The big picture
Psalms 34 opens in verse 1 with “I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.”, reaches its middle movement near verse 11 with “Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD .”, and closes in verse 22 with “The LORD redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be…” Repeated or prominent terms include LORD, evil, fear, good, righteous. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.
Scripture beside the summary
Psalms · King James Version · 22Psalms 34:1-8
1–8: I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in…
Psalms 34:1–8 opens with “I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.” and reaches “O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Psalms 34 develops its own movement around LORD, evil, fear, good, righteous, with particular weight carried by LORD, angel, ashamed.
Context that brings the passage to life
“I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.” The promise, blessing, or covenant language needs its named recipient and scope. Those details prevent a personal word in the story from becoming a promise detached from context.
Psalms 34:1-8
King James Version1I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2My soul shall make her boast in the LORD : the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.
3O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.
4I sought the LORD , and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.
5They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.
6This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.
7The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.
8O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
Psalms 34:9-16
9–16: O fear the LORD , ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear…
Psalms 34:9–16 opens with “O fear the LORD , ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.” and reaches “The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Psalms 34 develops its own movement around LORD, evil, fear, good, righteous, with particular weight carried by LORD, evil, fear.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 1 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“O fear the LORD , ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.” The line’s distinctive content terms include fear, LORD, saints. Its relationship to verses 10 shows what work it does in this passage.
Psalms 34:9-16
King James Version9O fear the LORD , ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.
10The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.
11Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD .
12What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good?
13Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.
14Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.
15The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.
16The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
Psalms 34:17-22
17–22: The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all…
Psalms 34:17–22 opens with “The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.” and reaches “The LORD redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Psalms 34 develops its own movement around LORD, evil, fear, good, righteous, with particular weight carried by LORD, righteous, broken.
Context that brings the passage to life
“The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.” The line’s distinctive content terms include delivereth, heareth, LORD. Its relationship to verses 18 shows what work it does in this passage.
Psalms 34:17-22
King James Version17The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.
18The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
19Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.
20He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.
21Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate.
22The LORD redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.
Details worth noticing
The opening image
Psalms 34:1 begins with “I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.”
Where the chapter turns
Psalms 34:12 forms a natural hinge: “What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good?”
The final note
Psalms 34:22 leaves the reader with “The LORD redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.”
A word trail through the chapter
The words LORD, evil, fear, good, righteous, delivereth help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
How is religion misused in this chapter?
Circumcision is proposed deceptively to make the city vulnerable.
What later passage evaluates Simeon and Levi's violence?
Genesis 49:5-7 condemns their fierce anger and cruel wrath.
KJV words made clear
- unto
- to
- thy
- your
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.