Bible Commentaries
Psalms 34

Verse 2

My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.

Shall boast — Shall glory in this, that I have so powerful and so gracious a master.

The humble — The righteous.

Verse 3

O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.

Together — Not in place, for David was now banished from the place of God’s publick worship, but in affection: let our souls meet, and let our praises meet in the ears of the all-hearing God.

Verse 5

They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.

Lightened — Comforted and encouraged.

Ashamed — They were not disappointed of their hope.

Verse 6

This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.

This man — David.

Verse 7

The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.

The angel — The angels, the singular number being put for the plural.

Verse 8

O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

O taste — Make trial, of it by your own experience of it.

Good — Merciful and gracious.

Verse 9

O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.

Fear — Reverence, serve, and trust him: for fear is commonly put for all the parts of God’s worship.

Verse 12

What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good?

Life — A long and happy life, begun in this world and continued for ever in the next.

Good — In which he may enjoy good, prosperity or happiness.

Verse 13

Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.

Evil — From all manner of evil speaking, from all injurious, false and deceitful speeches.

Verse 14

Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.

Depart — From all sin.

Do good — Be ready to perform all good offices to all men.

Seek — Study by all means possible to live peaceable with all men.

Pursue it — Do not only embrace it gladly when it is offered, but follow hard after it, when it seems to flee away from thee.

Verse 16

The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.

The face — His anger, which discovers itself in the face.

Verse 18

The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.

Nigh — Ready to hear and succour them.

To — Those whose spirits are truly humbled under the hand of God, and the sense of their sins, whose hearts are subdued, and made obedient to God’s will and submissive to his providence.

Verse 20

He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.

Bones — All the parts and members of their bodies.