Psalms 34

Taste and see that the Lord is good

will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak his praises.a ²I will boast only in the Lord; let all who are helpless take heart.b ³Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness; let us exalt his name together.c

⁴I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears.d ⁵Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces.e ⁶In my desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened; he saved me from all my troubles.f

⁷For the angel of the Lord is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who fear him.g ⁸Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!h ⁹Fear the Lord, you his godly people, for those who fear him will have all they need.i

¹⁰Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing.j ¹¹Come, my children, and listen to me, and I will teach you to fear the Lord.k ¹²Does anyone want to live a life that is long and prosperous?l

¹³Then keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies!m ¹⁴Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it.n ¹⁵The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right; his ears are open to their cries for help.o

¹⁶But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil; he will erase their memory from the earth. ¹⁷The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles.p ¹⁸The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.q

¹⁹The righteous person faces many troubles, but the Lord comes to the rescue each time.r ²⁰For the Lord protects the bones of the righteous; not one of them is broken!s ²¹Calamity will surely destroy the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be punished.

²²But the Lord will redeem those who serve him. No one who takes refuge in him will be condemned.t

Commentary

Psalm 34 is an acrostic poem (each verse begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet) attributed to David after he feigned madness before Abimelech (1 Sam 21:10-15). It is a song of thanksgiving for deliverance, blending personal testimony with general instruction on the

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Bible Dictionary· Psalms 34(7)

Face Lips Red Sea Right Shadow The Way Tongue

References· Psalms 34

a: v.1 — 1 Thessalonians 5:18, Colossians 3:17, Psalms 145:1-2, Ephesians 5:20, Psalms 71:8, Psalms 71:14-15, 2 Thessalonians 2:13, Acts 16:25, Psalms 71:6, 2 Thessalonians 1:3
b: v.2 — Jeremiah 9:24, 1 Corinthians 1:31, Psalms 119:74, Psalms 44:8, 2 Corinthians 10:17, Isaiah 45:25, Psalms 22:22-24, 1 Timothy 1:15-16, Psalms 105:3, Psalms 142:7
c: v.3 — Psalms 69:30, Luke 1:46, Psalms 148:1-14, Revelation 19:5-6, Psalms 40:16, Psalms 66:8, Psalms 35:27, Psalms 103:20-22, Revelation 14:7, Psalms 33:1-2
d: v.4 — Psalms 18:6, Matthew 7:7, Psalms 116:1-6, Psalms 56:3, 2 Timothy 1:7, Jonah 2:2, Isaiah 12:2, Psalms 31:22, Hebrews 5:7, Psalms 27:1-2
e: v.5 — Hebrews 12:2, Psalms 123:1-2, Psalms 18:28, Psalms 25:3, Psalms 36:9, Isaiah 60:5, Psalms 97:11, Psalms 13:3, Isaiah 45:22, Psalms 83:16
f: v.6 — Psalms 34:17-19, Psalms 3:4, Psalms 10:17, Psalms 66:16-20, Psalms 40:17, 2 Samuel 22:1, Revelation 7:14-17, Genesis 48:16
g: v.7 — Psalms 91:11, Daniel 6:22, Hebrews 1:14, 2 Kings 19:35, 2 Kings 6:17, Genesis 32:1-2, Matthew 18:10, Zechariah 9:8, Luke 16:22
h: v.8 — Taste and see that the Lord is good: 1 Peter 2:3; Psalms 119:103, Hebrews 6:4-5, 1 Peter 2:2-3, Jeremiah 31:14, Psalms 63:5, Psalms 84:12, Psalms 36:7, Zechariah 9:17, Psalms 36:10, 1 John 1:1-3
i: v.9 — Romans 8:32, Philippians 4:19, Psalms 23:1, Luke 12:30-32, Psalms 31:23, Psalms 89:7, Genesis 22:12, Revelation 15:3-4, Psalms 22:23, 1 Corinthians 3:22-23
j: v.10 — Psalms 84:11, Matthew 6:32, Psalms 104:21, Luke 1:51-53, Job 4:10-11
k: v.11 — Proverbs 1:7, Proverbs 2:1-9, Psalms 111:10, Psalms 32:8, Isaiah 28:9, Proverbs 8:17, Matthew 18:2-4, Proverbs 7:24, Proverbs 4:1, Psalms 66:16
l: v.12 — Who loves life: 1 Peter 3:10; 1 Peter 3:10-12, Deuteronomy 30:20, Deuteronomy 6:2, Psalms 91:16, Ecclesiastes 3:13, Psalms 4:6, Job 7:7, Psalms 21:4, Ecclesiastes 12:13, Ecclesiastes 2:3
m: v.13 — James 3:5-10, Psalms 141:3, Proverbs 21:23, 1 Peter 2:22, James 1:26, James 1:19, Colossians 3:9, Proverbs 13:3, James 3:2, Psalms 39:1
n: v.14 — Psalms 37:27, 1 Peter 3:11, Hebrews 12:14, 3 John 1:11, Romans 12:9, Romans 12:18, James 3:17-18, Romans 14:19, Proverbs 3:7, 2 Corinthians 13:11
o: v.15 — 1 Peter 3:12, Psalms 34:17, Psalms 33:18, Job 36:7, Psalms 130:2, Psalms 34:6, 2 Chronicles 6:40, Daniel 9:17-23, Isaiah 37:14-21
p: v.17 — Psalms 145:18-20, Isaiah 65:24, Psalms 34:19, Psalms 34:6, Psalms 91:15, Psalms 34:15, Acts 12:5-11, 2 Chronicles 32:24, 2 Chronicles 32:20-21
q: v.18 — Psalms 147:3, Psalms 145:18, Isaiah 57:15, Isaiah 61:1, Psalms 51:17, Ezekiel 36:26, Isaiah 66:2, Psalms 85:9, Luke 4:18, Isaiah 55:6
r: v.19 — Psalms 34:17, 1 Peter 4:12-13, 2 Corinthians 4:17, Psalms 34:6, John 16:33, Psalms 34:4, 2 Timothy 3:11-12, Job 5:19, Proverbs 24:16, 2 Corinthians 4:7-12
s: v.20 — Not one of his bones will be broken: John 19:31; John 19:36, Psalms 35:10, Psalms 91:12, Daniel 6:22-24
t: v.22 — Psalms 103:4, 1 Peter 1:18-19, Psalms 31:5, Psalms 71:23, 2 Samuel 4:9, 1 Kings 1:29, Romans 8:31-39, Revelation 5:9, Lamentations 3:58, Psalms 130:8

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