INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 34 [A PSALM] OF DAVID, WHEN HE CHANGED HIS BEHAVIOUR BEFORE ABIMELECH; WHO DROVE HIM AWAY, AND HE DEPARTED. The author of this psalm is expressed by name; and the time and occasion of it are plainly intimated: it was composed by David, "when he changed his behaviour before Ab... [ Continue Reading ]
I WILL BLESS THE LORD AT ALL TIMES,.... That is, ascribe blessing, give honour, praise, and glory to him, both as the God of nature and providence, for every temporal mercy; and that every day, and at all times in the day; since these are renewed every morning, and continue all the day long: and as... [ Continue Reading ]
MY SOUL SHALL MAKE HER BOAST IN THE LORD,.... Not in men, nor in any outward enjoyment, nor in any works of righteousness, but in the Lord; "in the Word of the Lord", as the Targum; in the Lord Jesus Christ; in his wisdom, strength, riches, righteousness, redemption, and salvation; in interest in hi... [ Continue Reading ]
O MAGNIFY THE LORD WITH ME,.... The psalmist invites the humble ones, who he knew would rejoice at the goodness of God to him, to join with him in ascribing greatness to the Lord, which is meant by magnifying him; for he cannot be made great by men, only declared how great he is, and that can only b... [ Continue Reading ]
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... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY LOOKED TO HIM, AND WERE LIGHTENED,.... That is, "the humble" ones, Psalms 34:2; and so this is a reason why they should join in praising and magnifying the Lord; these "looked" up to God in prayer and by faith, when in distressed and uncomfortable circumstances, for help and deliverance, and a... [ Continue Reading ]
THIS POOR MAN CRIED,.... Singling out some one person from among the humble, who was remarkably delivered; it is the common case of the people of God to be poor and afflicted, and in their afflictions they cry unto the Lord to be supported under them, and delivered out of them: or this may be unders... [ Continue Reading ]
THE ANGEL OF THE LORD ENCAMPETH ROUND ABOUT THEM THAT FEAR HIM,.... By whom may be meant, either the uncreated Angel, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Angel of God's presence, and of the covenant, the Captain of salvation, the Leader and Commander of the people; and whose salvation is as walls and bulwark... [ Continue Reading ]
O TASTE, AND SEE THAT THE LORD [IS] GOOD,.... He is essentially, infinitely, perfectly, immutably, and solely good in himself; and he is communicatively and diffusively good to others: he is the author of all good, but not of any evil, in a moral sense; this chiefly regards his special grace and goo... [ Continue Reading ]
O FEAR THE LORD, YE HIS SAINTS,.... Who are sanctified by his Spirit, and so are openly and manifestly his; these are exhorted to fear the Lord with reverence and godly fear; and great reason there is why they should fear him, since he is King of saints, and fear is due to him from them; and seeing... [ Continue Reading ]
THE YOUNG LIONS DO LACK, AND SUFFER HUNGER,.... According to Apollinarius, "the needy rich, whom famine presses;'' see Job 4:10; BUT THEY THAT SEEK THE LORD; by prayer, diligently, with their whole heart, and in the sincerity of their souls; the Targum is, "that seek the doctrine of the Lord"; th... [ Continue Reading ]
COME, YE CHILDREN,.... Meaning either his own children, those of his own family, judging it his duty to instruct them, and bring them up in the fear of the Lord; or his subjects, to whom he stood in the relation of a father, as every king does; or all his hearers, as those who attended the prophets... [ Continue Reading ]
WHAT MAN [IS HE THAT] DESIRETH LIFE?.... Every man desires life, even a natural life; it is more desirable than all things in it; especially an healthful life, without which the blessings and mercies of life cannot be comfortably enjoyed; and still more a life of prosperity; life, with an affluence... [ Continue Reading ]
KEEP THY TONGUE FROM EVIL,.... This, and what follows in this verse and Psalms 34:14, point at the things wherein the fear of God shows itself; and suggest, that those who have it, and which is known by these fruits, shall enjoy the desirable and good days before mentioned. The tongue is an instrume... [ Continue Reading ]
DEPART FROM EVIL,.... This denotes that evil is near to men; it keeps close to them, and should be declined and shunned: and it regards all sorts of evil; evil men, and their evil company; evil things, evil words and works, and all appearance of evil; and the fear of the Lord shows itself in an hatr... [ Continue Reading ]
THE EYES OF THE LORD [ARE] UPON THE RIGHTEOUS,.... These are the same with them that fear the Lord, and do good; not that they become righteous in the sight of God, or are justified before him, by their fear of him, and by their good works; but these are the fruits and effects of grace, showing them... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FACE OF THE LORD [IS] AGAINST THEM THAT DO EVIL,.... Not against everyone that sins; for the righteous are not without sin; they have sin in them, and they do no good without it; but against them that live in sin, whose course of life is a series of wickedness, and they are workers of iniquity;... [ Continue Reading ]
[THE RIGHTEOUS] CRY,.... The word "righteous" is not in the original text, but is rightly supplied in our version, as it is in the Targum, and by Jarchi; and so Kimchi and Ben Melech observe, that these words are not to be connected with Psalms 34:16, but with Psalms 34:15; and they are indeed an am... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LORD [IS] NIGH UNTO THEM THAT ARE OF A BROKEN HEART,.... Who are pressed and bore down with afflictions, by the sorrow of heart under which their spirits are broken, Proverbs 15:13; or with a sense of sin, and sorrow for it, for which their hearts smite them, and they are wounded by it, and brok... [ Continue Reading ]
MANY [ARE] THE AFFLICTIONS OF THE RIGHTEOUS,.... This may be understood of some one particular righteous person, since the singular number is here made use of; whereas the plural is always used before, when the righteous are made mention of; and the Lord Jesus Christ may be designed, who is eminentl... [ Continue Reading ]
HE KEEPETH ALL HIS BONES; NOT ONE OF THEM IS BROKEN. This is literally true of Christ, in whom the type of the passover lamb had its accomplishment, and this passage also; see Exodus 12:46; and seems better to agree with him than with any of his members, since the bones of many of them have been bro... [ Continue Reading ]
EVIL SHALL SLAY THE WICKED,.... Meaning either the evil they designed against the righteous shall return and fall upon their heads, to their own ruin; or the evil of affliction, which to them is the evil of punishment, both here and hereafter, from which they will have no deliverance in the end; tho... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LORD REDEEMETH THE SOUL OF HIS SERVANTS,.... Who are made so by his grace in the day of his power, and are willing to serve him, and to serve him with their minds, readily and cheerfully; and the soul of these, which is the more noble part of them, and is of more worth than a world, the redempti... [ Continue Reading ]