Skip to main content
Psalmlog Logo

Psalm 34

Psalm 34 joins praise for answered prayer with instruction in fearing YHWH, who hears the righteous amid their afflictions.

David has escaped after pretending to be insane before Abimelech, according to the psalm’s heading. He praises YHWH for hearing his cry and calls the humble to join him. His account of rescue becomes instruction: he teaches his listeners to fear YHWH, speak truth, and pursue peace. The closing verses describe God’s care for the righteous amid many afflictions, his nearness to the brokenhearted, and his judgment against those who do evil.

answered prayergriefpraise and worship
Read
1By David; when he pretended to be insane before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he departed. I will bless the LORD at all times. His praise will always be in my mouth.
2My soul shall boast in the LORD. The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
3Oh magnify the LORD with me. Let’s exalt his name together.
4I sought the LORD, 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 the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.
7The LORD’s angel encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.
8Oh taste and see that the LORD is good. Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.
9Oh fear the LORD, 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 the LORD shall not lack any good thing.
11Come, you children, listen to me. I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
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.
15The LORD’s eyes are toward the righteous. His ears listen to their cry.
16The LORD’s face is against those who do evil, to cut off their memory from the earth.
17The righteous cry, and the LORD hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles.
18The LORD 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 the LORD 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.
22The LORD redeems the soul of his servants. None of those who take refuge in him shall be condemned.
World English BibleRead in NIV in Psalmlog →Highlighted verses are the most connected. Tap a number for its page.
Key verses
Psalm 34:15God’s watchful attention anchors the teaching about righteous conduct: he sees his people and hears their cries.
Psalm 34:9The call to fear YHWH links trust in his provision with the conduct David teaches next.
Psalm 34:18God’s nearness to the brokenhearted places crushed spirits within his care, alongside the psalm’s strong claims of deliverance.
Where this chapter reaches

1 Peter echoes the language of tasting the Lord’s goodness and quotes this psalm’s teaching about truthful speech, pursuing peace, and God hearing the righteous. Isaiah shares its assurance that God is close to the contrite and gives life to the crushed in spirit.

Psalm 34's chapter linksAll strongest linksHover or tap a book
Notice

After reading the whole chapter

What do you notice about the place of fear and affliction within David’s praise?

Write on this

Where might the call to guard your speech and pursue peace touch a current relationship?

Write on this

Questions people ask about Psalm 34

What does “taste and see” mean in Psalm 34:8?

The phrase uses the language of tasting food to call people to trust YHWH and discover his goodness. The next line connects this with taking refuge in him. David has described God hearing his cry; he now calls others to seek the same God for themselves.

What does it mean to fear YHWH in Psalm 34?

David connects fearing YHWH with seeking him, trusting his provision, and listening to his instruction. Verses 13–14 make that fear concrete through truthful speech, turning from evil, doing good, and pursuing peace. It includes reverence for the God who hears the righteous and stands against evil.

Does Psalm 34 promise that believers will never suffer?

Verse 19 states, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous,” and verse 18 speaks of broken hearts and crushed spirits. The promises of provision and rescue stand alongside those realities. The psalm declares God’s care and deliverance without specifying when each trouble will end or how rescue will come.

Read it. Now write it.

Start an entry on Psalm 34. Your words go beside the text, and you get one next step for the week.

Psalms · 150 chapters
123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536373839404142434445464748495051525354555657585960616263646566676869707172737475767778798081828384858687888990919293949596979899100101102103104105106107108109110111112113114115116117118119120121122123124125126127128129130131132133134135136137138139140141142143144145146147148149150
What the Bible says about grief →What the Bible says about worship →

Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY). Scripture from the World English Bible (public domain). Arc diagram after Chris Harrison and Christoph Römhild (2007).