Psalms 31:20
Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.
Main message
Psalm 31:20: God hides the faithful in the shelter of his presence from human plots and contentious tongues; spiritual refuge can coexist with legal protection, safeguarding, and truthful disclosure.
Meaning in context
Psalm 31:19–24 · Goodness, heard prayer and courage — Verses 19–24 praise stored-up goodness, shelter in God’s presence, marvelous steadfast love, heard supplication, faithful preservation and courageous hope.
God hides the faithful in the shelter of his presence from human plots and contentious tongues; spiritual refuge can coexist with legal protection, safeguarding, and truthful disclosure.
Further teachings
Goodness, heard prayer and courage
God hides the faithful in the shelter of his presence from human plots and contentious tongues; spiritual refuge can coexist with legal protection, safeguarding, and truthful disclosure.
Cross References: Psalm 31:20 — Psalm 31:19–24.
Applications in daily life
- 1
Psalm 31:20
God hides the faithful in the shelter of his presence from human plots and contentious tongues; spiritual refuge can coexist with legal protection, safeguarding, and truthful disclosure.
Divine shelter does not require hiding crimes, avoiding authorities, or remaining in unsafe environments.
Related Bible passages and resources
- Psalm 31 (complete chapter)
Psalm 31 moves repeatedly between refuge and distress: the speaker entrusts himself to the LORD, describes grief, rejection, slander, and danger, and continues to call on God for deliverance. The poem does not minimize embodied suffering or social fear, yet it repeatedly returns to trust, God’s steadfast love, and the confession that the speaker’s times are in God’s hand. The closing movement widens from personal testimony to praise, love for the LORD, and courage for all who hope in him. Its language of enemies, Sheol, hidden shelter, and recompense belongs to prayer and divine justice, not private retaliation or withdrawal from practical help.
- Psalm 31:19
Read the previous verse to preserve the movement.
- Psalm 31:21
Continue with the next verse to preserve the movement.
- Study the Book of Psalms
Keep the verse within Psalm 31’s movement from refuge, through grief and threat, to renewed trust, praise, and courageous hope.
Common misreadings
Divine shelter does not require hiding crimes, avoiding authorities, or remaining in unsafe environments.
God hides the faithful in the shelter of his presence from human plots and contentious tongues; spiritual refuge can coexist with legal protection, safeguarding, and truthful disclosure.
How to Apply Psalms 31:20
Use Psalms 31:20 as a daily declaration. Speak it over your circumstances, inserting your name where relevant. Let its promise from Psalms anchor your perspective as you navigate decisions related to from Scripture, and share it with one person who might need it today.
Sources & Method
Biblical text
Commentary anchored in the public-domain Psalm 31 text used by the site.
- Author:
- The Lord Will Editorial Team
- Reviewed by:
- Ugo Candido
- Last updated:
- Reviewed on: