Psalms 34 - Introduction

Another song of praise (cp. Psalms 34:1 with Psalms 33:1). The Psalmist gratefully celebrates, and invites others to join him in celebrating, Jehovah's care for those who fear Him, manifested towards himself and many another afflicted saint (Psalms 34:1-10). Then, assuming the tone of a teacher, he sets forth the essential characteristics of the fear of Jehovah, and commends it by a consideration of the blessings which He bestows on those who fear Him (Psalms 34:11-22).

The verses for the most part run in pairs.

The Psalm is closely related to Psalms 25. Both are alphabetic Psalms, with the peculiarity that the verse beginning with Vavis omitted [11], and a supplementary verse beginning with Pçadded at the end to make up the number of letters in the alphabet (Psalms 34:22). For the ingenious though improbable conjecture that these verses record the names of the authors, see note on Psalms 25:22. Both Psalms moreover shew a striking affinity in thought and language to the Book of Proverbs; and this Psalm corresponds to Psalms 25 as thanksgiving to prayer.

[11] In Dr. Scrivener's edition, from which the text of the present edition is taken, the letter Vavis prefixed to the second line of Psalms 34:5. But throughout the Psalm each letter has a complete distich, and it is preferable to suppose that Vavis omitted as in Psalms 25 rather than that Hiand Vavhave only a single line each.

The title assigns the Psalm to David, when he feigned madness(lit. changed his reason) before Abimelech; and he drove him away, and he departed. The incident referred to is related in 1 Samuel 21:11 ff., where however the Philistine king is called Achish. After Saul's massacre of the priests at Nob, David fled to Gath. It was a desperate expedient: he was discovered, and only escaped with his life by feigning madness. Psalms 56 is connected by its title with the same occasion.

Most modern commentators peremptorily reject the title as of no value. The Psalm, they think, does not suit the supposed occasion; it manifestly bears the stamp of a later age; and the scribe or compiler who prefixed the title took it from 1 Samuel, substituting Abimelech for Achish by a slip of memory.

It is however hard to suppose such ignorance or carelessness on the part of a compiler; and the facts that the title does not agree with 1 Sam., and that there is nothing in the Psalm to suggest that particular occasion, are really in favour of regarding the title as resting upon some independent authority, and not upon mere conjecture. Can it have been derived, as Delitzsch thinks, from the Annals of David, one of the older works from which the Book of Samuel was compiled? The difference in the names might easily be accounted for if Abimelech was a dynastic name or royal title, like Agag among the Amalekites, or Pharaoh in Egypt. Cp. Genesis 20; Genesis 21; Genesis 26.

But it must be acknowledged that thought and style are those of the Book of Proverbs, and apparently of a later age. Was the Psalm written by some poet-sage, who thought of that perilous episode in David's life as one of the most striking illustrations of the truth which he wished to enforce?

It was one of the Eucharistic Psalms of the early Church; a use no doubt suggested by Psalms 34:8. See Bingham's Antiq. 34:460.

Psalms 34:1; Psalms 34:15connect the Psalm with Psalms 33:1; Psalms 33:18; Psalms 34:7 links it to Psalms 35:5-6.