night, from the arrow that flies in the days, from the things that pass in the darkness, from the grime, and from the demon of the midday. A thousand will fall from your country, and darkness will be at your right hand, but it will not come near you, except with your eyes you will see, and you will see the reward of sinners. For You, Lord, are my hope, and have made the Most High your refuge. Evil will not come to you, and the wound will not come near your body, as His Angel commanded you about you, to preserve you in all your ways. They will lift you up in their arms, but when you hit your foot on a stone, you will step on the asp and the basilisk, and trample the lion and the serpent. Because I have trusted in Me, I will deliver you; I will cover you, because I have known My name. He will call to Me, and I will hear him: I am with him in tribulation, I will destroy him and glorify him, I will fill him with long days, and I will show him My salvation.

Translation of prayer into Russian

He who lives under the roof of the Most High, under the shadow of the Almighty, rests, says to the Lord: “My refuge and my defense, my God, in whom I trust!” He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler, from the destructive plague, He will cover you with His feathers, and you will be safe under His wings; shield and fence - His truth. You will not be afraid of the terrors in the night, the arrow that flies by day, the plague that stalks in the darkness, the plague that devastates at noon. A thousand shall fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it will not come near you: you will only look with your eyes and see the retribution of the wicked. For you said: “The Lord is my hope”; You have chosen the Most High as your refuge; no evil will befall you, and no plague will come near your dwelling; for He will command His angels about you - to guard you in all your ways: they will carry you in their hands, lest you dash your foot against a stone; you will step on the asp and basilisk; You will trample on the lion and the dragon. “Because he loved Me, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he has known My name. He will call to Me, and I will hear him; I am with him in sorrow; I will deliver him and glorify him, I will satisfy him with long days, and I will show him My salvation.”

Psalm 90 - listen online

Read more about the text of the prayer Living Help or Psalm 90

The correct name of the sacred text is Psalm 90, which is written in the fairly well-known book of Psalms. Often prayer can be used by those who need strong God's help, who need to be shown the right path in a seemingly hopeless situation. Many people call Psalm 90 a real talisman against all troubles that can happen in life. If we compare Living Help with other prayers, then it can be put on a par with the well-known “Our Father” and “Virgin Mary, Rejoice.”

In general, all prayers aimed at saving the soul are very important. And Psalm 90 is no exception. What is interesting about the text of the prayer Living Help, which is pronounced with an appeal to the Most High?

1. It is said that Moses himself wrote the prayer. There is also a version that the author of the text is King David, who created the prayer around the 9-10th century BC.
2. The uniqueness of this text is that it is used not only by Orthodox people, but also by another religion - Judaism.
3. It is best to carry the text with prayer with you, write it down somewhere and fold a sheet of paper several times so that you can read it at any convenient time, protecting yourself from any danger.
4. Many people prefer to write the words “Living Help” on a ribbon, tying it around their belt - this serves as a literal talisman.
5. Even in ancient times, doctors refused to treat some diseases that were difficult to cope with. Then, people resorted to prayer, which not only relieved pain, but also saved them from the most terrible diseases.
6. If everything goes wrong, then prayer can attract good luck. True, you cannot abuse the text. You should read the prayer only if you really need luck.
7. It will be good if the believer learns the text by heart. Psalm 90 is important to understand, to feel the whole meaning of strong prayer.
8. There is a certain time when reading a prayer is considered the right moment to talk with the Lord God - 12 noon. In front of a person there should be 3 icons of the Savior Jesus Christ and the face of the Archangel Michael.
9. A translation of Psalm 90 was recently produced into modern Russian. The text is accessible to a believer now, although previously it was impossible to read it.
10. Some literally had a prayer sewn into their belts so that it would always be with the person.

How to read a prayer correctly

The main thing is the correct pronunciation of each word; there is no need to rush here. The intonation should be calm, and the voice should not be irritated and even. You can sit on your knees if the text is read in the presence of a sick person. In this case, it will be good if the person reading puts his hands on the place that hurts while reading.

To make the effect of prayer as powerful and strong as possible, you can take the Holy image of Jesus Christ in your hands. Another important rule is to say the prayer three times. After reading Living Help for the first time, you need to take a short pause, cross yourself three times and begin the second repetition.

If you follow this rule, then the effect of prayer to the Lord God will not be long in coming. Also, when reading the sacred text, you should definitely wear a cross on your body - this draws the Lord’s attention to the believer as much as possible. The priests claim that you should believe in what a person says, since without faith in prayer nothing will happen. On the other hand, you should not rely only on prayer; it is only a text, the meaning of which cannot be touched. After reading Psalm 90, you need to think about how to cope with a hopeless situation, scroll through all the possible solutions in your head.

What not to do when reading Psalm 90?

There are some principles that are still worth observing, even though prayers are miraculous.

Living help prayers are a real miracle that you can see with your own eyes. This is a text, after reading which there is grace in the soul. The text can be recited both at home in front of the icons and in church with a candle. Don’t forget that God helps everyone, you just need to turn to Him. Believe in the Lord - this is the best thing Christians have!

Listen to the prayer Living in Help (Psalm 90) 40 times

“Alive in the help of the Most High” is the main protective prayer of the Russian person.

In former times, every Russian person knew this psalm by heart and read it when any danger or threat arose. And today many know this protective prayer by heart, and even more carry its text with them - in their pocket or purse and, if necessary, read it or have a consecrated belt with the words of the psalm, etc.

She saved and saves many today. Otherwise she would not have been so revered by the people. Nowadays, when human life is becoming more and more difficult and dangerous, we need the prayer “Alive in Help” even more.

Below you will find this powerful prayer, both with emphasis (text and audio versions), and its translation into modern Russian.

Psalm 90

Alive in the help of Vyshnyago, will be established in the shelter of the Heavenly God.

Says the Lord: Thou art my Protector and my Refuge, my God, and I trust in Him.

Yako Toy will deliver you from the snare of the trap, and from rebellious words.

His cloak will overshadow you, and you will trust under His wing.

His truth will surround you with a weapon, you will not be afraid from the fear of the night, from the arrow flying in the days, from the thing that passes in darkness, from the cloak and demon of the midday.

Thousands will fall from your country, and darkness will be at your right hand, but it will not come close to you.

Look before your eyes, and you will see the reward of sinners.

For You, O Lord, are my hope, You have made the Most High your refuge.

Evil will not come to you, and wound will not come close to your body.

As His Angel commanded you, keep you in all your ways.

They will lift you up in their arms, but not when you dash your foot against a stone.

Tread on the asp and the basilisk, and cross the lion and the serpent.

For I have trusted in Me, and I will deliver;

I will cover and because I have known My name.

He will call to Me, and I will hear him;

I am with him in sorrow, I will destroy him and glorify him;

I will fill him with long days, and show him My salvation.

Unfortunately, some people know and have the psalm translated from Church Slavonic into modern Russian. There are different translations that significantly distort and impoverish the meaning of the text. We present here the line-by-line text of the prayer in Church Slavonic, in which it is recommended to read it with interpretation.
Psalm 90
1. Living in the help of the Most High, he will settle in the shelter of the Heavenly God.
2. The Lord says: Thou art my Protector and my Refuge, my God, and I trust in Him.
3. Yako Toy will deliver you from the snare of the trap, and from rebellious words.
4. His cloak will cover you and you will hope under His wing: His truth will surround you with weapons.
5. Do not be afraid from the fear of the night, from the arrow flying in the days.
6. From things that pass in darkness, from clots and the midday demon.
7. A thousand shall fall from thy country, and darkness at thy right hand; he won't come close to you.
8. Look before your eyes and see the reward of sinners.
9. For You, O Lord, are my hope. You have made the Most High your refuge.
10. Evil will not come to you. And the wound will not come close to your body.
11. As His Angel commanded you, keep you in all your ways.
12. They will take you in their arms, but not when you dash your foot against a stone.
13. Tread on the asp and the basilisk, and cross the lion and the serpent.
14. Because I have trusted and will deliver, and will cover, because I have known My name.
15. He will call to Me, and I will hear him: I am with him in sorrow, I will destroy him, and I will glorify him.
16. I will fill him with long days, and show him My salvation.
This prayer helps people to a greater or lesser extent, which depends on the spiritual and moral state of the person calling on God for protection and salvation, on the nature of the danger, understanding and perception of the meaning of the prayer. The text of the prayer indicates these conditions, but they are not understood by everyone without interpretation.

Interpretation of Psalm 90

For a deeper and broader understanding of the meaning of Psalm 90, we will give its interpretation according to the books of Evfimy Zigaben “Explanatory Psalter” and A. Lopukhin “Explanatory Bible”.
The main idea and essence of Psalm 90: hope in God has irresistible power. St. Theodoret says: this psalm teaches that the power of trust in God is irresistible; for blessed David wrote this psalm as an instruction to people about how many benefits trust in God brings. Anyone who lives by faith and hope in God will find in him a protector who saves him from all the misfortunes and evils of life. This psalm prophetically points to the coming of Christ, Who is the closest protector to man. Let us explain each verse of the psalm.

1. Whoever has the help given by God will be preserved under the protection of God. By God's help we must understand, in the words of St. Afanasia. the law of divine commandments, given by the Lord to people to help them against demons and other misfortunes.
2. Having great strong faith, a person says to the Lord: “My refuge and my defense; My God, only in You do I trust and hope.”
3. God will deliver “from the snare of povcha” - a sudden physical attack on the body or a demonic attack in the form of the unexpected appearance of lust or other sinful passion. It will also deliver “from rebellious speech” - slander that produces rebellion in the soul of the slandered.
4. He will overshadow you with His feathers, and under His wings you will be safe; shield and fence - His truth. That is, the Lord will protect you with the same protective love with which a mother hen takes her children under her wings, where they feel completely safe. This is because “His truth” will be a weapon of protection for you. Since God loves the truth, He will protect the one who is true before Him.
5, 6. You, a person living in the help of God, will not be afraid of the fear that happens at night from demons, or from people (thieves, robbers, house arsonists); You will not be afraid of arrows and shots that strike the body; You will not be afraid of the mental arrows with which demons and passions strike. “Things that pass away in darkness” - fornication, adultery, the demon of passion and the like; and the “midday demon” is a demon of laziness and carelessness, corrupting people in their midday rest with the temptations of vile and carnal thoughts.
7. Thousands of arrows will fall on your left and ten thousand arrows on your right, but they will not harm you. The thousand on the left is a direct temptation to sin; ten thousand on the right is an attack by demons to counteract our righteous, godly deeds. This verse has numerous confirmations in biblical history (a striking example is the victory of King Ezekiah in the war with the attacking Assyrians, who had much superior forces), as well as at the present time.
8. With God's help, you will see with your own eyes the retribution of the wicked who are at enmity against you.
9. Therefore there will be such strong protection from God that you have relied on God with all your heart and mind and chosen Him as your refuge.
10. Since you have made God your refuge, “evil will not come to you,” that is, no temptation (trouble) will strike you. “And no wound shall come near your body” - everything bodily will be protected, your house from fire and robbery, and your body from illness.
11. For the Lord will command His angels concerning you, to guard you in all your ways. God, through Angels, protects those who trust in Him.
12. They will carry you up in their hands, lest you dash your foot against a stone. The hands of Angels - the essence of the protective force - will support you during temptations and difficult circumstances, so that your foot will not stumble on a stone. By stone we mean every sin and every obstacle to virtue.
13. Asp and basilisk are genera of poisonous snakes (basilisk is a spectacled snake). A person who has God as a guide in everything cannot poisonous snakes and large predatory animals are terrible, they do not harm him, which is confirmed by numerous lives of saints. In this verse, by snakes and beasts, the holy fathers also mean victory in general over evil. By asp one can mean slander; basilisk is envy both on the part of someone and one’s own personal envy towards someone; the lion is cruelty and inhumanity. The righteous overcomes such passions and does not receive any harm from them.
14. Since a person trusts in God, therefore He delivers him from all danger. The name of God is known not by the one who knows in general who God is, but by the one who behaves in relation to God in a manner worthy of God, demonstrating this dignity in diligently fulfilling the commandments and will of God.
15. He who trusts in God will call to him in danger, and He will hear, and come to the rescue, and free him, as he helped many martyrs in suffering. And he will not only liberate, but also glorify him in earthly and eternal life. Of course, someone who trusts in God will not ask for anything unworthy, contrary to God’s truth.
16. This verse means that the Lord rewards those who trust in God and strive to live according to His will with eternal life, and can also extend earthly life beyond the natural time of death, which is also a lot of evidence.

Thus, when reading the prayer “Alive in Help,” God hears everyone and responds as a loving father to help his son or daughter. The help and protection of the Lord is a reward, which is usually greater the more a person has earned it before Him. But God does not act strictly according to the principle: “as much as you are to me, as much as I am to you.”

Therefore, the Lord often helps a sinful person who, at the time of conversion, has only great faith and hope in God’s help. Helps in the hope of strengthening faith and love in the future.

But people who try to live according to God’s commandments also have no guarantee of God’s protection when faced with danger. For admonition, the Lord may allow dark forces to attack them for sins that they could well have avoided. Such admonition becomes clear to a person, and he straightens his crooked path. And also to allow an attack on those righteous for whom troubles and sorrows are tests for the strengthening and growth of the spirit.

These tests are given according to a person’s strength and for his benefit. In each specific case, God's providence is unknown in advance, and it is not given to people to know it. The ways of the Lord are truly mysterious, but loving to mankind.

Psalm 90 with emphasis

Alive in the help of the Most High, he will dwell in the blood of the Heavenly God.
Says the Lord: My God is my protector and my refuge, and I trust in Him.
Yako Toy will deliver you from the snare of the trap, and from the words of the rebel,
His splash will cover you, and under His wing you hope that His truth will surround you with weapons.
Not afraid from the fear of the night, from the arrow flying in the days,
from the things that pass away in darkness, from the clogs, and the demon of the midday.
Thousands will fall from your country, and darkness will be at your right hand,
He will not come close to you, but you will see your eyes and see the reward of sinners.
For You, Lord, are my hope, and have made the Most High your refuge.
No evil will come to you, and no wound will come near your body,
as His Angel gave a commandment about you, to keep you in all your ways.
They will lift you up in their arms, but not when you hit your foot on a stone, step on the asp and the basilisk,
and cross the lion and the serpent.
Because I have trusted in Me, I will deliver you; I will cover you, because I have known My name.
He will call to Me, and I will hear him: I am with him in tribulation, I will destroy him and glorify him,
I will fill him with long days, and I will show him My salvation.

How to read Psalm 90 (audio)

Psalm 90 (translation into modern Russian)

He who lives under the roof of the Most High, under the shadow of the Almighty, rests, says to the Lord: “My refuge and my defense, my God, in whom I trust!” He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler, from the destructive plague, He will cover you with His feathers, and you will be safe under His wings; shield and fence - His truth. You will not be afraid of the terrors in the night, the arrow that flies by day, the plague that stalks in the darkness, the plague that devastates at noon. A thousand shall fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it will not come near you: you will only look with your eyes and see the retribution of the wicked. For you said: “The Lord is my hope”; You have chosen the Most High as your refuge; no evil will befall you, and no plague will come near your dwelling; for He will command His angels about you - to guard you in all your ways: they will carry you in their hands, lest you dash your foot against a stone; you will step on the asp and basilisk; You will trample on the lion and the dragon. “Because he loved Me, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he has known My name. He will call to Me, and I will hear him; I am with him in sorrow; I will deliver him and glorify him, I will satisfy him with long days, and I will show him My salvation.”

How we help Psalm 90

From the book of Archpriest Valentin Biryukov (Psalm 90):

In 1977, in Samarkand, I witnessed another case of amazing healing after prayers.

One day a mother brought two daughters to me, one of them suffered from seizures.

- Father, perhaps you know how to cure Olya? She was completely tormented by seizures - she was beaten twice a day.
- Is your daughter baptized? - I ask.
- What about - baptized...
- Well, does she wear a cross?
Mom hesitated:
- Father... How can I tell you... Yes, it’s only been two weeks since they put the cross on her.

I shook my head: what kind of Christian is without a cross? It's like a warrior without a weapon. Completely defenseless. I started talking to them. He advised me to confess and take communion, and to read the 90th Psalm - “Alive in the help of the Most High” - 40 times every day.

Three days later this woman came with two daughters - Olya and Galya. They confessed, took communion and began to read Psalm 90 40 times daily, as I advised them (my parents taught me this prayer rule). And - a miracle - only two days later the whole family read the 90th Psalm before Olya stopped having seizures. We got rid of a serious illness without any hospitals. Shocked, my mother came to me and asked how much money was needed “for the work.”

“What are you doing, mommy,” I say, “it wasn’t me who did it, it was the Lord.” You see for yourself: what the doctors could not do, God did as soon as you turned to him with faith and repentance.

Another case of healing is associated with Psalm 90 - from deafness.

An elderly man named Nikolai came to our Ascension Church in Novosibirsk. He began to complain about grief:
- Father, I have trouble hearing for a long time, since the 4th grade of school. And now it has become completely unbearable. In addition, both the liver and stomach hurt.
- Do you keep fasts? - I ask him.
- No, what kind of posts are there! At work, whatever they feed me, that’s what I eat.

It was the fifth week of Lent.

“Nicholas,” I tell him, “before Easter, eat only Lenten food and read “Alive in the Help of the Most High” 40 times daily.

After Easter, Nikolai comes in tears, and takes his brother Vladimir with him.
- Father, God save you!.. At Easter they sang “Christ is Risen” - but I couldn’t hear it. Well, I think the priest said - fast, God will help, but as I was deaf, I remain deaf! As soon as I thought that, it was as if the plugs had popped out of my ears. Immediately, in an instant, I began to hear normally.

This is what fasting means, this is what prayer means. This is what it means to read “Alive in the Help of the Vyshnyago”, without any doubt. We really need pure, repentant prayer - more food and water. If the water in the glass is cloudy, we won’t drink it. So the Lord wants us to pour out not muddy, but pure prayer from our souls, He expects pure repentance from us... And for this we are now given both time and freedom. There would be zeal.

A lot of sick people come to the temple. I give advice to everyone - to confess your sins, take communion and read the 90th Psalm 40 times every day (“Alive in the help of the Most High”). This prayer is very powerful. My grandfather, father and mother taught me to pray this way. We read this prayer at the front - and there were such miracles with God’s help! I advise those who are sick to read this prayer as a memory. This prayer has special power to protect us.

My grandfather Roman Vasilyevich loved to pray. I knew many prayers by heart. He often read prayers over the possessed: Psalm 90, “To the King of Heaven” and others.

I believed that holy prayers could help anyone, even the sickest person. Probably in his childish purity faith and the Lord gave him such a gift that he knew in advance when they would bring the demoniac to him. They would bring him into the hut, tied hand and foot, and the grandfather would read the prayers, sprinkle him with holy water - and the man who had just been screaming and raving, became calm, and immediately slept for 2 hours after the grandfather’s prayers.

Today I would like to remind and talk about the protective properties of Psalm 90. Its text is often used as a prayer for protection. Moreover, the powerful protective properties of the psalm are manifested not only when reading it. If you write text by hand on a piece of paper Psalm 90 and keep this paper with your body, it turns into a powerful amulet against troubles, accidents, enemies, magicians, any energy and other harmful influences from the outside. Below, read a real-life example of how this amulet works.

Prayer amulet: Psalm 90

Copy the text onto paper, leather or fabric - any natural material. The resulting amulet should be worn on the body - in the pocket of underwear, in underwear (for example, bras often have pockets for push-ups - you can stuff them there), you can sew them to the lining. In general, figure out for yourself how to make sure that the text of the Psalm is always with you, preferably with your body. (That is, not in a bag somewhere nearby. Although even this option is better than not defending yourself at all).
Original text:

Living in the help of the Most High, he will settle in the shelter of the Heavenly God. Says the Lord: Thou art my Protector and my Refuge, my God, and I trust in Him. For He will deliver you from the snare of the trap, and from rebellious words, His splash will overshadow you, and under His wing you hope: His truth will surround you with weapons. Do not be afraid from the fear of the night, from the arrow that flies during the day, from the thing that passes in the darkness, from the cloak, and from the demon of the midday. Thousands will fall from your country, and darkness will fall at your right hand, but it will not come close to you, otherwise you will look at your eyes, and you will see the reward of sinners. For You, O Lord, are my hope, You have made the Most High your refuge. Evil will not come to you, and wound will not approach your body, as His Angel commanded you to keep you in all your ways. They will lift you up in their arms, but not when you dash your foot on a stone, step on an asp and a basilisk, and cross a lion and a serpent. For I have trusted in Me, and I will deliver, and I will cover, and because I have known My name. He will call to Me, and I will hear him: I am with him in sorrow, I will overcome him, and I will glorify him, I will fill him with long days, and I will show him My salvation.

Adapted, in Russian:

He who lives under the roof of the Most High, under the shadow of the Almighty, rests, says to the Lord: “My refuge and my defense, my God, in whom I trust!”

He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler, from the destructive plague, He will cover you with His feathers, and you will be safe under His wings; shield and fence are His truth.

You will not be afraid of the terrors in the night, the arrow that flies by day, the plague that stalks in the darkness, the plague that devastates at noon.

A thousand shall fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it will not come near you: you will only look with your eyes and see the retribution of the wicked.

For you said: “The Lord is my hope”; You have chosen the Most High as your refuge; no evil will befall you, and no plague will come near your dwelling; for He will command His angels about you - to guard you in all your ways: they will carry you in their hands, lest you dash your foot against a stone; you will step on the asp and basilisk; You will trample on the lion and the dragon.

“Because he loved Me, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he has known My name.

He will call to Me, and I will hear him; I am with him in sorrow; I will deliver him and glorify him, I will satisfy him with long days, and I will show him My salvation.”

Real life story: Nina moved to another department of the store to replace her friend. A friend went on sick leave, so Nina needed to work in the new team for at least a couple of weeks. On the very first day, the girl had a severe headache, and in the evening she felt incredibly exhausted. Although he always works in a similar mode, just in a different department.

This article will focus on the famous Psalm 90. It must be admitted that modernizing old texts of spells and prayers seems to be not only an empty exercise, but also somewhat destructive.

After all, a conspiracy or prayer is a kind of sound code in which every word, every letter, and even stress and intonation is important. Adjusting ancient texts to modern rules of writing and pronunciation changes the sound code to such an extent that a prayer or spell “becomes different from itself” and loses its power.

Psalm 90 Alive in the help of Vyshnyago

Psalm 90 does not have any separate title, but in the Septuagint translation (III-II centuries BC - a collection of translations of sacred texts into Greek) it has the inscription “Song of Praise of David.”

This text has been endowed with protective, protective qualities since ancient times and is used as a prayer in dangerous situations. Moreover, the text of Psalm 90 is often placed on everyday objects to give them the properties of a protective talisman.

Officially, the church does not welcome this, however, in monasteries and small handicraft workshops, items such as belts, bracelets, amulet, etc. are made, containing the text of this particular psalm: embossed on the surface of the item; written on a tiny piece of paper, pasted into a seam, or sewn inside an object.

An example is a belt (belt) made in the Danilovsky stauropegial (i.e., subordinate directly to the Moscow Patriarchate) monastery. Wholesale department: Moscow, Lyusinovskaya street, building 70 in the building of the Danilovsky Trading House, 5th floor, office 8.

There are, however, strong doubts that the belts and accessories are made directly in the monastery, leather is cut, cast from brass and buckles and the monogram of Christ are polished... Most likely, all this is simply brought from Turkey. Well, that's none of our business. Let’s just accept it as a fact - there are “official church” belts for sale with the 90th Psalm sewn into them. They supposedly make them right in the center of Moscow and sell them wholesale.

In Orthodoxy, the 90th Psalm is read during the service of the 6th hour (according to the book of hours it corresponds to noon), as well as at a memorial service and funeral service.

One of the most famous interpreters of the text of Psalm 90 is Athanasius the Great (c. 298-373 AD). In his interpretation, he writes about this psalm that persons are introduced in it:

“secretly led by Christ and conquering mental enemies by Him, i.e. principles and powers, rulers of this darkness, spirits of evil and the most hated Satan. And these enemies in this psalm are called differently: fear of the night, an arrow flying in the days, things passing in darkness, shitters and the midday demon, thousands and thousands, asp and basilisk, lion and serpent. And over all these enemies the psalm proclaims God’s victory to man.”

Despite the presence of a considerable number of interpretations, let’s also try to understand the meaning of this text, simultaneously comparing the ancient Church Slavonic version with the modern one, taken, by the way, from the Patriarchate website. There is, of course, an element of arrogance here. Well, we'll be careful, quietly...

1 He who dwells under the shelter of the Most High rests in the shadow of the Almighty,	1 He who lives in the help of the Most High will dwell in the shelter of the Heavenly God,
2 He says to the Lord: “My refuge and my defense, my God in whom I trust!”	2 He said to the Lord: You are my Advocate and my refuge, my God, and I trust in Him.
3 He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler, from the destructive plague,	3 For He will deliver me from the snare of the trap, and from the speech of rebellion:
4 He will overshadow you with His feathers, and under His wings you will be safe; shield and fence - His truth.	4 His cloak will cover you, and you will trust under His wing; His truth will surround you with weapons.
5 You will not fear the terrors of the night, nor the arrows that fly by day,	5 Thou shalt not fear from the fear of the night, nor from the arrow of a flying day,
6 The plague that walks in darkness, the plague that destroys at midday.	6 from the things that pass away in darkness, from the debris and the demon of the midday.
7 A thousand shall fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but will not come close to you:	7 Thousands will fall from your country, and darkness will be at your right hand, but it will not come near you:
8 Only you will look with your eyes and see the retribution of the wicked.	8 Look before your eyes, and you will see the reward of sinners.
9 For you have said: “The Lord is my hope”; You have chosen the Most High as your refuge;	9 For You, O Lord, are my hope: You have made the Most High your refuge.
10 No evil will befall you, and no plague will come near your dwelling;	10 No evil will come to you, and no wound will come near your body:
11 For he will command his angels concerning you, to guard you in all your ways:	11 As His angel commanded you, keep you in all your ways.
12 They will carry you up in their hands, lest you dash your foot against a stone;	12 They will lift you up in their arms, lest you dash your foot against a stone:
13 You will tread on the asp and basilisk; You will trample on the lion and the dragon.	13 Tread on the asp and the basilisk, and cross the lion and the serpent.
14 “Because he has loved Me, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he has known My name.	14 Because I have trusted, I will deliver, and I will cover, because I have known My name.
15 He will call to Me, and I will hear him; I am with him in sorrow; I will deliver him and glorify him,	15 He will call to Me, and I will hear him: I am with him in tribulation, I will destroy him, and I will glorify him:
16 I will satisfy him with long days, and show him My salvation."	16 I will fill him with long days, and show him My salvation."

Let's compare the first stanzas. It is obvious that the modern version generally conveys the general meaning of the stanza. However, the modern version lacks an important keyword - “help”. In addition, in the old version the more holistic word “Vyshny” is used, rather than “Almighty” (superlative degree), which also seems important.

The second stanza in the modern version looks very similar to the ancient version, but it sounds completely different. Some melody disappears. Read both options and you will immediately understand what is going on.

The third stanza in the modern version is almost completely distorted. “Yako Toy will deliver me from the snare of the hunter, and from the word of rebellion.” This refers to protection from deception in a broad sense, including verbal deceit, outright lies and mental attack. For some reason, a “disastrous ulcer” was added to the modern version, which in the ancient Church Slavonic version is not discussed at all, and not in a single stanza. Protection against deception in a broad sense in the new version is reduced to a “catcher’s net”, i.e. Here we see an attempt at completely inappropriate specification.

In the fourth stanza of the ancient version, it is said that the Most High will cover the reader with his shoulders (shoulders) and take him under his wing. Not literally, of course. We are talking about protection, but in a somewhat allegorical sense. In the modern version, some strange “feathers” appear. Apparently, the logic of the translator from “ancient to modern” was extremely simple - since there are wings, then why not feathers? “His truth will surround you with weapons” - the meaning is that the power of the Most High will manifest itself as a real weapon to protect the reader. According to some sources, the Jewish version of the psalm also names specific weapons - a sword and chain mail (armor). The sword is a weapon of active defense. But the shield indicated in the modern version is, you see, not at all the same as a sword. It is not clear why the shield was mentioned at all if it is not discussed at all either in the Church Slavonic version or (apparently) in the Jewish one.

Fifth stanza - “Do not be afraid from the fear of the night, from the arrow flying in the days.” Night terror - most likely, this refers to an attack, and not just fear or “horrors in the night”, as in the modern version. If we consider the stanza as a whole, it turns out that the reader of the psalm is promised protection from secret and overt attacks. It seems that “arrows flying in the days” are not at all the same as “arrows flying during the day.” An arrow can fly precisely on days, on some days, perhaps in the future.

“While leafing through an ancient astrological lexicon, I suddenly came across an article entitled Daemon Meridianus, or the Midday Demon. The same famous one from Psalm 90... It turned out that this was the name given to the constellation Sagittarius and its bright star (that is, the spectrum of Sagittarius) for its malignity...

It shows murder and loss of life. According to Ptolemy, the Sagittarius stars are of the nature of Mars and Venus. The current ecliptic longitude of the brightest star in this constellation, Gamma Sagittarius, is 7°12" Aquarii."

The illustration shows a medieval celestial atlas. The constellation Aquila and the constellation Sagittarius are marked on the page. Click on the illustration to open the high-resolution image.

It seems that the passage “arrows flying in the days” can also mean an unfortunate coincidence of circumstances, a danger to life.

The sixth stanza is the most mysterious, and its modern version does not at all correspond to the semantic meaning of the Church Slavonic text. Some kind of ulcer has again crept into the modern version, although it is said: “from things that pass away in darkness.” It can be assumed that some dangerous, “dark” objects are meant. Maybe linings? “Sryashcha” is an unpleasant meeting, a sudden misfortune, misfortune, attack, blow. The word may also refer to predictive witchcraft.

“They listen to the voices of the kokosh and the crow, and other birds and foxes, and saying, “You are evil, you are good.”[Teachings against the pagans of the 16th century]

Those. pagans used to guess about the future by analyzing the appearance (meeting, hiding) with one or another bird or beast.

What is the noon demon? Athanasius the Great considers him the demon of laziness. Another author of the 4th century, Eugarius of Pontus, writes:

“The demon of despondency, which is also called “midday” (Ps. 91:6), is the most severe of all demons. He approaches the monk around the fourth hour and besieges him until the eighth hour.”

It would probably be a strong simplification to believe that the midday demon is just laziness or despondency. It is doubtful whether all this is serious enough to merit mention in the psalm. Most likely, the noon demon (remembering the constellation Arrow) should be understood as an unhappy lot (fate) imposed by a negative demonic entity. Those. – an attack with the aim of bringing destructive consequences to life and destiny.

The seventh stanza contains some numerical listings, which is very typical for the rules of plotting. “Thousands will fall from your country, and darkness will fall at your right hand, but it will not come near you” - i.e. on one side (the left country) a thousand will fall, and on the right ten thousand. “Right” means on the right, on the right hand. In the modern version, they considered it appropriate to replace the word “darkness” with “ten thousand,” but for some reason they left “at the right hand.” There is no logic at all. In ancient times, a thousand and darkness were large numbers. There was no point in considering anything beyond the concept of darkness. Those. The meaning of the stanza is the prohibition (which is again characteristic of the conspiracy rules) for any enemies to approach the reader of the psalm in any numbers and from any direction.

The eighth stanza contains a reinforcement - “look upon both your eyes, and see the reward of sinners.” Obache is “however” or “however”. In modern interpretation it is replaced by “only”. Those. after the prohibition of the seventh stanza, it is consolidated in the eighth by the statement that the reader himself does not need to do anything else.

The ninth stanza seems interesting, since in it the Lord and the Most High are not seen as one: “For You, O Lord, are my hope: You have made the Most High your refuge.” It is difficult to imagine how this can be interpreted. At the same time, we must remember that the psalm was written before the New Testament, thus, the word Lord - Christ is not meant. In the Church Slavonic version, the appeal comes from the reader to the Lord, but in the modern version it is not clear who is addressing whom: “For you said: “The Lord is my hope.” And this seems to be a rather fundamental distortion.

In the tenth stanza there is again a special prohibition for evil and injury: “Evil will not come to you, and injury will not come near your body.” The stanza is clear and does not need adaptation at all. Nevertheless, this stanza is also adjusted to the modern style, again including in it a certain notorious ulcer and for some reason replacing “telesi” (organism, body) with a dwelling. At the same time, the prohibition of injury (and in a broader sense, accident, injury) drops out of the text completely.

The eleventh stanza contains a consolidation, as well as a promise of help from Angels: “as His Angel commanded you, keep you in all your ways.” And it is also completely understandable to modern man.

The twelfth stanza contains an allegorical opening of a free road: “let you not dash your foot against a stone.” Some interpretations indicate protection from leg bruises, but this does not seem correct, since the tenth stanza already discussed protection from wounds. Athanasius the Great considered the “foot” to be the soul, and the “stone” to be sin. But such an interpretation seems too allegorical. Most likely, we are simply talking about a free, open path.

The thirteenth stanza lists specific entities that cannot harm the reader: “tread on the asp and the basilisk, and cross the lion and the serpent.” Asp is a horned poisonous snake. The basilisk is described in some detail in medieval literature; it is a monster with the body of a toad, the head of a rooster and the tail of a snake. The lion and the snake are most likely allegories of evil power and dark deceit. Those. it turns out that the asp and basilisk are obvious evil spirits, and the lion and snake are implicit evil spirits. All together - a listing of dark forces, an allegorical description of demons. In the modern version, for some reason the snake was replaced with a dragon and this completely violated the allegorical nature of the stanza.

In the following stanzas there is the direct speech of the Lord, promising protection (“I will cover him”) not in general, but in case of conversion: “He will call to Me, and I will hear him.” Modern editing does not seem necessary, since the meaning of the ancient text is quite clear.
So what kind of text is Psalm 90? This is a prayer that is truly protective and truly helpful. But only when reading it in Old Church Slavonic. The psalm is actually used as a protective text in talismans, special objects and incense. And this, of course, is correct, since it is obvious, accessible and effective.

If you show this article to a narrow-minded Orthodox priest, then he will probably get a pang. Simply from the impudence of attempts at interpretation.

There is still one thing left that I would like to clarify. There is no need to “translate” texts from Old Slavonic to modern. Look at the text of this psalm, written in Old Slavonic. You will be a little confused at first. Now turn off your head and turn on your ancestral memory, and you will understand that you can read Old Slavic fluently! The prayer and any text are clear and readable. Tune in and read:

Have you read it? Got it? And what is incomprehensible in the given ancient Slavic text? But there is a difference. The text, even in Old Church Slavonic, differs from those distributed on the Internet. There are subtleties here. Please note.

How to read Psalm 90 in Church Slavonic

After posting the article on the site, some attentive visitors nevertheless noticed that the text “Alive in the Help of Vyshnyago” replicated on the Internet (in which the old, ancient Slavic sound is conveyed in modern letters) is also distorted! The differences in sound are small, but they are there. And we have already said that a prayer or conspiracy is not just text, but a sound code. Therefore, it should be read exactly as it has been read for centuries.

Following numerous requests from site visitors, we present the correct text of the psalm. This is how it should be read. The accents are highlighted in red, and the differences from the version replicated on the Internet are highlighted:

Alive in the help of the Most High, he will be established in the blood of God in heaven.
The Lord says: You are my protector, my refuge, my God and my hope. Nan .
I'm going to get rid of that hut cha from the snare there is evil, and from the word of speech there is reapment.
His cloak falls over you, and you trust under His wing.
Weapon You and His truth live in your life, not fearing from the fear of the night, nor from the flying arrow of the day.
From the thing tme transitory, from wilting and semi-density.
You will fall from your country, and darkness will be at your right hand, but it will not come near you.
Both che eyes ma your ma look at the sinner, and reward the sinner with the zrish.
I come to You, Lord, my hope; You have placed this as your refuge.
Evil will not come to you, and injury will not come near your body.
I gave my commandment to you as an angel, keep you in all your ways.
I’ll take you in my arms, but once you dash your feet against a stone yours .
Write ska on the speed and basil, and cross the lion and the snake.
I trust in Me, and hut I love you and, I cover you and I know you and my name.
He will call to Me, and I will hear, and I am with him in sorrow, izmu and , and asked for love his .
Longitude of days exhausted and and I will show him My salvation.

Psalm 90 in Church Slavonic performed by the choir of the brethren of the Valaam Monastery - psalom_90_valaam.mp3

Notes

The notes indicate which replacement is usually found in texts replicated on the Internet:
1. In almost all sources, instead of “Nan” - “on Him”.
2. In some disseminated texts here instead of “tya” there is “mya”.
3. Almost everywhere, including on the official websites of dioceses, instead of “weapons” - “weapons”.
4. Instead of "darkness" - modern "darkness". It should not be read firmly - darkness, but semi-softly, almost like darkness.
5. Replaced “yours” with “yours”, including on official websites.
6. Replaced with “your leg.”
7. The structure of the phrase is simplified and adjusted to the modern “I will deliver him.”
8. The same simplification with replacement by “ism him”.
9. Simplified to “I will fulfill it.”

How to make your own amulet with the text of Psalm 90

This question was asked on the site: “Will the psalm have protective power if I write it on paper or on a belt for my children?”

Yes, it will. And probably even greater than that made by someone unknown (Chinese or Turks) and unknown how it was consecrated. You will probably put your whole soul into writing this text. What is invested in the production of hundreds of such products is unknown.

If the Danilovsky Stauropegic Monastery is not prohibited from selling belts with a psalm, and even in bulk, then what arguments can there be for prohibiting making one’s own protective talisman for a child or husband?

I would recommend doing this:
Print illustrations from this page with the text of the psalm in Church Slavonic.
Find a small sheet of good, or even better, unusual paper.
Mark the future text with a pencil using thin lines.
When everything is ready, wait for the moment when you can start working thoughtfully, without haste. No one should interrupt the writing of the psalm, so it is better to do it at night, when everyone is sleeping.
It will be beautiful if the text is written with a thin black ballpoint or gel pen. It would be nice, of course, to use ink, but such writing requires a certain skill. Draw each initial letter carefully and carefully, while thinking about what exactly and for whom you are doing it - a protective talisman.
When finished, let the text dry, then trim off the excess paper to make the psalm more compact. Do not throw away the cut pieces, but burn them.
Now the finished text can be folded and: sewn into a belt, placed in an amulet bag, lining of clothing, etc. To prevent the text from getting wet, it can be placed in a small, thick plastic bag sealed on all sides.

P.S. It is better to make such a talisman on the waxing Moon before the Full Moon.

About reading words where “e” is implied

A post came to the questions section that seems not only interesting, but also important.

Olga, Moscow (06/18/2017 20:38:39)

Hello, dear healers! After reading your article about Psalm 90, one question remained: what sound “E” or “E” should be pronounced in the words “mine”, “yours”, “will call”, “will fall”?

***
V.Yu.: The Church Slavonic language (and it is in it that services are conducted in the Orthodox tradition) is a kind of ancient “Esperanto”. Those. a language as if “artificial”, combining the vocabulary of several Slavic countries and regions: Bulgaria, Serbia, Montenegro, Poland, Belarus, Ukraine, Russia.

Of course, there are differences between the civil languages ​​(in each country) and the Church Slavonic language. At the same time, these differences deepen over the years, as spoken languages ​​develop - they absorb neologisms, spew out archaisms... The Church Slavonic language, while continuing to become obsolete, does not change. Just like Latin, for example.

In the Church Slavonic language the sound (and letter) “ё” never existed. Therefore, all words where “e” seems to suggest itself should be read only as “e”. Those. - not “will call”, but “will call”.