Bible Study Psalms 34
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Psalms 34 · WEB

Taste and See That the Lord Is Good

Listen — WEB narration 0:00 / 0:00 Narration: World English Bible (David Williams), public domain — AudioTreasure.

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I will bless Yahweh at all times. His praise shall continually 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 us 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.
7The angel of Yahweh 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 to 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 the man 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.
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Summary

Psalm 34 is an acrostic psalm of testimony and instruction, composed when David fled from King Achish of Gath by feigning madness (1 Samuel 21). It opens with David's personal praise and testimony of deliverance, invites others to taste and see Yahweh's goodness, transitions into wisdom instruction on the fear of Yahweh, and closes with the assurance that Yahweh is near to the broken-hearted and delivers the righteous from all their troubles. Verse 20 — "not one of his bones is broken" — is cited in John 19:36 as fulfilled in Christ's crucifixion.

Themes

  • Personal testimony as the basis for corporate invitation to worship
  • Tasting and seeing — experiential knowledge of God's goodness
  • The fear of Yahweh as the foundation of the good life
  • God's nearness to the broken-hearted and crushed in spirit
  • The righteous suffer many afflictions, but Yahweh delivers from all

Key verses

  • Ps 34:18 — “Yahweh is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves those who have a crushed spirit.”
  • Ps 34:19 — “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but Yahweh delivers him out of them all.”
  • Ps 34:8 — “Oh taste and see that Yahweh is good. Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.”

Context & background

Psalm 34's superscription refers to 1 Samuel 21:10-15, when David fled to Achish (called Abimelech here, perhaps a title rather than a personal name) and pretended to be insane to escape. The irony — David's most humiliating escape becomes the occasion for one of his greatest praise psalms — illustrates that God's deliverance can come through unlikely and even undignified paths. As an acrostic, it covers the full Hebrew alphabet as a completeness device. Verse 20's "not one of his bones is broken" is quoted in John 19:36 as specifically fulfilled when the soldiers found Jesus already dead and did not break his legs — a detail the Evangelist presents as direct fulfillment of Scripture.

Cross-references

  • 1 Peter 2:3 — "if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good" — v. 8 applied to new believers
  • 1 Samuel 21:10-15 — the historical incident behind the superscription
  • Hebrews 4:15-16 — Jesus sympathizes with our weakness; we can approach with confidence — v. 18's nearness
  • John 19:36 — "not one of his bones will be broken" — v. 20 cited as prophecy fulfilled at the cross
  • Romans 8:18 — present sufferings not worth comparing with coming glory — v. 19's many afflictions

Check your reading

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  1. Observe

    What is the invitation in verse 8, and what does "tasting" suggest about knowing God's goodness?

  2. Observe

    According to verse 18, who is Yahweh especially near to?

  3. Interpret

    What kind of comfort does verse 19 — "many are the afflictions of the righteous, but Yahweh delivers him out of them all" — actually offer?

  4. Interpret

    How does the psalm define the fear of Yahweh in practical terms (vv. 11-14)?

  5. Apply

    How should believers re-interpret seasons of broken-heartedness in light of verse 18?

  6. Apply

    What does Psalm 34's origin — David's most humiliating escape — teach about undignified suffering and praise?

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