This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles . Almost a repetition of Psalms 34:4 , but in the third person instead of the first. The "poor man" intended is David him * self, not an ideal poor man. Otherwise the demonstrative "this" ( זֶה ) would not have been employed. read more
The angel of the Lord eneampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them . According to some commentators (Rosenmuller, 'Four Friends,' and others), the expression, "angel of the Lord," is here used as a collective, and means the angels generally. With this certainly agrees the statement that the angel "encampeth round about them that fear him;" and the illustration from 2 Kings 6:14-18 is thus exactly apposite. But others deny that "the angel of the Lord" has ever a... read more
This poor man cried - The psalmist here returns to his own particular experience. The emphasis here is on the word “this:” “This poor, afflicted, persecuted man cried.” There is something much more touching in this than if he had merely said “I,” or “I myself” cried. The language brings before us at once his afflicted and miserable condition. The word “poor” here - עני ‛ânı̂y - does not mean “poor” in the sense of a want of wealth, but “poor” in the sense of being afflicted, crushed, forsaken,... read more
The angel of the Lord - The angel whom the Lord sends, or who comes, at his command, for the purpose of protecting the people of God. This does not refer to any particular angel as one who was specifically called “the angel of the Lord,” but it, may refer to any one of the angels whom the Lord may commission for this purpose; and the phrase is equivalent to saying that “angels” encompass and protect the friends of God. The word “angel” properly means a “messenger,” and then is applied to those... read more
Psalms 34:4-6. I sought the Lord, and he heard me David now proceeds to give reasons why God should be praised and glorified; he himself and others had found by experience, that he was a God hearing and answering prayer. He first mentions his own case. God had heard and answered him, and delivered him from all his fears Not only from the death he feared, but from the disquietude he was put into by the fear of it. “This,” says Chandler, “exactly answers to the history, which informs us,... read more
Psalms 34:7. The angel of the Lord, &c. This is another reason why men should praise and glorify God. The singular number is here put for the plural; for the psalmist does not speak of one single angel, but of a guard of angels, as unanimous, however, in their service as if they were but one; Encampeth round about them that fear him As a lifeguard about a prince; and delivereth them Guardeth them from dangers on every side, or rescueth them from them, and from trials and troubles... read more
Psalms 34:0 Thanks for deliveranceWhen he first fled from Saul to the Philistine city of Gath, David expected the Philistines would welcome him as a deserter from Israel’s army, and so provide him with refuge. But the Philistines had probably not yet heard of David’s break with Saul. They knew only that David had killed thousands of their own Philistine people; perhaps he was spying out their city in preparation for more slaughter. They decided to kill him, and David escaped only by pretending... read more
The angel of the LORD. Occurs in Psalms only here and Psalms 35:5 . Here, in mercy; there, in judgment. Compare Acts 12:0 : delivering Peter (verses: Psalms 34:7-11 ), and smiting Herod ( Psa 34:23 ). encampeth. Hebrew. hanah. Hence the name "Maha-naim" = two camps in Jacob's vision, afterward to be noted in David's history (2 Samuel 17:24 , 2 Samuel 17:27 ; 2 Samuel 19:32 ). fear = revere. read more
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The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 34:1-22
Life's experiences turned to manifold uses. £ There is no sufficient reason for severing this psalm from the detail of history to which its title refers; and it is much to be wished that its writer had uniformly turned his own experience to a use as wise as that which he here urges upon others. £ But David's pen might be golden, though sometimes his spirit was leaden; and we may study with great advantage the ideal of life which he sets before us, learning from his experience how we... read more