Psalm 34:4 - Printer Friendly

ESV: I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.

NIV: I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.

NASB: I sought the Lord and He answered me, And rescued me from all my fears.

CSB: I sought the Lord, and he answered me and rescued me from all my fears.

NLT: I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears.

KJV: I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

NKJV: I sought the Lord, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears.

David tells us in this verse that he sought the Lord and the Lord answered him. Apparently, before David prayed, he experienced fear; probably he feared what his enemies would do to him. In other places, David makes it clear he has no reason to be afraid (Psalm 27:3). Prior experience and knowledge told him God would still be in control. Psalm 27:1 says, "The LORD is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" That did not mean David was immune to anxiety, and so he prayed. Graciously, the Lord removed all his fears.

Believers today might fear anything from physical injury or illness, to job insecurity, to difficulties in relationships, to political collapse, to the threat of incoming nuclear missiles, and everything in between. However, faith replaces fear. The apostle Paul did not fear an upcoming trial that might result in execution, but he knew the Lord can remove all anxiety when we pray. He counseled in Philippians 4:6–7: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

The prayer of faith and fear are mutually exclusive. While believers are not guaranteed to be taken "out of" harm's way, God has promised to see us "through" any harm (John 16:33; 17:15; Matthew 6:25–34).

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.