The Bible — World English Bible
Psalm 34
In brief
Psalm 34 is a psalm of praise written by David after he pretended to be insane before Abimelech to escape death. It tells of a deliverance: David sought the Lord and the Lord answered him. It then invites us to taste God's goodness, to fear him, to keep our tongue from evil and to seek peace. The psalm reminds us that the righteous have many troubles, but that the Lord delivers them out of them. It is quoted for the brokenhearted.
According to its title, Psalm 34 is by David. The title ties it to the episode when David, fleeing from Saul, pretends to be mad before a Philistine king to save his life (1 Samuel 21:10-15). The story calls this king Achish and the psalm calls him Abimelech: it may have been a title of the Philistine kings, like Pharaoh in Egypt, though we cannot be sure. It is a psalm of thanksgiving that becomes, from verse 11 on, a teaching of wisdom. In Hebrew it is an acrostic: its verses follow, more or less, the order of the alphabet. The apostle Peter takes it up twice (1 Peter 2:3 and 3:10-12). In the Hebrew text and in some Bibles, the title counts as a verse of its own and the numbering is shifted by one: verse 18 on this page is numbered 19 there. Today it is prayed to thank God for a deliverance or to comfort the brokenhearted, and since the early centuries churches have sung its verse 8 during communion.
The chapter in 4 parts
1I will bless Yahweh at all times. His praise will always be in my mouth.
2My soul shall boast in Yahweh. The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
3Oh magnify Yahweh with me. Let’s exalt his name together.
4I sought Yahweh, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears.
5They looked to him, and were radiant. Their faces shall never be covered with shame.
6This poor man cried, and Yahweh heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.
7Yahweh’s angel encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.
8Oh taste and see that Yahweh is good. Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.
9Oh fear Yahweh, you his saints, for there is no lack with those who fear him.
10The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger, but those who seek Yahweh shall not lack any good thing.
11Come, you children, listen to me. I will teach you the fear of Yahweh.
12Who is someone who desires life, and loves many days, that he may see good?
13Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking lies.
14Depart from evil, and do good. Seek peace, and pursue it.
15Yahweh’s eyes are toward the righteous. His ears listen to their cry.
16Yahweh’s face is against those who do evil, to cut off their memory from the earth.
17The righteous cry, and Yahweh hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles.
18Yahweh is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves those who have a crushed spirit.
19Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but Yahweh delivers him out of them all.
20He protects all of his bones. Not one of them is broken.
21Evil shall kill the wicked. Those who hate the righteous shall be condemned.
22Yahweh redeems the soul of his servants. None of those who take refuge in him shall be condemned.
Understanding Psalm 34 verse by verse
v. 1-3Blessing God at all times, even after fear
The title recalls an inglorious scene. David, on the run, finds himself in Gath, Goliath's hometown, and he is so afraid that he plays the madman, scribbling on the doors and letting spit run down his beard, so that they will drive him out instead of killing him. This is where the psalm starts. Its first words are a decision, to bless the Lord at all times, and a promise: “His praise will always be in my mouth.” Not only when everything is going well. Then David wants others to hear it: “The humble shall hear of it and be glad.” He does not praise alone, he invites: “Let's exalt his name together.” Your praise too can be born from a moment when you were not proud of yourself, and become an encouragement to those who are hurting.
v. 4-7He answered me: the testimony of a delivered man
David tells his story: he sought the Lord, and God answered him. In his own words, God “delivered me from all my fears.” The deliverance reaches fear itself, not only the threat. Verse 5 describes those who look to God: “They looked to him, and were radiant,” and their faces are never covered with shame. Verse 6 widens his story to everyone: when a poor man cries out, God hears and saves him. Verse 7 adds a military picture: the angel of the Lord “encamps around those who fear him,” like an army setting up camp around a city. Some see in this an appearance of the Son of God before he came to earth, others an angel sent by God. The psalm does not promise the absence of danger, since David was very much in danger. It says that God was there.
v. 8-10Taste and see: a goodness you experience for yourself
Here is the best-known verse: “Oh taste and see” that the Lord is good. The Hebrew verb means to taste, as you taste a dish, and that is the word most translations use. God's goodness is not discovered only through what people say about it: it is discovered when you take refuge in him. The apostle Peter takes up the image for Christians who have tasted the Lord's goodness (1 Peter 2:3). Verses 9 and 10 state that those who fear him lack nothing. This is not a promise of wealth: David writes as a fugitive, with no home and no security. Even young lions, strong hunters that they are, go hungry; those who seek God will lack no true good, nothing they need in order to live with him. Jesus says the same about food and clothing (Matthew 6:33).
v. 11-14The school of the fear of God: tongue, good and peace
The tone changes: David becomes a teacher. “Come, you children, listen to me.” He is not talking about panic fear, but about the fear of the Lord, that trusting respect that takes God seriously. He asks a question that everyone answers yes to: “Who is someone who desires life, and loves many days, that he may see good?” His answer is very concrete. First the tongue: no evil, no deceitful words. Then direction: turn away from evil and do good. Finally peace: seek it and pursue it, like running after something that keeps slipping away. Peter quotes these verses for Christians who are being mistreated, calling them to bless rather than to repay evil for evil (1 Peter 3:9-12). The faith of this psalm shows itself in how you speak and in how you live with others.
v. 15-18God sees, hears and stays close to the brokenhearted
These verses describe God's attention: his eyes are on the righteous, his ears are open to their cry. The righteous person, in the Psalms, is not a perfect man, but someone who trusts in God and seeks to obey him. Verse 16 recalls the other side of the truth: God's face is against those who do evil, and their memory will be cut off. The psalm does not soften it. When the righteous cry out, God hears and delivers them (verse 17). Then comes one of the most comforting verses in the Bible: the Lord is “near to those who have a broken heart,” and he saves those who have a crushed spirit. Notice the order: God does not first promise to take away the pain, he promises to be close. If you are grieving, rejected or at the end of your strength, your sadness does not push you away from him.
v. 19-22The righteous often suffer, but God has the last word
The psalm is honest: “Many are the afflictions of the righteous.” Faith does not shelter you from trials, it goes through them with God, who always delivers, even if not at the moment or in the way we hoped. Verse 20 says that God keeps all the bones of the righteous one: “Not one of them is broken.” The gospel of John sees these words fulfilled at the cross, when the soldiers do not break Jesus' legs (John 19:36), which also echoes the Passover lamb. The righteous one above all others suffered and died, but God did not abandon him to death: he raised him. It is in this light that the last verses are read. Evil ends up turning against the wicked, and those who have God as their refuge escape condemnation. In Jesus, this promise is offered to all who take refuge in him.
How to pray Psalm 34
When to pray this psalm
- After a deliverance, to thank God specifically for what he has done.
- When fear paralyzes you, at night or before a hard decision.
- When you are grieving or your heart is broken by a separation.
- When you are ashamed of how you reacted in a crisis, like David at Gath.
- When your words have hurt someone and you want to learn to seek peace.
- When you are short of what you need and worried about tomorrow.
A prayer inspired by Psalm 34
Lord, I want to bless you at all times, and not only when everything is going well. You know my fears, the ones I show and the ones I hide. Like David, I sometimes flail around clumsily, pretend, panic. Yet I sought you, and you answered me. Thank you for every deliverance I forget too quickly. I turn my eyes to you: let my face no longer be covered with shame. You who are near to the brokenhearted, come close to me in what hurts me. I am not asking for a life without misfortune, I am asking that you not let go of me in misfortune. Keep my tongue from evil and from deceit, teach me to do good and to pursue peace, even with those who hurt me. Let me taste and see how good you are, and let your praise always be in my mouth. I take refuge in you, through Jesus, my Savior. Amen.
Key verses
I will bless Yahweh at all times. His praise will always be in my mouth.
The title ties the psalm to the episode when David, at Gath, pretends to be mad before Abimelech to save his life. He composes a song of praise out of a moment of fear.
I sought Yahweh, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears.
David sought the Lord, and the Lord answered him by delivering him from his fears. The deliverance reaches fear itself, not only the threat.
Oh taste and see that Yahweh is good. Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.
Taste and see how good the Lord is: God's goodness is known by experience, by taking refuge in him. Trust comes before proof.
Yahweh is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves those who have a crushed spirit.
The verse says the Lord is near the brokenhearted. It is often quoted to people who are grieving, in distress or discouraged.
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Frequently asked questions about Psalm 34
What does Psalm 34 mean?
Psalm 34 is a testimony of deliverance. David sought the Lord in fear, and God saved him. He then invites others to have the same experience: to taste God's goodness, to fear him, to do good and to seek peace. He affirms that God is near the brokenhearted.
In what circumstances did David write Psalm 34?
The title recalls the episode of 1 Samuel 21: David, fleeing Saul, arrives at Gath at the court of King Abimelech and pretends to be mad so that he will not be killed. He is driven out, but alive. The psalm is the praise he draws from it later, acknowledging that the Lord was the one who delivered him.
What does taste and see mean in verse 8?
To taste is to try for yourself and not only hear about it. David invites his readers to experience God's goodness by taking refuge in him. The verse affirms that whoever seeks refuge in God is blessed, that is, finds the security and joy he was looking for.
How can I pray or meditate on Psalm 34?
Thank God for a specific deliverance in your life, as David does in verse 4. Then read verses 18 to 20 if you are going through a season of sadness. The psalm is easy to memorize in pieces: one verse a day, for example verse 8 in the morning and verse 19 in the evening.
Articles quoting Psalm 34
- 20 Bible Verses for a Christian Funeral in Japan: Hope and Comfort for the Bereaved
- 20 Bible Verses for Job Hunting in Japan: Anxiety, Interviews and Rejection
- Ezekiel 3: What Is Hard to Digest Becomes Sweet as Honey
- Matthew 11: Faith Is Trust, Not a Burden
- Luke 10: Wounded Along the Way, the Wounds No One Sees
- Hebrews 11:35: A Better Faith, Even Without Deliverance
World English Bible translation — public domain.