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Psalm 34 Jan. 17 By David; when he pretended to be insane before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he departed.  1I will bless Yahweh at all times; His praise will always be in my mouth. 2My soul shall boast in Yahweh. The humble shall hear of it, and be glad. 3Oh magnify Yahweh with me, let us exalt His name together! 4I sought Yahweh and He answered me, and delivered me from all my fears. 5They looked to Him, and were radiant.; their faces shall never be covered with shame. 6This poor man cried, and Yahweh heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. 7The angel of Yahweh encamps around those who fear Him, and delivers them. 8Oh taste and see that Yahweh is good. Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him. 9Oh fear Yahweh, you His saints, for there is no lack to those who fear Him. 10The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger, but those who seek Yahweh shall not lack any good thing.  11Come, you children, listen to me. I will teach you the fear of Yahweh. 12Who desires life, and loves many days, that he may see good? 13Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking lies. 14Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it. 15Yahweh’s eyes are toward the righteous, His ears listen to their cry. 16Yahweh’s face is against those who do evil, to cut off their memory from the earth. 17The righteous cry, and Yahweh hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles. 18Yahweh is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves those who have a crushed spirit. 19Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but Yahweh delivers him out of them all. 20He protects all of his bones; not one of them is broken. 21Evil shall kill the wicked; those who hate the righteous shall be condemned. 22Yahweh redeems the soul of His servants; none of those who take refuge in Him shall be condemned.   

Commentary


34:7 This suggests that we have a guardian Angel permanently settled down (Heb.) around us; the early church believed this (Acts 12:15). The Angels minister to us in order to bring us towards salvation (Heb. 1:14). The reference to Yahweh’s “eyes” (:15) may also refer to our guardian Angels.
34:17 The righteous cry, and Yahweh hears- This parallels David’s statement that he had cried and Yahweh had heard him (:6). Again he looks out of his own issues and sees them in the wider context of God’s people; He has delivered them historically, so He will deliver us; if He delivers us, He will deliver His people in the future, and so we can reason from our personal testimony to persuade them to trust Him as we have. The Psalms are songs, and David was using them to share his faith with others.
34:20 This was supremely fulfilled in the fact that no bone of Jesus was broken by the crucifixion process (Jn. 19:36). See on 22:14.