The Book of Psalms
Psalm 34
Psalm XXXIV · Vol. II, p. 1006
1 David praiseth God, and exhorteth others thereto by his experience. 8 They are blessed that trust in God. 11 He exhorteth to the fear of God. 15 The privileges of the righteous.
A psalm of David, when ahe changed his behaviour before Abimelech;1 who drove him away, and he departed.
1 I willb bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.2
B.C. cir. 1058.
a 1 Sa.21.13. Pr.29.25. Ps.8.4.
1 Or, Achish.
b Ep.5.20. 1 Th.5.18. Ps.71.8,14,15. Col.3.17. 2 Th.1.3. Ac.16.25.
2 An uninterrupted continuity of praise that sufficiently indicates the speaker to be Christ, even were the fact undiscovered by the quotation-evidence of the Spirit, ver.20. Jn.19.36.—C.
5 Theyh looked4 unto him, and were lightened; and their faces were not ashamed.5
h Is.45.22. Ps.121.1,2. 2 Sa.22.29.
4 Or, they flowed.
5 The change of person from the first singular in ver. 4 to the third plural in ver. 5 may be explained by a consideration of ver. 3. David is the writer. He calls upon his companions to praise the Lord with him. He then tells what he did himself, and what was the result:—'I sought the Lord, and he delivered me.' He next speaks of his companions, and tells what they did:—'they looked to him and were lightened;' i.e. their fears were removed. In ver. 6 the psalmist returns to himself, but speaks now in the third person, evidently for the purpose of bringing out more emphatically his distressed and almost hopeless state.—P.
9 On fear the LORD, ye his saints: ofor there is no want to them that fear him.
n Ps.89.7. Mat.10.28. Ho.3.5. He.12.28.
o Ps.23.1. Phi.4.19. Ep.3.19. Jn.1.14,16. Col.2.3,9,10. 1 Co.3.22,23.
10 Thep young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.
13 Keept thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.
t Ja.1.19,26. Ps.39.1.
14 Departu from evil, and do good; vseek peace, and pursue it.
16 They face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
18 Thea LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart;6 and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.7
22 Thee LORD redeemeth the soul of his servants: gand none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.9
e 2 Sa.4.9. Ps.71.23; 130.7,8;25.22;97.10.
g Ps.84.11,12. Ro.8.1,31-39. Jn.10.27-29; 14.19. 1 Pe.1.5. Col.3.3.
9 The great lesson of the psalm is, that a life of faith, holiness, and devotion to God can alone secure prosperity, peace, and joy.—P.
Notes
Ver. 5. They looked—Who? the humble. ver. 2. Boothroyd, however, and most versions, render the verse—'Look to him (the Lord), and be enlightened, and your faces shall not be ashamed;' and then ver. 6 introduces 'this poor (rather this afflicted) man' (Christ) as an encouraging specimen of the power of faith and prayer. C.
Ver. 12. To this general question every auditor seems to respond, 'I am that man;' and then ver. 13 commences the lesson, addressed like the commandments, not to a collective body, but to each individual. C.
Ver. 18. The Lord is nigh, &c. How near is the Lord to the broken heart—the heart broken off from the love of the world and the service of sin (1 Jn. 2. 15; Ro. 6. 6)—even in that heart. For 'if any man love me,' saith Christ, 'my Father will love him; and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him,' Jn. 14. 23. C.
Ver. 22. Desolate. They will not want friends, for God is their Father, and all believers are brethren. They will not want home, for they 'have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens,' 2 Co. 5. 1. C.
Reflections.—Great is the tenderness of God in smiling upon all people, when their folly richly deserves his fearful frowns! He can wonderfully change their heaviest loads of fear into shouts of praise: and certain and speedy are his gracious returns to the prayers of faith. None wait on him. None cry to him and are disappointed. What angelic guards protect, what unceasing provision is made for them that fear him! Though the most ravenous beasts and covetous men should be pinched and starved, none that fear him shall ever want, either for soul or body, what is for their good. It is a great mercy when children are from their infancy carefully instructed in the word and ways of God. And negligent parents and masters will have a heavy charge to answer in the day of God, if for lack of knowledge their children and servants eternally perish. How strictly are holiness and happiness connected! But marvellous is God's love to his people, in dwelling with them, delighting in them, hearing their requests, and in delivering, preserving, and redeeming them. And who can support under his indignation against the wicked! But let me not here forget his kindness to us in Christ, and the justice which he did and will measure to Jewish, heathen, antichristian, and other opposers.