Psalm 34:16-22

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Psalms 34:11-22

David, in this latter part of the psalm, undertakes to teach children. Though a man of war, and anointed to be king, he did not think it below him; though now he had his head so full of cares and his hands of business, yet he could find heart and time to give good counsel to young people, from his own experience. It does not appear that he had now any children of his own, at least any that were grown up to a capacity of being taught; but, by divine inspiration, he instructs the children of his... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 34:16

The face of the Lord is against them that do evil ,.... Not against everyone that sins; for the righteous are not without sin; they have sin in them, and they do no good without it; but against them that live in sin, whose course of life is a series of wickedness, and they are workers of iniquity; and have no sense of sin, nor sorrow for it, go on in it without shame or fear; against these the face of the Lord is, he shows his resentment, and stirs up his wrath. For the Lord to be against... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 34:17

The righteous cry ,.... The word "righteous" is not in the original text, but is rightly supplied in our version, as it is in the Targum, and by Jarchi; and so Kimchi and Ben Melech observe, that these words are not to be connected with Psalm 34:16 , but with Psalm 34:15 ; and they are indeed an amplification of the last clause of it; and the cry of the righteous is meant, to which the ears of the Lord are open; though Aben Ezra thinks that these words are to be understood of them that... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 34:18

The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart ,.... Who are pressed and bore down with afflictions, by the sorrow of heart under which their spirits are broken, Proverbs 15:13 ; or with a sense of sin, and sorrow for it, for which their hearts smite them, and they are wounded by it, and broken with it: to these the Lord is "nigh"; not in a general way only, as he is to all men, being God omnipresent, but in a special manner; he comes and manifests himself to them in a gracious... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 34:19

Many are the afflictions of the righteous ,.... This may be understood of some one particular righteous person, since the singular number is here made use of; whereas the plural is always used before, when the righteous are made mention of; and the Lord Jesus Christ may be designed, who is eminently and emphatically "the righteous"; he is righteous both as God and man, and as Mediator, in the discharge of every branch of his office; and his afflictions were many, which he endured from men,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 34:20

He keepeth all his bones; not one of them is broken. This is literally true of Christ, in whom the type of the passover lamb had its accomplishment, and this passage also; see Exodus 12:46 ; and seems better to agree with him than with any of his members, since the bones of many of them have been broken by one accident or another; and especially many of the martyrs of Jesus have had all their bones broken upon the rack or wheel; wherefore, to understand these words of them might tend to... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 34:21

Evil shall slay the wicked ,.... Meaning either the evil they designed against the righteous shall return and fall upon their heads, to their own ruin; or the evil of affliction, which to them is the evil of punishment, both here and hereafter, from which they will have no deliverance in the end; though the righteous have from their afflictions, being not properly punishments, but chastisements for sin, and are but for a time; or else the evil of sin, which is the cause of death corporeal... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 34:22

The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants ,.... Who are made so by his grace in the day of his power, and are willing to serve him, and to serve him with their minds, readily and cheerfully; and the soul of these, which is the more noble part of them, and is of more worth than a world, the redemption of which is precious, and requires a great price, the Lord redeems; not that their bodies are neglected, and not redeemed; but this is mentioned as the principal part, and for the whole; and... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 34:17

The righteous cry - There is no word in the present Hebrew text for righteous; but all the versions preserve it. I suppose it was lost through its similitude to the word צעקו tsaaku , they cry צדיקים צעקו tsaaku tsaddikim , the righteous cry. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 34:18

A broken heart - לב נשברי nishberey Web , the heart broken to shivers. A contrite spirit - רוח דכאי dakkeey ruach , "the beaten-out spirit." In both words the hammer is necessarily implied; in breaking to pieces the ore first, and then plating out the metal when it has been separated from the ore. This will call to the reader's remembrance Jeremiah 23:29 ; : "Is not my word like as a fire, saith the Lord? And like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?" The breaking to... read more

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