What is Psalm 34 about?
Psalm 34 is David's thanksgiving after escaping danger, when he pretended to be mad before a Philistine king (1 Samuel 21). In Hebrew it is an acrostic. David begins, "I will bless the LORD at all times," and invites others to join him: "O taste and see that the LORD is good" (verse 8). He says the angel of the LORD camps around those who fear him, and that "The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart" (verse 18). The psalm also teaches practical wisdom: keep your tongue from evil, depart from evil and seek peace. Its central message is that God hears and delivers.
What does Psalm 34 mean?
Psalm 34:18
David wrote Psalm 34 after escaping a dangerous situation, and it is full of thanks for God's rescue. This verse offers some of the Bible's deepest comfort for people who are hurting. "The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart" means God draws especially close to people crushed by grief, disappointment, or loss. He does not stand at a distance waiting for them to recover. "Saveth such as be of a contrite spirit" speaks of those whose spirit is crushed or humbled, and promises that God rescues them. The verse does not promise that pain will disappear, but that God is near in it.
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