What does Psalm 34:3 mean?
ESV: Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together!
NIV: Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together.
NASB: Exalt the Lord with me, And let’s exalt His name together.
CSB: Proclaim the Lord's greatness with me; let us exalt his name together.
NLT: Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness; let us exalt his name together.
KJV: O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.
NKJV: Oh, magnify the Lord with me, And let us exalt His name together.
Verse Commentary:
In this verse David appeals to his men or the congregation of Israel to join him in praising God and exalting His name.
The Bible places a high value on believers joining over matters of truth and goodness (Psalm 133:1; John 17:20–23; Ephesians 4:1–6; Philippians 2:1–11; 1 Corinthians 1:10–17). Acts 2:42–47 describes the togetherness of the believers at Jerusalem as they bonded together to form the earliest congregations of the Christian church. They shared their goods and money. They attended the temple together. They broke bread together, and they praised God together. When the Jewish council released Peter and John, the two apostles went to their friends and told them what the chief priests and elders had commanded them. Then, when their friends had heard it, "they lifted their voices together" and prayed (Acts 4:23–31).
Romans 12:15 calls upon Christians to "rejoice with those who rejoice." And Hebrews 10:24 tells us to "consider how to stir up one another to love and good works." Verse 25 instructs us to encourage one another.
Verse Context:
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.
Chapter Summary:
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.
Chapter Context:
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.
Book Summary:
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.
Accessed 4/28/2024 9:43:39 AM
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Text from ESV, NIV, NASB, CSB, NLT, KJV, NKJV © Copyright respective owners, used by permission.
