Psalm 34/fulltext

Authorship

This Psalm was authored by David.

Outline

(This began as Wendland's Expository Outline, but may be adapted.)

I. Praising the Lord for who He is. (1-3)

A. With my mouth, at all times, continually.

B. With my soul, boasting in the Lord.

C. Magnifying the Lord.

D. Exalting His name with others.

II. Praising the Lord for what He has done. I sought Him and... (4-6)

A. He heard me.

B. He delivered me from all my fears.

C. He took my shame.

D. He saved me out of all my troubles.

III. Praising the Lord for His protection (7). The angel of the Lord encamps around them that fear Him and delivers them. IV. Praising the Lord for His provision. (8-10)

A. Taste and see that He is good.

B. Blessed is the man who trusts in Him.

C. There is no want to them Who fear Him.

1. Young lions lack and suffer hunger.

2. They who seek the Lord shall not want anything.

V. Learning to fear the Lord (11-14). If you want to live a long and happy life:

A. Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from guile.

B. Depart from evil and do good.

C. Seek peace, and pursue it.

VI. Contrasts between those who fear the Lord and those who don’t. (15-22)

A. The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous and His ears are open to their cry.

B. The eyes of the Lord are against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.

C. The righteous cry, and the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.

D. The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart and saves those of a contrite spirit.

E. Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivers him out of them all.

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

G. Evil shall slay the wicked and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate.

H. The Lord redeems the soul of His servants and none of them that trust in Him shall be desolate.

Textual Criticism

The following is from Barthélemy's Critique textuelle de l’Ancien Testament volume on the Psalms. For a key to the various symbols and abbreviations, click here.

Ps 34,6(5) הִבִּיטוּ...וְנָהָרוּ...וּפְנֵיהֶם {C} MT, T // facil-styl: G, α', Hebr, S clav הַבִּיטוּ...וּנְהָרוּ...וּפְנֵיכֶם

Ps 34,21 שֹׁמֵר {A} MT, Hebr, S, T // def-int: G / facil-styl: m add יְהוָה