Psalm 34
Psalm 34 is David's thanksgiving for deliverance, full of practical wisdom and the invitation to 'taste and see that the LORD is good.' It promises God's nearness to the brokenhearted.
The Book of Psalms · Old Testament · chapter 34 of 150.
Where this chapter sits
The heading pins this thanksgiving psalm to the episode where David feigned insanity before Abimelech to escape capture, though 1 Samuel's own account names that king Achish, a discrepancy tradition has never resolved. Formally it is an acrostic, each verse beginning with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet, and partway through it turns from thanking God for one deliverance into general wisdom instruction addressed to 'children,' a shift common in psalms of this type.
Key verses (KJV)
“O taste and see that the LORD is good.” — Psalm 34:8 (KJV)
“The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart.” — Psalm 34:18 (KJV)
What to notice as you read
The acrostic runs letter by letter through the Hebrew alphabet, a structure lost in translation but worth knowing about. Watch the hinge at verse 11, 'come, ye children, hearken unto me,' where testimony becomes teaching, and notice how taste, see and fear turn belief into something practiced with the senses.
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Frequently asked questions
Where does Psalm 34 come in Psalms?
It is chapter 34 of 150 in Psalms, a book of Wisdom in the Old Testament. The other widely-read chapters of Psalms are linked further down this page.
Where can I read Psalm 34?
Read the full text of Psalm 34 — and the whole Bible, offline, in your preferred translation — free in the Quiethaven app for iPhone.