Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
Psalms 34:4

Clarke's Commentary

Verse Psalms 34:4. I sought the Lord — This is the reason and cause of his gratitude. I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me out of all my fears. This answers to the history; for when David heard what the servants of Achish said concerning him, "he laid up the words in his heart, and was greatly afraid," 1 Samuel 21:13. To save him, God caused the epileptic fit to seize him; and, in consequence, he was dismissed by Achish, as one whose defection from his master, and union with the Philistines, could be of no use, and thus David's life and honour were preserved. The reader will see that I proceed on the ground laid down by the Septuagint. See before, Psalms 34:1.

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

Psalms 34:0 Thanks for deliverance

When he first fled from Saul to the Philistine city of Gath, David expected the Philistines would welcome him as a deserter from Israel’s army, and so provide him with refuge. But the Philistines had probably not yet heard of David’s break with Saul. They knew only that David had killed thousands of their own Philistine people; perhaps he was spying out their city in preparation for more slaughter. They decided to kill him, and David escaped only by pretending to be a madman. He found a new hiding place in the cave of Adullam (1 Samuel 21:10-1).

Although the king of Gath’s name was Achish, the heading to this psalm calls him Abimelech. This was a Philistine royal title (meaning ‘father-king’), in the same manner as ‘Pharaoh’ was an Egyptian royal title (cf. Genesis 20:2; Genesis 21:22; Genesis 26:26).

David trusts that God’s deliverance of him will encourage others and be a cause for joint praise (1-3). His face previously showed shame and fear; now it shows radiance, for God protects and rescues the downtrodden when they cry to him (4-7). David therefore invites others to taste God’s goodness for themselves. The strongest and most successful flesh-hunting beasts do not always find enough food to satisfy them, but David never suffers a shortage of supplies. He fears God, and therefore God provides for him (8-10).
To fear God requires people to speak truthfully, do good and strive for peace. This is the only way to true enjoyment in life (11-14). God punishes those who do evil but he answers the prayers of those who live uprightly, particularly when they are tempted to give up hope (15-18). Regardless of the extent of people’s suffering, God is always able to preserve them through it. In the end, righteousness will lead to victory (19-22).

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

"I will bless Jehovah at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in Jehovah: The meek shall hear thereof, and be glad. O magnify Jehovah with me, And let us exalt his name together. I sought Jehovah, and he answered me, And delivered me from all my fears. They looked unto him, and were radiant; And their faces shall never be confounded. This poor man cried, and Jehovah heard him, And saved him out of all his troubles."

"I will bless Jehovah at all times… continually" (Psalms 34:1). This indicates David's purpose of praising God under all circumstances. Such continual prayer and thanksgiving are also required of Christians. "Giving thanks always for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus" (Ephesians 5:20) and "Pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks, for this is the will of God" (1 Thessalonians 5:17-18), are New Testament references to this obligation.

Of course, what is required is a life of consistent prayer, praise, and thanksgiving, not that a child of God should remain on his knees constantly. Any life that remembers and honors God morning, noon, and evening is fulfilling what is required here.

"My soul… shall boast in Jehovah" (Psalms 34:2). Our boasting should never be "in self or worldly goods."Alexander Maclaren, Vol. 1, p. 323. Not in fame, fortune, success, beauty, strength, youth, family, honors, reputation, or anything else, should the child of God receive in his heart as that which is most prized and appreciated; but the fact that one is privileged to be called God's child "in Christ," that is the greatest thing.

"O Magnify Jehovah with me" (Psalms 34:3). "We cannot add to God's glory; he is infinite, eternal, and changeless. Nothing that feeble men can do is capable of either increasing or diminishing the glory of God. However, his name may be said to grow in glory as it is made known; and his character will stand higher in the sight of men as he becomes more and more the supreme object of trust and love."W. L. Watkinson, p. 158.

"I sought Jehovah, and he answered me" (Psalms 34:4). What a strange affinity these words have with Jonah 2:2. The surprise and shock of the child of God when God answers his prayer is equaled only by the joyful remembrance of it.

"They looked unto him, and were radiant" (Psalms 34:5). There is indeed a radiance in the countenance of Christians that is clearly discernible, contrasting sharply with the "fallen countenances" of the wicked. The New Testament tells us that when the rich young ruler decided against Jesus, that, "His countenance fell" (Mark 10:22). Fallen countenances are visible by the hundreds every day on every street corner.

But there is a spiritual likeness in the face of every true Christian to that of Moses whose face shone when he came down from the mountain, and like Stephen when he addressed the mob that murdered him in Jerusalem, of whom Luke tells us that, "All that sat in the council saw his face as it had been the face of an angel" (Acts 6:15).

"This poor man cried" (Psalms 34:6). The poor man here is none other than David himself. Yes, he was indeed poor, hated and driven from the court of King Saul, hunted like a wild beast, deserted by friends and neighbors, everyone afraid to be seen in his presence or to come near him. Yes, at the time of this psalm David was indeed poor.

Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

I sought the Lord, and he heard me - That is, on the occasion referred to in the psalm, when he was exposed to the persecutions of Saul, and when he sought refuge in the country of Abimelech or Achish: 1 Samuel 21:1-15. The idea is, that at that time he did not confide in his own wisdom, or trust to any devices of his own, but that he sought the protection and guidance of God, alike when he fled to Gath, and when he fled from Gath.

And delivered me from all my fears - From all that he apprehended from Saul, and again from all that he dreaded when he found that Abimelech would not harbor him, but drove him from him.

Calvin's Commentary on the Bible

4.I sought Jehovah, and he answered me. The Psalmist here explains more plainly and more fully what he had said concerning joy. In the first place, he tells us that his prayers had been heard. This he applies to all the godly, that, encouraged by a testimony so precious, they might stir themselves up to prayer. What is implied in seeking God is evident from the following clause. In some places it is to be understood in a different sense, namely, to bend the mind in earnest application to the service of God, and to have all its thoughts directed to him. Here it simply means to have recourse to him for help; for it immediately follows that God answered him; and he is properly said to answer prayer and supplication. By his fears the Psalmist means, taking the effect for the cause, the dangers which sorely disquieted his mind; yet doubtless he confesses that he had been terrified and agitated by fears. He did not look upon his dangers with a calm and untroubled mind, as if he viewed them at a distance and from some elevated position, but being grievously tormented with innumerable cares, he might justly speak of his fears and terrors. Nay more, by the use of the plural number, he shows that he had been greatly terrified not only in one way, but that he had been distracted by a variety of troubles. On the one hand, he saw a cruel death awaiting him; while on the other, his mind may have been filled with fear, lest Achish should send him to Saul for his gratification, as the ungodly are wont to make sport to themselves of the children of God. And since he had already been detected and betrayed once, he might well conclude, even if he should escape, that the hired assassins of Saul would lay wait for him on all sides. The hatred too which Achish had conceived against him, both for the death of Goliath and the destruction of his own army, might give rise to many fears; especially considering that his enemy might instantly wreak his vengeance upon him, and that he had good reason to think that his cruelty was such as would not be appeased by subjecting him to some mild form of death. ⁽⁶⁹⁰⁾ We ought to mark this particularly, in order that, if at any time we are terrified because of the dangers which surround us, we may not be prevented by our effeminacy from calling upon God. Even David, who is known to have surpassed others in heroism and bravery, had not such a heart of iron as to repel all fears and alarms, but was sometimes greatly disquieted and smitten with fear.

(690) “Et qu’il avoit bien occasion de penser que la cruaute d’iceluy ne se pourroit pas appaiser a le faire mourir de quelque legere mort.” — Fr.

Smith's Bible Commentary

Psalms 34:1-22

Psalms 34:1-22 is a psalm of David when he, it says, "changed his behavior, before Abimelech." Actually, it is probably the case of when he had gone down and Abimelech or Achish the king who drove him away and departed. Now David, when he was fleeing from Saul, Saul was trying to kill him, he fled into the land of the Philistines and he was brought to the Philistine king, Achish. And suddenly David thought, "Hey, here I am, and the Philistines hate me," because he had killed Goliath, and he had been the champion of the Israelites in many battles against the Philistines. So much so that the ladies would come out in their dances and they would sing, "Saul has killed his thousands, David, his tens of thousands." "And so, here I am now in the land of the Philistines and here I am surrounded by the king and all of his army and everything else." And David thought, "Man, what if the king gets angry and orders me wiped out? I am a dead man." So David began to act like he was crazy, and of course, he was a character and I love him.

We used to do some many dumb stupid things when we kids, to get reaction from people, and all, you know, the charades and everything else that you go through. And so David just started slobbering all over his beard. And when he was brought in before King Achish, here he was slobbering all over, and he went over and scrabbled on the walls. Just started scratching on the walls and trying to climb the walls and everything else, and the king said, "What do you bring a madman to me for? Get him out of here." And so David escaped from Achish by this little ruse of feigning insanity. And so when he got out of it, when he was delivered, he wrote this psalm. And so that is the background after he is out there, and he is probably laughing, you know, and saying, "Wasn't that funny? Did you see me trying to climb the walls?" But the ruse worked at least, and he was able to escape. And he says,

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. For I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from my fears ( Psalms 34:1-4 ).

Now, David is pointing out that this action of pretending to be a madman was prompted by fear, "He delivered me out of all of my fears." Now in the book of Proverbs, it says, "The fear of man bringeth a snare." Now here David was afraid of King Achish, but look what it did to him. It reduced him to a slobbering idiot. The fear of man can reduce you. "The fear of man is a snare, but whoso puts his trust in the Lord shall be safe" ( Proverbs 29:25 ). But David is calling upon the people, "O magnify the Lord with me." The praising of the Lord by His people.

They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed. 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 reverence him, and delivers them ( Psalms 34:5-7 ).

Now the Bible says that, "He shall give His angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy ways, to bear thee up lest at any time you should dash your foot against a stone" ( Psalms 91:11-12 ). In the New Testament in the book of Hebrews we are told concerning angels that they are ministering spirits who have been sent forth to minister to those who are heirs of salvation. So you hear of your guardian angel. "For the angel of the Lord, encamps round about them that reverence Him, and He delivers them." So there is the opinion that we, each of us, have sort of a guardian angel that sort of watches over us. They are ministering spirits who have been sent forth to minister to us, who are the heirs of salvation.

Now I plan to have a few words with my angel when I get to heaven. I want to know where he was on a few occasions. And on the other hand, I want to thank him, for I will tell you, so many times I have been delivered, I know, only by divine providence. God's divine hand upon my life is the only... I don't know how I got out of it. To this day I don't know how, and yet God's glorious hand, the angel of the Lord. I had a very interesting experience with my angel many years ago while in high school, and I know that the angel of the Lord was with me, and protected me, and kept me, and it was a very unique and fascinating experience. I look back upon it with great gratitude, for God's protecting hand.

O taste and see that the LORD is good ( Psalms 34:8 ):

You have to experience it. I can stand here and tell you all day how good God is, but you've got to experience it for yourself. I could be eating one of those drumsticks from Swenson's up here, and I could tell you how delicious that chocolate with the almonds imbedded in it, how creamy the ice cream, and I could just go on telling you, "Man, this is just delicious," and eat it right there in front of you. But you're not going to know how delicious it is until I say, "Here, take a bite. Taste and see!" I can stand here and tell you how good God is, but you've got to really experience for yourself to really know. "O taste and see that the Lord is good."

blessed is the man who trusts in him. Reverence the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them who reverence him. The young lions do lack, they suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD will not want for any good thing. Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I'm gonna teach you what it is to reverence the LORD. What man is he that desires life, and loves many days, that he might see good? ( Psalms 34:8-12 )

What man is there that doesn't want to just live a long, good life? All right, here is the rule.

Keep thy tongue from evil, thy lips from speaking deceitfully. Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it. For the eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry ( Psalms 34:13-15 ).

"The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous and His ears are open unto their cry." In the fifty-ninth chapter of Isaiah we read, "The arm of the Lord is not short that He cannot save, neither is His ear heavy that He cannot hear. But your sins have separated you from your God." But to the righteous His ear is open to their cry. "The eye of the Lord is upon the righteous, His ear is open to their cry."

The face of the LORD is against those that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. The righteous cry, and the LORD hears, and delivers them out of all of their troubles. The LORD is near unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit ( Psalms 34:16-18 ).

So you that are broken hearted, God is so near.

Many are the afflictions of the righteous ( Psalms 34:19 ):

God doesn't promise you divine immunity from trouble. God doesn't promise that you are not going to have any problems. "Many are the afflictions of the righteous,"

but the LORD delivereth him out of them all ( Psalms 34:19 ).

Now, many are the afflictions of the wicked, but you have to stop there. I don't care if you are righteous or wicked; you are going to have problems. There are going to be troubles in life. Many are the afflictions of the righteous; many are the afflictions of the wicked. You say, "Then what is the difference between a wicked man and a righteous man? Why, then, be righteous?" Because for the righteous the Lord delivereth him out of them all.

He keepeth all of his bones: not one of them is broken ( Psalms 34:20 ).

Now this is a prophecy concerning Jesus Christ. It is referred to in the New Testament as a prophecy concerning Christ when they decided to hasten the death of the prisoners as they were hanging there upon the crosses. They asked permission to break their legs in order to hasten their deaths. And so they broke the legs of the two thieves that were crucified beside Jesus, and when the soldier came to break His legs, they found that He was already dead. And so rather than breaking His leg, he took his spear just to make sure, and thrust it into Jesus' side, the area of the heart, and there came out the blood and the water. Signifying death by heart rupture. But they didn't break His bones in order that the scripture might be fulfilled which declared, "Not a bone of Him shall be broken." That is this psalm referring to Jesus Christ.

Now, you see, Jesus was a sacrifice for us. He was a sacrificial lamb, if you please. When John the Baptist introduced Jesus at the beginning of His ministry, he said, "Behold the Lamb of God who taketh away the sins of the world!" ( John 1:29 ) And we are redeemed, Peter said, "Not with corruptible things such as silver and gold from our former empty life, but with the precious blood of Jesus Christ who was slain as a lamb without spot or without blemish" ( 1 Peter 1:18-19 ). So as a sacrificial lamb there was one requirement for the lamb that was offered for sacrifice--it could not have any bones broken. And so the prophecy was fulfilled in Jesus, being the sacrificial lamb, not a bone of Him was broken.

Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate righteousness shall be desolate. The LORD redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate ( Psalms 34:21-22 ). "

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

1. God’s goodness to His people 34:1-10

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

Psalms 34

In this combination individual thanksgiving and wisdom psalm, David glorified God for delivering His people, and he reflected on the Lord’s promise to bless the godly with long life.

The title identifies the occasion on which David composed this psalm (cf. 1 Samuel 21:10-15). It is another acrostic with all but the last verse beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet and with the omission of a verse beginning with the letter waw.

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

The psalmist’s recent experience of God answering his prayer for help and delivering him (Psalms 34:4; Psalms 34:6) was only one example to him. Those who trust in the Lord never experience disappointment (Psalms 34:5; Psalms 34:7).

"If the sequence in Psalms 34:2-3 was in essence ’I have reason to praise Him; join me’, here [in Psalms 34:4-5] it is ’This was my experience; it can be yours’." [Note: Kidner, p. 139.]

"The Angel of the Lord" (Psalms 34:7) is undoubtedly a reference to the Lord Himself (cf. Genesis 16:13; Genesis 22:11-12; Genesis 31:11; Genesis 31:13; Genesis 48:16; Judges 6:11; Judges 6:16; Judges 6:22; Judges 13:22-23; Zechariah 3:1-2). He is, specifically, the pre-incarnate Christ (cf. Genesis 18:1-2; Genesis 19:1; Genesis 24:7; 2 Samuel 24:16; Zechariah 1:12). David saw Him, with the eyes of faith, surrounding and protecting His trusting people.

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

I sought the Lord, and he heard me,.... Not that he sought the Lord publicly in his house and ordinances, for he was now at Gath; but privately by prayer and supplication; and that not vocally, but mentally; for he was in the midst of the servants of the king of Gath; yet earnestly, diligently, and with his whole heart, being in great distress; when it was right to seek the Lord, and which showed him to be a good man; and the Lord heard and answered even his silent groans, which could not be uttered;

and delivered me from all my fear; of being seized on by Achish, king of Gath, and of losing his life for killing Goliath: and many are the fears of God's people, both from within and from without, by reason of sin, Satan, and the world; but the Lord saves them out of the hands of all their enemies, grants them his presence, and shows them their interest in himself, which, scatters all their fears.

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

A psalm of David when he changed his behaviour

before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he departed.

      1 I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.   2 My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.   3 O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.   4 I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.   5 They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.   6 This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.   7 The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.   8 O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.   9 O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.   10 The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.

      The title of this psalm tells us both who penned it and upon what occasion it was penned. David, being forced to flee from his country, which was made too hot for him by the rage of Saul, sought shelter as near it as he could, in the land of the Philistines. There it was soon discovered who he was, and he was brought before the king, who, in the narrative, is called Achish (his proper name), here Abimelech (his title); and lest he should be treated as a spy, or one that came thither upon design, he feigned himself to be a madman (such there have been in every age, that even by idiots men might be taught to give God thanks for the use of their reason), that Achish might dismiss him as a contemptible man, rather than take cognizance of him as a dangerous man. And it had the effect he desired; by this stratagem he escaped the hand that otherwise would have handled him roughly. Now, 1. We cannot justify David in this dissimulation. It ill became an honest man to feign himself to be what he was not, and a man of honour to feign himself to be a fool and a mad-man. If, in sport, we mimic those who have not so good an understanding as we think we have, we forget that God might have made their case ours. 2. Yet we cannot but wonder at the composure of his spirit, and how far he was from any change of that, when he changed his behaviour. Even when he was in that fright, or rather in that danger only, his heart was so fixed, trusting in God, that even then he penned this excellent psalm, which has as much in it of the marks of a calm sedate spirit as any psalm in all the book; and there is something curious too in the composition, for it is what is called an alphabetical psalm, that is, a psalm in which every verse begins with each letter in its order as it stands in the Hebrew alphabet. Happy are those who can thus keep their temper, and keep their graces in exercise, even when they are tempted to change their behaviour. In this former part of the psalm,

      I. David engages and excites himself to praise God. Though it was his fault that he changed his behaviour, yet it was God's mercy that he escaped, and the mercy was so much the greater in that God did not deal with him according to the desert of his dissimulation, and we must in every thing give thanks. He resolves, 1. That he will praise God constantly: I will bless the Lord at all times, upon all occasions. He resolves to keep up stated times for this duty, to lay hold of all opportunities for it, and to renew his praises upon every fresh occurrence that furnished him with matter. If we hope to spend our eternity in praising God, it is fit that we should spend as much as may be of our time in this work. 2. That he will praise him openly: His praise shall continually be in my mouth. Thus he would show how forward he was to own his obligations to the mercy of God and how desirous to make others also sensible of theirs. 3. That he will praise him heartily: "My soul shall make her boast in the Lord, in my relation to him, my interest in him, and expectations from him." It is not vainglory to glory in the Lord.

      II. He calls upon others to join with him herein. He expects they will (Psalms 34:2; Psalms 34:2): "The humble shall hear thereof, both of my deliverance and of my thankfulness, and be glad that a good man has so much favour shown him and a good God so much honour done him." Those have most comfort in God's mercies, both to others and to themselves, that are humble, and have the least confidence in their own merit and sufficiency. It pleased David to think that God's favours to him would rejoice the heart of every Israelite. Three things he would have us all to concur with him in:--

      1. In great and high thoughts of God, which we should express in magnifying him and exalting his name, Psalms 34:3; Psalms 34:3. We cannot make God greater or higher than he is; but if we adore him as infinitely great, and higher than the highest, he is pleased to reckon this magnifying and exalting him. This we must do together. God's praises sound best in concert, for so we praise him as the angels do in heaven. Those that share in God's favour, as all the saints do, should concur in his praises; and we should be as desirous of the assistance of our friends in returning thanks for mercies as in praying for them. We have reason to join in thanksgiving to God,

      (1.) For his readiness to hear prayer, which all the saints have had the comfort of; for he never said to any of them, Seek you me in vain. [1.] David, for his part, will give it under his hand that he has found him a prayer-hearing God (Psalms 34:4; Psalms 34:4): "I sought the Lord, in my distress, entreated his favour, begged his help, and he heard me, answered my request immediately, and delivered me from all my fears, both from the death I feared and from the disquietude and disturbance produced by fear of it." The former he does by his providence working for us, the latter by his grace working in us, to silence our fears and still the tumult of the spirits; this latter is the greater mercy of the two, because the thing we fear is our trouble only, but our unbelieving distrustful fear of it is our sin; nay, it is often more our torment too than the thing itself would be, which perhaps would only touch the bone and the flesh, while the fear would prey upon the spirits and put us out of the possession of our own soul. David's prayers helped to silence his fears; having sought the Lord, and left his case with him, he could wait the event with great composure. "But David was a great and eminent man, we may not expect to be favoured as he was; have any others ever experienced the like benefit by prayer?" Yes, [2.] Many besides him have looked unto God by faith and prayer, and have been lightened by it,Psalms 34:5; Psalms 34:5. It has wonderfully revived and comforted them; witness Hannah, who, when she had prayed, went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad. When we look to the world we are darkened, we are perplexed, and at a loss; but, when we look to God, from him we have the light both of direction and joy, and our way is made both plain and pleasant. These here spoken of, that looked unto God, had their expectations raised, and the event did not frustrate them: Their faces were not ashamed of their confidence. "But perhaps these also were persons of great eminence, like David himself, and upon that account were highly favoured, or their numbers made them considerable;" nay, [3.] This poor man cried, a single person, mean and inconsiderable, whom no man looked upon with any respect or looked after with any concern; yet he was as welcome to the throne of grace as David or any of his worthies: The Lord heard him, took cognizance of his case and of his prayers, and saved him out of all his troubles,Psalms 34:6; Psalms 34:6. God will regard the prayer of the destitute,Psalms 102:17. See Isaiah 57:15.

      (2.) For the ministration of the good angels about us (Psalms 34:7; Psalms 34:7): The angel of the Lord, a guard of angels (so some), but as unanimous in their service as if they were but one, or a guardian angel, encamps round about those that fear God, as the life-guard about the prince, and delivers them. God makes use of the attendance of the good spirits for the protection of his people from the malice and power of evil spirits; and the holy angels do us more good offices every day than we are aware of. Though in dignity and in capacity of nature they are very much superior to us,--though they retain their primitive rectitude, which we have lost;--though they have constant employment in the upper world, the employment of praising God, and are entitled to a constant rest and bliss there,--yet in obedience to their Maker, and in love to those that bear his image, they condescend to minister to the saints, and stand up for them against the powers of darkness; they not only visit them, but encamp round about them, acting for their good as really, though not as sensibly, as for Jacob's (Genesis 32:1), and Elisha's, 2 Kings 6:17. All the glory be to the God of the angels.

      2. He would have us to join with him in kind and good thoughts of God (Psalms 34:8; Psalms 34:8): O taste and see that the Lord is good! The goodness of God includes both the beauty and amiableness of his being and the bounty and beneficence of his providence and grace; and accordingly, (1.) We must taste that he is a bountiful benefactor, relish the goodness of God in all his gifts to us, and reckon that the savour and sweetness of them. Let God's goodness be rolled under the tongue as a sweet morsel. (2.) We must see that he is a beautiful being, and delight in the contemplation of his infinite perfections. By taste and sight we both make discoveries and take complacency. Taste and see God's goodness, that is, take notice of it and take the comfort of it, 1 Peter 2:3. He is good, for he makes all those that trust in him truly blessed; let us therefore be so convinced of his goodness as thereby to be encouraged in the worst of times to trust in him.

      3. He would have us join with him in a resolution to seek God and serve him, and continue in his fear (Psalms 34:9; Psalms 34:9): O fear the Lord! you his saints. When we taste and see that he is good we must not forget that he is great and greatly to be feared; nay, even his goodness is the proper object of a filial reverence and awe. They shall fear the Lord and his goodness,Hosea 3:5. Fear the Lord; that is, worship him, and make conscience of your duty to him in every thing, not fear him and shun him, but fear him and seek him (Psalms 34:10; Psalms 34:10) as a people seek unto their God; address yourselves to him and portion yourselves in him. To encourage us to fear God and seek him, it is here promised that those that do so, even in this wanting world, shall want no good thing (Heb. They shall not want all good things); they shall so have all good things that they shall have no reason to complain of the want of any. As to the things of the other world, they shall have grace sufficient for the support of the spiritual life (2 Corinthians 12:9; Psalms 84:11); and, as to this life, they shall have what is necessary to the support of it from the hand of God: as a Father, he will feed them with food convenient. What further comforts they desire they shall have, as far as Infinite Wisdom sees good, and what they want in one thing shall be made up in another. What God denies them he will give them grace to be content without and then they do not want it, Deuteronomy 3:26. Paul had all and abounded, because he was content, Philippians 4:11; Philippians 4:18. Those that live by faith in God's all-sufficiency want nothing; for in him they have enough. The young lions. often lack and suffer hunger--those that live upon common providence, as the lions do, shall want that satisfaction which those have that live by faith in the promise; those that trust to themselves, and think their own hands sufficient for them, shall want (for bread is not always to the wise)--but verily those shall be fed that trust in God and desire to be at his finding. Those that are ravenous, and prey upon all about them, shall want; but the meek shall inherit the earth. Those shall not want who with quietness work and mind their own business; plain-hearted Jacob has pottage enough, when Esau, the cunning hunter, is ready to perish for hunger.