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Taste and See That Yahweh Is Good

Of David. When he feigned madness before [a]Abimelech, so that he drove him away and he departed.

Aleph

34 I will (A)bless Yahweh at all times;
His (B)praise shall continually be in my mouth.

Beth

My soul will (C)make its boast in Yahweh;
The (D)humble will hear it and rejoice.

Gimel

O (E)magnify Yahweh with me,
And let us (F)exalt His name together.

Daleth

I (G)inquired of Yahweh, and He answered me,
And (H)delivered me from all that I dread.

He/ Vav

They (I)looked to Him and were radiant,
And their faces will (J)never be humiliated.

Zayin

This [b]poor man called out, and (K)Yahweh heard him
And saved him out of all his troubles.

Heth

The (L)angel of Yahweh encamps around those who fear Him,
And rescues them.

Teth

O (M)taste and see that Yahweh is good;
How (N)blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!

Yodh

Oh, fear Yahweh, you (O)His saints;
For there is (P)no want to those who fear Him.

Kaph

10 The young lions do lack and suffer hunger;
But they who inquire of Yahweh shall (Q)not be in want of any good thing.

Lamedh

11 (R)Come, you children, listen to me;
(S)I will teach you (T)the fear of Yahweh.

Mem

12 (U)Who is the man who delights in life
And loves many days that he may (V)see good?

Nun

13 Guard (W)your tongue from evil
And your lips from speaking (X)deceit.

Samekh

14 (Y)Depart from evil and do good;
Seek peace and (Z)pursue it.

Ayin

15 The (AA)eyes of Yahweh are toward the righteous
And His ears are open to their cry for help.

Pe

16 The (AB)face of Yahweh is against evildoers,
To (AC)cut off the memory of them from the earth.

Tsadhe

17 The righteous (AD)cry, and Yahweh hears
And delivers them out of all their troubles.

Qoph

18 Yahweh (AE)is near to the (AF)brokenhearted
And saves those who are [c](AG)crushed in spirit.

Resh

19 (AH)Many are the (AI)evils against the righteous,
But Yahweh (AJ)delivers him out of them all.

Shin

20 He keeps all his bones,
(AK)Not one of them is broken.

Tav

21 (AL)Evil shall slay the wicked,
And those who hate the righteous will be [d]condemned.
22 Yahweh (AM)redeems the soul of His slaves,
And all those who (AN)take refuge in Him will not be [e]condemned.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 34 Title Possibly a title of King Achish of Gath, cf. 1 Sam 21:10-15
  2. Psalm 34:6 Or afflicted
  3. Psalm 34:18 Or contrite
  4. Psalm 34:21 Or held guilty
  5. Psalm 34:22 Or held guilty

Thanksgiving for Yahweh’s Deliverance

Of David, when he pretended to be crazy[a] in front of Abimelech[b]

so that he drove him out, and so he departed.[c]

34 I will bless Yahweh at all times;
his praise shall be in my mouth continually.
My soul makes its boast in Yahweh;
let the humble hear and be glad.
Magnify Yahweh with me,
and let us exalt his name together.
I sought Yahweh and he answered me,
and from all my terrors he delivered me.
They looked to him and were radiant,
and their faces shall not be ashamed.[d]
This poor man called and Yahweh heard,
and saved him from all his troubles.
The angel of Yahweh encamps
around those who fear him,
and he rescues them.
Taste and see that Yahweh is good;
blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.
Fear Yahweh, you his saints,[e]
for there is no lack for those who fear him.
10 The young lions are in want and suffer hunger,
but those who seek Yahweh will not lack for any good thing.
11 Come, you children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of Yahweh.
12 Who is the man who desires life,
who loves many days in order to see good?
13 Keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from speaking deceit.
14 Turn from evil and do good.
Seek peace and pursue it.
15 The eyes of Yahweh are toward the righteous,
and his ears toward their cry for help.
16 The face of Yahweh is against evildoers,
to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
17 They[f] cry out and Yahweh hears
and delivers them from all of their troubles.
18 Yahweh is near to those who are heartbroken
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
19 Many are the distresses of the righteous,
but Yahweh delivers him out of them all.
20 He protects all his bones;
not one of them is broken.
21 Evil will slay the wicked,
and those who hate the righteous will incur guilt.
22 Yahweh redeems the life of his servants,
and none who take refuge in him will incur guilt.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 34:1 Literally “he changed his discernment”
  2. Psalm 34:1 Literally “my father is king” whereas 1 Sam 21:10(9) has “Achish.” “Abimelech” is perhaps an honorific title, since its literal meaning suggests a legitimate right to rule
  3. Psalm 34:1 The Hebrew Bible counts the superscription as the first verse of the psalm; the English verse number is reduced by one
  4. Psalm 34:5 Or “and let not their faces be ashamed”
  5. Psalm 34:9 Or “holy ones”
  6. Psalm 34:17 That is, the righteous

David Flees to Gath

10 Then David arose and fled that day from Saul and went to (A)Achish king of Gath. 11 But the (B)servants of Achish said to him, “Is this not David the king of the land? (C)Did they not sing of this one as they danced, saying,

‘Saul has struck his thousands,
And David his ten thousands’?”

12 And David (D)took these words [a]to heart and greatly feared Achish king of Gath. 13 So he (E)disguised his sanity in their sight and acted insanely in their hands and scribbled on the doors of the gate and let his saliva run down into his beard. 14 Then Achish said to his servants, “Behold, you see the man behaving as a madman. Why do you bring him to me? 15 Do I lack madmen, that you have brought this one to act the madman before me? Shall this one come into my house?”

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 21:12 Lit in his

David Flees to Achish in Gath

10 So David got up and fled on that day from the presence of Saul, and he came to Achish the king of Gath. 11 The servants of Achish said to him, “Is not this David the king of the land? Is it not for this one that they sang in the dances, saying, ‘Saul killed his thousands, but David his ten thousands?’” 12 David took these words seriously[a] and felt severely threatened by[b] Achish the king of Gath. 13 So he changed his behavior before them[c] and pretended to be mad in their presence.[d] He made scratches on the doors of the gate and let his saliva run down into his beard. 14 Then Achish said to his servants, “Look, you see a madman! Why did you bring him to me? 15 Do I lack madmen that you have brought this one to act like a madman before me? Should this one enter my household?”

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 21:12 Literally “David put these words in his heart”
  2. 1 Samuel 21:12 Literally “he was very afraid from the face of”
  3. 1 Samuel 21:13 Literally “in their eyes”
  4. 1 Samuel 21:13 Literally “in their hands”