Old Testament · Poetry

Psalm 34

Taste and See

Written after David escaped death by pretending to be insane. Out of humiliation comes one of the most beloved invitations in Scripture.

Berean Standard Bible BSB KJV

Tap any verse number for what that verse means.

1I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise will always be on my lips.

2My soul boasts in the LORD; let the oppressed hear and rejoice.

3Magnify the LORD with me; let us exalt His name together.

4I sought the LORD, and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears.

5Those who look to Him are radiant with joy; their faces shall never be ashamed.

6This poor man called out, and the LORD heard him; He saved him from all his troubles.

7The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, and he delivers them.

8Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!

9Fear the LORD, you His saints, for those who fear Him lack nothing.

10Young lions go lacking and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.

11Come, children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.

12Who is the man who delights in life, who desires to see good days?

13Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from deceitful speech.

14Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

15The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are inclined to their cry.

16But the face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to wipe out all memory of them from the earth.

17The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears; He delivers them from all their troubles.

18The LORD is near to the brokenhearted; He saves the contrite in spirit.

19Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him from them all.

20He protects all his bones; not one of them will be broken.

21Evil will slay the wicked, and the haters of the righteous will be condemned.

22The LORD redeems His servants, and none who take refuge in Him will be condemned.

Understand This

Psalm 34, explained

What Psalm 34 is saying

Psalm 34 is an acrostic thanksgiving psalm arising from David's escape from Abimelech (Achish) by feigning madness. The psalm functions as both personal testimony and wisdom instruction, with the pivot at verse 11—'Come, children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.' The declaration 'The LORD is close to the brokenhearted' (qarov YHWH l'nishbere-lev) is among the most theologically significant statements about divine proximity to suffering.

The background behind it

The superscription references 1 Samuel 21:10–15, where David pretended to be insane before King Achish of Gath (called Abimelech here, possibly a royal title). The acrostic form and instructional tone suggest the psalm was adapted for pedagogical use in worship.

Themes running underneath

The psalm integrates experiential testimony with proverbial wisdom. The invitation to 'taste and see that the LORD is good' (ta'amu ur'u ki-tov YHWH) appeals to sensory, experiential knowledge rather than merely propositional belief. The righteous are promised not immunity from trouble but divine presence and deliverance through it.

Why it still matters

Psalm 34 addresses the fear that honest faith makes one vulnerable. David's testimony—deliverance came through humiliation and apparent weakness—models a counter-intuitive path where crying out to God in desperation becomes the very means of salvation.

This is one chapter. BibleKey does all 1,189.

Tap any verse for its meaning, any word for its Hebrew or Greek root, and follow every cross-reference without losing your place.

Get BibleKey

All 150 chapters of Psalms · Every book of the Bible · Browse by topic

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible — used by permission, Bible Hub.