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.

King James Version BSB KJV

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1I 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.

9O 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.

17The 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.

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.

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Scripture text: King James Version — public domain.