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Psalm 34

Praise for Deliverance from Trouble

Of David, when he feigned madness before Abimelech, so that he drove him out, and he went away.

I will bless the L ord at all times;

his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

My soul makes its boast in the L ord;

let the humble hear and be glad.

O magnify the L ord with me,

and let us exalt his name together.

I sought the L ord, and he answered me,

and delivered me from all my fears.

Look to him, and be radiant;

so your faces shall never be ashamed.

This poor soul cried, and was heard by the L ord,

and was saved from every trouble.

The angel of the L ord encamps

around those who fear him, and delivers them.

O taste and see that the L ord is good;

happy are those who take refuge in him.

O fear the L ord, you his holy ones,

for those who fear him have no want.

The young lions suffer want and hunger,

but those who seek the L ord lack no good thing.

Come, O children, listen to me;

I will teach you the fear of the L ord.

Which of you desires life,

and covets many days to enjoy good?

Keep your tongue from evil,

and your lips from speaking deceit.

Depart from evil, and do good;

seek peace, and pursue it.

The eyes of the L ord are on the righteous,

and his ears are open to their cry.

The face of the L ord is against evildoers,

to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.

When the righteous cry for help, the L ord hears,

and rescues them from all their troubles.

The L ord is near to the brokenhearted,

and saves the crushed in spirit.

Many are the afflictions of the righteous,

but the L ord rescues them from them all.

He keeps all their bones;

not one of them will be broken.

Evil brings death to the wicked,

and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.

The L ord redeems the life of his servants;

none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.

New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

5. They shall look to him, and shall flow to him. I have already intimated, that this verse and the following should be read in connection with the preceding verse. In relating his own experience David has furnished an example to others, that they should freely and without fear approach God in order to present their prayers before him. Now, he says that they shall come, and this too with a happy issue. The first two verbs are expressed in the past time in the Hebrew; but I have, notwithstanding, no doubt that the sentence ought to be explained thus: When they shall have looked to him, and flowed to him, their faces shall not be ashamed. I have therefore translated them in the future tense. David is not relating things which had happened, but is commending the fruit of the favor which had been manifested to himself. Some interpreters, I know, refer the words to him to David, ⁶⁹¹⁶⁹¹     Those who take this view explain the words as meaning that the humble or afflicted, upon looking to David, saw how graciously God had dealt with him, and were enlightened, revived, and encouraged. They also consider, as Calvin himself does, the humble or afflicted as the persons who speak in the sixth verse, where, pointing as it were with the finger to David, they say, “This poor man cried,” etc. because immediately after he speaks of himself in the third person. Others with greater propriety explain it; of God himself. A difference of opinion also exists as to the Hebrew verb נהרו, naharu, which some, supposing it to be derived from the root אור, or, render to be enlightened. ⁶⁹²⁶⁹²     This is the rendering adopted by Horsley, who understands by the expression the illumination of the soul by the light of Divine truth. He reads the verb in the imperative mood, and his translation of the entire verse is as follows:
   “Look towards him, and thou shalt be enlightened;
And your faces shall never be ashamed.”
   This reading is sanctioned by the Septuagint. It supposes two alterations on the text. First, that instead of הביטו, they looked, we should read הביטו, habitu, look ye; and this last reading is supported by several of Dr Kennicott’s and De Rossi’s MSS. The other alteration is, that instead of ופניהש, upeneyhem, their faces, we should read ופניכש, upeneykem, your faces. Poole, in defense of reading your instead of their, observes, “that the change of persons is very frequent in this book.” But, in my opinion, the natural signification of the word appears very appropriate to this place; as if he had said, There shall now be a mirror set forth, in which men may behold the face of God serene and merciful; and therefore the poor and afflicted shall henceforth dare to lift up their eyes to God, and to resort to him with the utmost freedom, because no uncertainty shall any longer retard them or render them slothful. If, however, any one should prefer the word enlighten, the meaning will be, They who formerly languished in darkness shall lift up their eyes to God, as if a light had suddenly appeared unto them, and they who were cast down and overwhelmed with shame, shall again clothe their countenances with cheerfulness. But as the meaning in either case is substantially the same, I am not much disposed to contend which of the two interpretations ought to be preferred.

6. This poor man cried, and Jehovah heard him. David here introduces all the godly speaking of himself, the more emphatically to express how much weight there is in his example to encourage them. This poor man, say they, cried; therefore God invites all the poor to cry to him. They contemplate in David what belongs to the common benefit of all the godly; for God is as willing and ready at this day to hear all the afflicted who direct their sighs, wishes, and cries, to him with the same faith, as he was at that time to hear David.

⁶⁹¹ Those who take this view explain the words as meaning that the humble or afflicted, upon looking to David, saw how graciously God had dealt with him, and were enlightened, revived, and encouraged. They also consider, as Calvin himself does, the humble or afflicted as the persons who speak in the sixth verse, where, pointing as it were with the finger to David, they say, “This poor man cried,” etc.

⁶⁹² This is the rendering adopted by Horsley, who understands by the expression the illumination of the soul by the light of Divine truth. He reads the verb in the imperative mood, and his translation of the entire verse is as follows: “Look towards him, and thou shalt be enlightened; And your faces shall never be ashamed.” This reading is sanctioned by the Septuagint. It supposes two alterations on the text. First, that instead of הביטו, they looked, we should read הביטו, habitu, look ye; and this last reading is supported by several of Dr Kennicott’s and De Rossi’s MSS. The other alteration is, that instead of ופניהש, upeneyhem, their faces, we should read ופניכש, upeneykem, your faces. Poole, in defense of reading your instead of their, observes, “that the change of persons is very frequent in this book.”