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Psalm 34:12
Who is someone who desires life, and loves many days, that he may see good?
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.
Notice
The desire for “many days” includes a longing to “see good,” as the surrounding lines turn toward truthful speech and the pursuit of peace.
Questions to write on. Each one opens a new entry with this verse already attached.
What do you hope to see in the “many days” you desire?
Write on thisHow do the commands about speech and peace shape your picture of a good life?
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Where else Scripture says this
12 passages readers most often link with this verse, and the thread each one shares with it.
This verse's connections, by chapterThe Bible's strongest chapter linksHover or tap a book to trace it
Matthew 5:9Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.Jesus blesses peacemakers; the psalm follows its question about good days with a command to seek peace.
1 Peter 3:10–12For, “He who would love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit.Peter quotes the psalm’s words about loving life and seeing good days, carrying them into its instruction about truthful speech.
Deuteronomy 30:20to love the LORD your God, to obey his voice, and to cling to him; for he is your life, and the length of your days, that you may dwell in the land which the …Both passages connect length of days with life before the LORD, with Deuteronomy naming him as the source of life.
Deuteronomy 6:2that you might fear the LORD your God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you—you, your son, and your son’s son, all the days of …Deuteronomy connects prolonged days with fearing the LORD and keeping his commands, themes surrounding the psalm’s question about life.
Isaiah 65:20“No more will there be an infant who only lives a few days, nor an old man who has not filled his days; for the child will die one hundred years old, and the …Both passages speak of long life, though Isaiah describes days filled out while the psalm asks who desires many days.
Psalm 91:16I will satisfy him with long life, and show him my salvation.”Psalm 34 asks who desires many days; Psalm 91 speaks of God satisfying someone with long life.
Ecclesiastes 12:13This is the end of the matter. All has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man.Ecclesiastes names fearing God and keeping his commands as human duty; Psalm 34’s surrounding lines teach that same fear through conduct.
Job 7:7Oh remember that my life is a breath. My eye will no more see good.Both speak of seeing good in life, but Job laments that this prospect is gone while the psalm voices desire for it.
Ecclesiastes 3:13Also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy good in all his labor, is the gift of God.The psalm speaks of wanting to see good during life; Ecclesiastes describes enjoying good in daily labor as God’s gift.
Psalm 4:6Many say, “Who will show us any good?” LORD, let the light of your face shine on us.Both psalms ask about seeing good, with Psalm 4 turning that longing into a plea for the LORD’s favor.
Psalm 21:4He asked life of you and you gave it to him, even length of days forever and ever.Life and length of days appear in both passages, as a desire in Psalm 34 and an answered request in Psalm 21.
Psalm 94:14For the LORD won’t reject his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance.The connection is broad: Psalm 34’s surrounding verses speak of the LORD’s provision, while Psalm 94 promises he will not forsake his people.
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Encouragement
Your desire for life and good days has a place in this psalm. Its teaching connects that desire with fearing YHWH and seeking peace.
Now put it in your words.
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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).