Psalms 34
Big idea: An acrostic written, according to its heading, after David escaped a Philistine king by pretending to be insane — which is to say, after a humiliating, undignified rescue. The psalm never mentions the incident. Instead it turns the whole thing into an invitation: oh taste and see that Yahweh is good. Its second half is a teacher's voice — come, you children, listen to me — and the curriculum is startlingly ordinary: watch your tongue, do good, seek peace and pursue it. And its most repeated audience is the broken: near to those who have a broken heart, saving those with a crushed spirit.
Psalm 34 says Yahweh is near the broken. Psalm 35 is what a broken man sounds like when he is also furious.
34:1–10 — Oh taste and see that Yahweh is good
An acrostic written, according to its title, after David escaped by pretending to be insane — which is worth holding beside 'I sought Yahweh, and he answered me'. The psalm does not narrate the trick. What it reports instead is a face: they looked, and were radiant. And its most famous line is an invitation to test the claim rather than accept it — taste, and see.
1 By David; when he pretended to be insane before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he departed. I will bless Yahweh at all times. His praise will always be in my mouth. 2 My soul shall boast in Yahweh. The humble shall hear of it and be glad. 3 Oh magnify Yahweh with me. Let’s exalt his name together. 4 I sought Yahweh, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears. 5 They looked to him, and were radiant. Their faces shall never be covered with shame. 6 This poor man cried, and Yahweh heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. 7 Yahweh’s angel encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them. 8 Oh taste and see that Yahweh is good. Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. 9 Oh fear Yahweh, you his saints, for there is no lack with those who fear him. 10 The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger, but those who seek Yahweh shall not lack any good thing.
34:11–22 — Near to those who have a broken heart
The second half turns into a lesson, and the curriculum is startling for a psalm about rescue: the fear of Yahweh turns out to be mostly about the tongue and the feet. Then the acrostic's best-known claim, which is not that the righteous avoid affliction — the psalm says plainly there will be MANY — but that God is near the broken specifically. And verse 20 is quoted in John's account of the crucifixion.
11 Come, you children, listen to me. I will teach you the fear of Yahweh. 12 Who is someone who desires life, and loves many days, that he may see good? 13 Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking lies. 14 Depart from evil, and do good. Seek peace, and pursue it. 15 Yahweh’s eyes are toward the righteous. His ears listen to their cry. 16 Yahweh’s face is against those who do evil, to cut off their memory from the earth. 17 The righteous cry, and Yahweh hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles. 18 Yahweh is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves those who have a crushed spirit. 19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but Yahweh delivers him out of them all. 20 He protects all of his bones. Not one of them is broken. 21 Evil shall kill the wicked. Those who hate the righteous shall be condemned. 22 Yahweh redeems the soul of his servants. None of those who take refuge in him shall be condemned.
Scripture text: World English Bible (public domain).