Psalm 34 is a psalm of David, written, according to its title, after he escaped from danger by pretending to be mad before a Philistine king (1 Samuel 21:10-15). It begins, "I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth" (Psalms 34:1), and includes some of the most loved lines in the Psalms: "O taste and see that the LORD is good" (Psalms 34:8) and "The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart" (Psalms 34:18). It is an acrostic in Hebrew, each verse starting with the next letter of the alphabet.
Psalm 34 was written by a man on the run. David had fled from King Saul to the Philistine city of Gath, and when the servants of its king recognized him, he was terrified. He pretended to be insane, scratching on the doors of the gate and letting spittle run down his beard, and the king sent him away (1 Samuel 21:10-15). The psalm's title calls the king Abimelech, probably a royal title like Pharaoh; 1 Samuel calls him Achish. Out of that humiliating escape came a song of praise and a lesson for others. Peter quotes it twice in his first letter, and John sees one verse fulfilled at the cross. Below are all 22 verses of Psalm 34 in the KJV, in 12 readings with notes. For another psalm of trust, read Psalm 27 meaning; for a psalm of thanks, see Psalm 100 KJV.
I sought the LORD, and he heard me (Psalm 34:1-8)
1. Psalms 34:1-3
"I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together."
David starts with a vow: at all times, continually. He wrote it after one of the worst days of his life, when he had to act like a madman to survive. Praise at all times does not mean pretending everything is fine. It means that God is worth praising in every situation, including the bad ones. My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: not in his own cleverness at Gath, but in God who rescued him. Then he invites others: O magnify the LORD with me. To magnify is to make large in our eyes. Praise is meant to be shared. See Bible verses about praise and worship.
2. Psalms 34:4-5
"I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed."
Here is David's testimony in one sentence: I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. Notice what he was delivered from: not only his enemies but his fears. Fear had driven him to Gath and then to pretend madness. God met him in that fear. They looked unto him, and were lightened: people who look to God become radiant, their faces lit up like a face turned toward the sun. And their faces were not ashamed. David had been humiliated, but God took the shame away. See Bible verses about fear.
3. Psalms 34:6-7
"This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them."
This poor man cried: David calls himself poor, a fugitive with nothing. The LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. Then comes one of the great promises of protection in the Psalms: The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. An encampment is an army camp set up around something to guard it. Elisha's servant once saw such a camp, horses and chariots of fire around the prophet (2 Kings 6:17). God's people are never as unguarded as they look. See Bible verses about protection.
4. Psalms 34:8
"O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him."
O taste and see that the LORD is good. This is the best-known line of the psalm, and it is an invitation to experience, not just to agree. You cannot know whether food is good by reading about it; you have to taste it. David is saying: try trusting God, and you will find out for yourself that He is good. Blessed is the man that trusteth in him. Peter quotes this verse to new believers: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious (1 Peter 2:3). Many churches sing it at communion. See Bible verses about the goodness of God.
Come, ye children, hearken unto me (Psalm 34:9-16)
5. Psalms 34:9-10
"O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him. The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing."
O fear the LORD, ye his saints. The fear of the LORD is not terror but reverent trust, taking God seriously. Those who fear Him, David says, have no want. The young lions, the strongest hunters, can go hungry, but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing. This is not a promise of wealth. David wrote it as a hungry fugitive. It means that God will not withhold anything that is truly good for His people, even when strength and cleverness fail. See Bible verses about God providing.
6. Psalms 34:11-12
"Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD. What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good?"
Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD. The psalm now turns from praise to teaching, like a father passing on what he learned the hard way. David had just lived through a lesson, and he wants others to learn it without going to Gath. What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good? Everyone wants a good life. The next verses explain what such a life looks like. See Bible verses about the fear of the Lord.
7. Psalms 34:13-14
"Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it."
The good life begins with the tongue: Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. Guile means deceit. Perhaps David remembered his own deception at Gath, and before that, the lie he told the priest at Nob (1 Samuel 21:1-2), which had terrible consequences (1 Samuel 22:18-19). Then: Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it. Peace does not happen by accident. It has to be chased. Peter quotes Psalm 34:12-16 in full to teach Christians how to live (1 Peter 3:10-12). See Bible verses about the tongue.
8. Psalms 34:15-16
"The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry. The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth."
The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry. God sees and hears His people; the psalm has already shown it in David's story (verse 6). But the next verse is a warning: The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. God is not neutral about evil. The same attention that comforts the righteous is a threat to those who harm others. Both halves of the verse are good news for anyone who has been wronged. See Bible verses about God answering prayers.
The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart (Psalm 34:17-22)
9. Psalms 34:17-18
"The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit."
The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth. Then comes one of the most comforting verses in the Bible: The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. Nigh means near. When our hearts are broken, by grief, failure or loss, we may feel that God is far away. The psalm says the opposite: that is when He is closest. Contrite means crushed. God does not turn away from crushed people; He saves them. See Bible verses about a broken heart.
10. Psalms 34:19-20
"Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all. He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken."
Many are the afflictions of the righteous. Psalm 34 is honest: faith does not mean an easy life. But the LORD delivereth him out of them all. He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken. John saw this verse fulfilled at the crucifixion. The soldiers broke the legs of the two thieves to hasten their deaths, but when they came to Jesus He was already dead, so they did not break His legs. John writes that these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken (John 19:36).
11. Psalms 34:21
"Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate."
Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate. The psalm does not say God goes looking for revenge. It says evil destroys the people who choose it. Sin carries its own judgment, like a trap that catches the one who set it (Psalms 7:15-16). They that hate the righteous shall be desolate means they will be found guilty and left with nothing. For those who have been hurt by others, this verse is a promise that evil will not have the last word. See Bible verses about judgment.
12. Psalms 34:22
"The LORD redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate."
The psalm ends with redemption: The LORD redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate. To redeem is to buy back, to set free by paying a price. The word desolate appears in both of the last two verses, and the contrast is the point: the wicked will be left desolate, but none who trust in the LORD will be. In Christ, the price of our redemption has been paid (1 Peter 1:18-19). David's story ends in praise because God bought him back, and He still does. See Bible verses about redemption.
A short prayer
LORD, I will bless You at all times; Your praise shall continually be in my mouth. Like David, I have sought You in my fears, and You have heard me. Thank You for the angel of the LORD who encamps around those who fear You. I want to taste and see that You are good. Teach me to keep my tongue from evil and to seek peace and pursue it. When my heart is broken, be near me, as You promised. Redeem my soul, and let me never be desolate, because I trust in You. Amen.
Go deeper: a SOAP study prompt
Pick one verse above and write: - Scripture: copy the verse by hand. - Observation: what does it say? Who is speaking, to whom? - Application: what does it mean for you today? - Prayer: turn it into a two-line prayer.
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Frequently asked questions
What is Psalm 34 about?
Psalm 34 is David's song of praise and teaching after God rescued him from danger at Gath (1 Samuel 21:10-15). The first half praises God for hearing and delivering him, and invites others to taste and see that the LORD is good. The second half teaches the fear of the LORD: guard your tongue, turn from evil, seek peace, and trust God, who is near the brokenhearted and redeems His servants.
Why does Psalm 34 mention Abimelech instead of Achish?
The title of Psalm 34 says David changed his behaviour before Abimelech, while 1 Samuel 21 names the king of Gath as Achish. Many scholars think Abimelech was a royal title for Philistine kings, as Pharaoh was for the kings of Egypt; the name also appears for a Philistine king in Genesis 20 and 26. The psalm and the history describe the same event.
Does Psalm 34:10 mean believers will never lack anything?
No. David wrote Psalm 34 as a hungry fugitive, and verse 19 says many are the afflictions of the righteous. Verse 10 promises that those who seek the LORD will not lack any good thing, meaning that God will not withhold what is truly good for them. It is a promise of His care, not a guarantee of wealth or an easy life.
How is Psalm 34 used in the New Testament?
Peter quotes it twice: Psalm 34:8 in 1 Peter 2:3, about tasting that the Lord is gracious, and Psalm 34:12-16 in 1 Peter 3:10-12, about guarding the tongue and seeking peace. John sees Psalm 34:20, not one of his bones is broken, fulfilled when the soldiers did not break Jesus' legs at the cross (John 19:36).
Sources: All Scripture quotations are from the King James Version (KJV), public domain in the United States. References were checked against the KJV text from bible-api.com.
Related: A broken heart · Fear · Protection · The goodness of God · Psalm 100 KJV · Psalm 27 meaning · Psalm 91 meaning · The fear of the Lord
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