Psalm 34:20 - Printer Friendly

ESV: He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken.

NIV: he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken.

NASB: He protects all his bones, Not one of them is broken.

CSB: He protects all his bones; not one of them is broken.

NLT: For the Lord protects the bones of the righteous; not one of them is broken!

KJV: He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.

NKJV: He guards all his bones; Not one of them is broken.

In the prior verse, David explained how God is with the righteous, even when they experience hardship or persecution. Here, he makes a curious comment which is more poetic than literal: that the righteous person's bones will remain unbroken. In a symbolic sense, this is exaggeration for effect, noting how God can thoroughly protect His people. In a prophetic sense, this ties the details of Jesus' sacrificial death on the cross (John 19:33–37) to His role as our Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7; Exodus 12:46).

The word "keep" is translated from the Hebrew sō'mēr', which means to "exercise great care over." It is comforting to know God has such deep concern for us. In Bible times a shepherd led his sheep, sometimes even carrying one on his shoulders. The shepherds, to whom angels delivered the news of Jesus' birth, were "keeping watch over their flock by night" (Luke 2:8). Similarly, Jesus the Good Shepherd keeps watch over believers (John 10:14). Like shepherds in Bible times who led their sheep, Jesus goes ahead of us to protect us from harm (John 10:4). The Lord's watchful care of us is so complete that He knows how many hairs are on our head (Matthew 10:30).

Psalm 34:15–22 contrasts what the Lord does for those who fear Him against what happens to the wicked. God watches over the righteous and answers their cry for help. He delivers the righteous from their troubles and draws near to them. He protects the righteous and redeems them. On the other hand, He opposes the wicked and condemns them. While David certainly experienced victories in his life, he also understood that God's love and provision have an eternal perspective (Romans 8:28–30). Verse 20 includes a reference which the Gospel of John ties to Jesus' role as Messiah.

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.