Psalm 34:1 - Printer Friendly

ESV: I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

NIV: Of David. When he pretended to be insane before Abimelek, who drove him away, and he left. I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.

NASB: I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

CSB: Concerning David, when he pretended to be insane in the presence of Abimelech, who drove him out, and he departed. I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.

NLT: I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak his praises.

KJV: A Psalm of David, when he changed his behaviour before Abimelech; who drove him away, and he departed. I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

NKJV: {A Psalm of David when he pretended madness before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he departed.} I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

David promises to praise the Lord, using a Hebrew phrase which literally means "at every time." No matter what the situation, David would praise God. This is the most prominent source of the scriptural concept of a writer's praise for the Lord being "on my lips." David had experienced deliverance by the Lord from the Philistines at Gath (1 Samuel 21) and praised the Lord for that deliverance. His escape from a dangerous situation is probably what motivated him to write this psalm.

However, he was determined to praise the Lord in every situation. The Lord is good all the time. Whether a given moment is difficult or delightful, we ought to praise the Lord. Even in dire circumstances we can see His hand of grace and mercy. He comforts us in our sorrow, and He helps us withstand every adversity.

When Paul wrote to the Philippian believers, he was under house arrest and chained to Roman soldier around the clock, but he regarded his adversity as serving to advance the gospel (Philippians 1:12). Not only did he rejoice in prison (Philippians 1:18), but he also called upon the Philippians to rejoice in the Lord always (Philippians 4:4).

Psalm 34:1–7 expresses David's determination to extoll God constantly. He invites the humble to hear his praise and join him in magnifying the Lord. God answered David's prayer for deliverance; this is probably about David's escape from the Philistine king, Abimelech (1 Samuel 21:10–15). Thanks to this and other experiences, David is confident the Lord protects and delivers all who fear Him.

David praises the Lord for delivering him from the Philistines, and he invites others to join him in singing joyfully to the Lord. He extols the virtue of fearing the Lord and remembering His goodness. He encourages the Lord's people to respect God and offers wisdom leading to a long and blessed life. At the end of this psalm David emphasizes the distinction the Lord draws between the wicked and the righteous. He cares for the righteous and will not condemn them, but He condemns the wicked.

David composed this psalm after he escaped from the Philistines at Gath. He accomplished this by feigning insanity and later sheltered in the cave of Adullum. This experience is recorded in 1 Samuel 21:10—22:1. Like Psalm 25, this is an acrostic psalm. Every verse except the final one begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. First Peter 2:3 alludes to the psalm's eighth verse, and 1 Peter 3:10–12 quotes verses 12–16 of Psalm 34. John 19:36 refers to Psalm 34:20.

The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.