Outline of Chapter 34:

       Inscription       Psalm 34 Inscription

       vv.    1–4        David Praises Jehovah God

       vv.    5–7        David Gives Reasons for His Praise

       vv.    8–10      David Exhorts His Listeners to Taste of Jehovah

       vv.   11–14      David Teaches the Fear of Jehovah

       vv.   15–18      God’s Direct Involvement in the Life of the Believer

       vv.   19–22      God’s Redemption of the Believer

Charts and Maps:

       Inscription       Why Do We Have Abimelech here rather than Achish?

       v.     14           Psalm 34:8–14: David Outlines the Spiritual Life for the Old Testament

       v.     22           Psalm 34:19–22 A View of the Messiah

I ntroduction: Psalm 34 was written by David after he had escaped from Ahimelech, the ruler of Gath, a major Philistine city (I Sam. 21:10–15). There is no telling whether this psalm began to formulate in David’s mind as he feigned madness, but my thinking is, David named his sins to God after leaving Gath, thought back on this experience, and then wrote the psalm. As David has to be filled with the Holy Spirit or empowered by the Holy Spirit when he writes Scripture, it would not make sense for him to be out of fellowship (as he apparently is in I Sam. 21), and still to write this psalm (or Psalm 56, which was apparently written at the same time). That God would still protect him, even though he is not guided or empowered by the Holy Spirit testifies to the faithfulness of God, despite David’s initial lack of confidence in God.

Psalm 34, interestingly enough, is thought to be one of the Messianic Psalms. Therefore, this leads us to the Doctrine of the Messianic Psalms, which we will examine first.

Psalm 34 is called an acrostic psalm, as each verse (more or less) begins with successive letters of the alphabet (the Emphasized Bible calls it an alphabetical psalm, which is a good English understanding). Interestingly enough, the wâw (ו), which is by far the most common letter to begin a sentence in Hebrew narrative, at first appear to be omitted. Psalm 25, also written by David, is also an acrostic psalm with the wâw missing (it’s time frame is less well-defined). However, in this psalm, the wâw does occur in the midst of v. 6, after the hê, which is where it should be found. But the rest of the letters begin pair of lines. Also, the final verse, v. 22 (v. 23 in the Hebrew), does not begin with the next letter in the alphabet, as we have run out of letters at the previous verse. The 17^th letter of the Hebrew alphabet, פ (pê), which begins v. 16, is repeated. These verses are opposite sides of the same coin: in v. 16, we have the disapprobation of God to those who have rejected Him (evildoers); and eternal approbation toward those who trust in Him.

in this psalm, David both praises and blesses Jehovah God, and exhorts others to join him in this (vv. 1–3). He speaks of God delivering him, and how God provides protection for His own (vv. 4–7). David then exhorts those listening to or reading this psalm to taste Jehovah, to see that He is good (vv. 8–9). Even though lions might go hungry, the believer will be provided for (v. 10). Then David promises to teach the listening the fear of Jehovah, which includes avoiding sins of the tongue, avoiding evil and seeking peace (vv. 11–14). God pays attention to and protects those who are His (vv. 15, 17–18) and is against those who are not (v. 16). David warns that the righteous will suffer to some degree (v. 19), but that there will be limits on this suffering (v. 20). Those who stand condemned will be slain by evil (v. 21), but God will redeem the soul of the righteous (v. 22).

The outline of a psalm is occasionally given simply to help us break the psalm down into bite-sized pieces. However, here there are portions of this psalm which demand separation from the rest of the psalm. In vv. 8–14, we have a series of imperatives which all end with the word good. What David is giving here is the spiritual way of life for the Old Testament believer. Later, at the very end of this psalm, David takes a radical departure from his problems and how he has trusted God, and he takes us to the cross, and the basis of our salvation. What we find in these final 4 verses (vv. 19–22) is a stanza with a double-meaning; it can be applied to David and his situation and it also applies to the Messiah and His work on our behalf on the cross.

Psalm 34 Inscription

Here is how others have translated this verse:

Early translations:

The Septuagint                      By David, when he changed his countenance before Abimelech; and he let him go and he departed.

Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:

CEV                                       [Written by David when he pretended to be crazy in front of Abimelech, so that Abimelech would send him away, and David could leave.]

NLT                                A psalm of David, regarding the time he pretended to be insane in front of Abimelech, who sent him away.

TEV                                       In Praise of God’s Goodness [HEBREW TITLE: By David, who left the presence of Abimelech after pretending to be crazy and being sent away by him].

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

Updated Emphasized Bible   David’s. When he disguised his sanity before Abimelech, —who dismissed him and he departed. [An alphabetical psalm.]

God’s Word™                         By David when he pretended to be insane in the presence of Abimelech; Abimelech threw him out, so David left.

JPS (Tanakh)                        Of David, when he feigned madness in the presence of Abimelech, who turned him out, and he left. [This is v. 1 in the JPS, although presented as a title or inscription; all subsequent verses will be off by one].

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

NASB                                    A Psalm of David when he feigned madness before Abimelech, who drove him away and he departed.

Young's Updated LT              By David, in his changing his behaviour before Abimelech, and he drives him away, and he goes.

What is the gist of this verse? This tells us that David wrote this psalm either while feigning insanity before Ahimelech, the king of Gath, or while thinking back about it while he was escaping.

Translation: Belonging to David... As we have seen many times before, the lâmed preposition plus David means that David wrote this psalm.

Translation: ...(when he changed his behavior before Abimelech... The bêyth preposition combined with an infinitive construct gives us often a temporal sense; therefore, this psalm was written while thinking back to changing his behavior before Abimelech (it would have been difficult to write it while acting crazy). This takes us back to I Sam. 21:10–15.

Translation: ...and he drove him away and he departed. Ahimelech is not worried about David, but he apparently wants David out of his palace and probably out of town. David shared his sentiments.

We should set the scene for this psalm as we did for Psalm 56. David, in I Sam. 21, was running for his life in fear of Saul. He went to Nob, the city of priests, and endangered their lives (and he did not reveal that he was a fugitive). Then he went to Gath, a city of Philistines, and many of them were probably related to men that David had killed in battle. Furthermore, he had killed the greatest national hero, Goliath. However, he shows up there not as a conquering hero, but as a man needing refuge; and when that doesn’t seem to play well, then he presents himself as an insane person, which is what causes him to write this psalm. What doesn’t seem to cross his mind is that, he is endangering Israel by going to Gath and pretending to be insane. This tells the king of Gath, as well as all the people of Gath, that Israel’s greatest hero is no longer a threat. In other words, prior to this psalm, David exhibited some atrocious and faithless behavior (I am grading him on an objective scale of merit, not on a comparative scale with myself, as I would only come out looking much worse in similar circumstances). In Psalm 56, David rebounded—he named his sins to God, and for that psalm and this (and for his subsequent travels in Israel as a fugitive), David is back in fellowship. Therefore, these psalms will be written from a position of strength, even though David is probably alone (or with a very small group—a possibility that I doubt) and a fugitive.

You will recall just how carefully David structured Psalm 56? David also has given structure to this psalm, but a very different sort of structure. Each stanza begins with successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. The letter is not by itself in the Hebrew; it is the first letter of the first word of each stanza. Some translations demonstrate this. The NJB and the JPS both put the Hebrew letter to the left of each stanza (a separate Hebrew letter does not occur in the Hebrew); and Rotherham precedes each stanza with the name of the letter written out. It would be equally accurate to precede each verse with a verse number (which is done in virtually every translation for every verse). In order to write this, David simply has to choose the first word of each verse so that it begins with the proper letter.

David Praises Jehovah God

Here is how others have handled this verse:

Early translations:

The Septuagint                      I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise is continually in my mouth.

Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:

CEV                                       I will always praise the Lord.

NJB                                        I will bless Yahweh at all times,

his praise continually on my lips.

NLT                                I will praise the Lord at all times.

I will constantly speak his praises.

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

JPS (Tanakh)         א             I bless the Lord at all times;

praise of Him is ever in my mouth.

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

God’s Word™                         I will thank the Lord at all times.

My mouth will always praise him.

NASB                                    I will bless the Lord at all times;

His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

Young's Updated LT              I do bless Jehovah at all times,

Continually His praise is in my mouth.

What is the gist of this verse? David can celebrate God’s care and guidance in all situations.

Translation: I will praise Y^ehowah at all times;... David, although he has spent the previous week or month out of fellowship, is now back in fellowship, and he recognizes that God is on his side in all circumstances. This is a very difficult thing to learn and to act upon. I have gone through some difficult times over the past several years, there were times when I was able to recognize God’s hand and His guidance and there were times that I fail this test miserably. I know that throughout all of this, God has been faithful, even though I have not been. I know that I could always trust God, even though there were many times when I did not. This is where David is—his life has gone through some very difficult changes. He has gone from being a national hero to a national fugitive, and he had trouble initially with that change. However, God hasn’t changed and God’s promises and protection have never changed. My less than literal translation may better convey the concept of this half of v. 1: I will praise Y^ehowah in all situations.

Barnes comments on at all times: In every situation of life; in every event that occurs. The idea is, that he would do it publicly and privately; in prosperity and in adversity; in safety and in danger; in joy and in sorrow. It would be a great principle of his life, expressive of the deep feeling of his soul, that God was always to be regarded as an object of adoration and praise.

Now you may think, well, sure David is praising God; God just delivered him from the hand of Abimelech. David put himself in that position. He was still being hunted by Saul, which is going to go on for the remainder of the book of I Samuel. So David is praising God, despite the fact that he was still in danger.

Translation: ...[my] praise for Him [lit., his praise] is continually on my lips [lit., in my mouth]. David has faced nothing but trouble for the past month or more, and he initially reacted to it as an unbeliever would have reacted: with absolutely no faith or understanding of God’s control over the situation. However, David is back in fellowship, as of Psalm 34, and now he can praise or celebrate God in all circumstances and at all times. Rejoice in the Lord always; and again I say, rejoice! (Philip. 4:4). What both of these verses convey is being in fellowship and being occupied with the person of Jesus Christ. This does not mean that David audibly praised God every 3 or 4 seconds. If Jonathan came up to David and asked, “Hey, David, How’s it going?” David would not have answered, “Praise the Lord, I’m doing okay; praise the Lord.” In his soul, David recognized God’s presence and protection; if the occasion came up, David would certainly give praise to God; probably by song. In his soul, despite the fact that he was a fugitive and despite the fact that Saul was out to kill him, David recognized that God was with him and that God had his back.

Here is how others have translated this verse:

Early translations:

The Septuagint                      My soul will boast herself in the Lord; let the meek hear and rejoice.

Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:

CEV                                       With all my heart, I will praise the Lord.

Let all who are helpless, listen and be glad.

NLY                                I will boast only in the Lord;

let all who are discouraged take heart.

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

JPS (Tanakh)                 ב      I glory in the Lord;

let the lowly hear it and rejoice.

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

God’s Word™                         My soul will boast about the Lord.

Those who are oppressed will hear it and rejoice.

NASB                                    My soul shall make its boast in the Lord;

The humble shall hear it and rejoice.

Young's Updated LT              In Jehovah does my soul boast herself,

Hear do the humble and rejoice.

What is the gist of this verse? David glories or celebrates while being in Jehovah. Other believers who hear David’s rejoicing celebrate with him as well.

Translation: My soul glories in Y^ehowah;... David has recognized that God has remained the same, regardless of the situations that David found himself in. God was faithful to David and David could always depend upon God. Therefore, he could glory in or boast of Jehovah and His faithfulness.

Barnes comments: The word “boast” here refers to that on which a man would value himself; that which would be most prominent in his mind when he endeavored to call to remembrance what he could reflect on with most pleasure. The psalmist here says that when He did this, it would not be wealth or strength to which he would refer; it would not be his rank or position in society; it would not be what he had done, nor what he had gained, as pertaining to this life. His joy would spring from the fact that there was a God; that he was such a God, and that he could regard him as His God. This would be his chief distinction - that on which he would value himself most. Of all the things that we can possess in this world, the crowning distinction is, that we have a God, and that he is such a being as he is.

What makes this important is that God is omnipotent. Not only is God faithful and his character dependable (v. 3), but God is both willing and able to protect David in all situations. David is within a truly fail-safe situation. Let’s try an analogy here: you’re a little kid who gets picked on constantly; and suddenly, your best friend is the biggest and toughest kid on the block and at your school. Not only that, but this kid has integrity; you can trust that he will protect you. Walking beside this kid gives you complete protection in any and all places. You’re going to celebrate your friendship with this kid, as you will never be bullied again.

Application: The application is simple: we are related to the same God as David; we are in Jesus Christ—positional sanctification—we can depend upon Him for our protection and we can celebrate His faithfulness toward us. There is nothing in life for which He hasn’t already made provision on our behalf.

Translation: ...grace-oriented [believers] hear and they rejoice. The noun here is the masculine plural ׳ânâv (וָנָע) [pronounced ģaw-NAWV], which is a reference to not just believers, but grace-oriented believers. They hear that David is rejoicing over his situation and they are encouraged and happy as well.

This is one place where there seem to be other men with David. This could also be simply a poetic device on David’s part, a reference to grace-oriented believers who may read this psalm in the future. We know that 400 will join up with him when he is in the cave of Adullam (I Sam. 22:1–2). Whether they have been with him previously and how long they have been with him is unknown. We discussed this back in I Sam. 21:15.

Application: Note that not everyone rejoices in God—not even every believer. It is the grace-oriented believer (also called the humble) who can rejoice. If you have no capacity of soul, then you will not rejoice in what He has done for you, and what He continues to do for us.

Here is how others have translated this verse:

Early translations:

The Septuagint                      Magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt His name together.

Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:

CEV                                       Honor the Lord with me! Celebrate his great name.

NJB                Gimel                Proclaim with me the greatness of Yahweh,

let us acclaim his name together.

TEV                                       Proclaim with me the Lord’s greatness;

let us praise his name together!

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

JPS (Tanakh)                 ג     Exalt the Lord with me;

let us extol His name together.

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

God’s Word™                         Praise the Lord’s greatness with me.

Let us highly honor his name together.

NASB                                    O magnify the Lord with me,

And let us exalt His name together.

Young's Updated LT              Ascribe greatness to Jehovah with me,

And we exalt His name together.

What is the gist of this verse? David celebrates Who and What God is, and then calls for others to exalt His name with him.

Translation: Celebrate with regards to [or, praise] Y^ehowah with me... Jehovah, in this half of the verse, is not a direct object, but part of a prepositional phrase. I do not believe that gâdal is followed by the lâmed preposition anywhere else but here. Therefore, although many interpret this as Praise Jehovah, the meaning may be better expressed as Celebrate because of Jehovah with me. The idea is, God has been faithful to David in all circumstances, so David implores others with him to celebrate Jehovah’s faithfulness or celebrate because of Jehovah’s faithfulness. That he asks others to join him here may be poetic license and it may imply that David is not alone at the time of writing this.

Again, in this verse, David is either speaking to those with him, or he is using a poetic imperative to those who will later hear this psalm. So, it is possible that he has some men with him. The primary reason that I don’t see David as being with anyone at this time is, his exploits in I Sam. 21 appear to be solitary. There is nothing in that chapter which suggests that David is traveling with anyone (although he asks the priest for bread for his young men, who are not with him; there is every reason to believe that he is lying—this is covered in greater detail in the exegesis of that chapter).

Translation: ...and let us lift us His name [reputation and character] together. Name in the Old Testament referred to one’s character and reputation. We often use this word in the same way even today. “Charlie Brown has made a good name for himself in Centerville.” God’s character and reputation are a part of the revealed Word of God. We do not know exactly what David possessed at this time, but recall that he has spent time with Samuel at the Naioth School of Prophets, so he undoubtedly left there with something, even if it was just doctrinal information which he carried in his soul.

The voluntative hê indicates that David calls upon those who hear this psalm to exalt or extol God’s reputation and character. A songwriter often writes in solitude, even though he may exort his listeners within the song to do this or that (clap, dance, or whatever). Therefore, David’s imperative (v. 3a) and voluntative hê (v. 3b) are not absolute indicators that he is traveling with anyone else.

By the way, God’s reputation is not made great by the exaltation of others. God’s reputation and character are great on their own. David exhorts his listeners to simply recognize God’s greatness.

Here is how others have translated this verse:

Early translations:

The Septuagint                      I sought the Lord diligently, and he listened to me and He delivered me from all my neighborhoods.

Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:

CEV                                       I asked the Lord for help,

and he saved me from all my fears.

NLT                                I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me,

freeing me from all my fears.

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

JPS (Tanakh)                 ד      I turned to the Lord, and He answered me;

He saved me from all my terrors.

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

The Amplified Bible                I sought (inquired of) from the Lord, and required Him [of necessity, and on the authority of His Word], and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

NASB                                    I sought the Lord, and He answered me,

And delivered me from all my fears.

Young's Updated LT              I sought Jehovah, and He answered me,

And from all my fears did deliver me.

What is the gist of this verse? David has searched for Jehovah (probably through prayer and supplication) and God delivered David from all of his fears, which were many and reasonable.

Translation: I sought Y^ehowah... The first thing that you should notice is that all three verbs in this verse are in the perfect tense. That means this refers to completed action. David is not seeking God in this psalm or simultaneous to writing this psalm. He has already sought out God; he has already looked for God and obviously, he has found God.

Translation: ...and He answered me;... Again, the perfect (completed) tense. David searched for God and God answered him. God did not leave David hanging. However, God’s answer was not necessarily and audible one. One of the most interesting things about David is, there does not appear to be direct contact between God and him. We don’t find God coming to David and speaking to him audibly or through dreams. God speaks to David through His Word and through various prophets. God does answer David, but it is not by a tap on the shoulder and a deep, Charlton Heston-type voice saying, “Here I am David; what is it that you want?”

I realize that my forays into the Hebrew are sometimes tedious, however, there is a reason for them: this allows for a more accurate understanding of Scripture. Spurgeon questions David’s prayers and his ability to reach God, and cites David’s behavior before the king of Gath as an indication that he could not reach God. Spurgeon’s problem is that he does not understand the chronology of this. David is out of fellowship in I Sam. 21 and remains out of fellowship for that entire chapter. Therefore, whatever he does is in the energy of the flesh, and the lasting results of his actions may not be good (they were not, as a matter of fact). David wheedled bread and a weapon from the priests, which will result in the death of all the priests save one; he feigned insanity before Achish, king of Gath, which will result in a Philistine attack on Israel (as their great nemesis is incapacitated). In other words, no good can come out of David’s actions in I Sam. 21, and this is because he is out of fellowship. However, upon escaping Gath, David first writes Psalm 56, which is a rebound psalm, in part; and then he writes this psalm, which is a psalm of faith-rest, in part. Note how easily and logically these two psalms fit together with I Sam. 21 as an epilogue, and help to explain how David could go from seeming so messtup in I Sam. 21, to being a spiritual powerhouse in I Sam. 22. There will be times certainly when it is hard to understand a passage or to reconcile several passages or chapter of Scripture; this, however, is not one of those times. When you take the Hebrew as it is, and logically piece this time period together in the life of David, it makes perfect and logical sense.

Allow me a tangent here. One of the things which is lacking in the clergy, not just today, but for most of the Church Age, is a sense of logic. God is a God of order, which would include logic and reason; He is not a God of disorder. So, we need not look at a passage and say, “God is inscrutable; we will never be able to understand this or that about Him. We will never be able to understand this or that passage.” If it is in Scripture, God meant for it to be understood. If the application of logic is involved (e.g., in the very famous verse I Cor. 13:1, a verse which is almost universally misunderstood), it is logic which guides us to a proper explanation. For pastors, there are a variety of backgrounds which come into play in a positive way: R. B. Thieme, both Junior and III, spent time in the military, which has impacted their respective ministries in a very positive way. Several pastors who came out of Berachah Church also went the route of the military, which has served them in a very positive way. They have also enjoyed the training in the original languages, an education which has been crucial to their ministries. My background is in mathematics, and in part, that includes many careful forays into mathematical logic. This can also be applied to Scripture, and in such a way as to be positively applied to Biblical exegesis.

Translation: ...He delivered me from all of my fears. We find the perfect (completed) tense with nâtsal because Jehovah Elohim delivered David from his fear back in Psalm 56. So now, as David writes this second psalm, he is no longer in fear for his life. He knows that God has delivered him from danger; but more importantly, God delivered David from his fears. God has already made provision for David in eternity past. There is nothing which can happen to him that God has not already foreseen. The Philistines can’t touch David; Saul cannot harm David. God has all of that under control. It’s like a carnival ride. Once you are strapped in, there is virtually nothing that could go wrong with you. You’re not going to fall out, the ride is not going to fly off its tracks. Granted, there may be a few moments where your heart is pounding out of your chest and your breath is 10 feet behind you, but it’s all under control. Those who designed these rides don’t want you to die or fly out of the car and injure yourself. There’s no money in that. So they have set things up so that you are relatively safe, regardless of how you feel. The same is true of our lives before God. He knows everything that will happen to us. There will be very difficult things which happen to us in our lives; God has taken care of all that. We might as well strap ourselves in and enjoy the ride. We might be more inclined to ask, “Okay, how is God going to get me out of this jam?” rather than to doubt that He can.

David Gives Reasons for His Praise

Here is how others have translated this verse:

Early translations:

The Septuagint                      Draw near to him, and be enlightened; and your faces will not be ashamed.

Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:

CEV                                       Keep your eyes on the Lord! You will shine like the sun

and never blush with shame.

NLT                                Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy;

no shadow of shame will darken their faces.

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

JPS (Tanakh)                 ה      Men look to Him and are radiant;

                                      ו             let their faces not be downcast.

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

Updated Emphasized Bible   They looked to him and were radiant.

NASB                                    They looked to Him and were radiant.

And their faces shall never be ashamed.

NRSV                                    Look to him, and be radiant;

so your [Greek, Syriac and Jerome; Hebrew reads their] faces shall never be ashamed.

Young's Updated LT              They looked expectantly unto Him,

And they became bright,

And their faces are not ashamed.

What is the gist of this verse? When the believer turns toward God for guidance and protection, he will not be disappointed; he will be elated; his life and attitude will reflect God’s character or glory.

Translation: They look to Him [or, Look to Him] and be radiant [possibly, enlightened];... I much prefer the imperative sense of this verse: Look to Him and be enlightened [or, radiant]... The imperative mood seems to be more in keeping with the tenor of this psalm, as we find the imperative mood in vv. 3, 8, 9, 11, 13, 14. In fact, given the close proximity of those verses, it would seem to be too much of a jump between vv. 3 and 8 without another imperative falling between them.

There is more to this half of the verse than, “Look at God and He will give you a happy face.” David is speaking to the readers of this psalm, imploring them to look toward God. The result is His reflected glory—this is why they are radiant. They don’t have some lame happy face; they reflect God’s glory and His character.

David’s behavior and outlook have changed tremendously since I Sam. 21: he’s gone from being frightened, on the run, and acting impulsively, putting others at risk to save himself, to being confident, taking charge of those who come to him, looking out for others, and having a clear trust in God’s provisions and protection. This is because he has rebounded (named his sins to God, thus having fellowship with God restored) and he now looks to God for guidance and for confidence. David, therefore, now reflects God’s glory; and this permeates his every action. In this psalm, he urges others to take these same steps.

This is sorely needed in business nowadays. A believer should be completely trustworthy and behave completely honorably in all of his business dealings. No one should expect to be backstabbed by a believer; no one should expect a believer to write some loophole into some small print in some corner of a contract; no one should expect a believer to sue them simply for the purpose of a monetary gain (in fact, they should not expect to be sued by a believer at all); no one should expect a believer to be dishonest, condescending, or underhanded in any sort of a business deal. The believer should reflect God’s character and glory. You should be able to shake hands with a believer and walk away knowing that you can trust him and his word. I have entered business agreements with believers and unbelievers alike; it is unfortunate, but just about as often, I can trust the unbeliever as much as I can the believer. This is tragic. Not everyone who comes in contact with you will know that you are a believer; however, almost everyone who comes in contact with you should feel confident that you are honest and dependable. They should come to find that your word is your bond and that your dealings with them reflect honesty and integrity. If they later find out that you are a believer, then they won’t be disappointed.

Translation: ...and your faces will not be ashamed. Ashamedness is a topic found surprisingly often in Scripture. Some may not fully grasp this thought, so let me see if I can explain it. There are teenagers who, if put in the same room with their peers and their parents would be ashamed of their parents. If their parents showed up to some school function, the child would be embarrassed to admit to being related to them. On the other hand, if their parent was the president, a senator, a still-popular rock star or celebrity; they might feel even proud. Believers, also, when put into a crowd of intellects, might have a tendency to feel ashamed of Jesus Christ, if the prevailing attitude is a knocking of religion. However, we are assured that when we look to Jesus, our faces will not be ashamed.

There are a number of verses which deal with this same theme; turn to Jehovah and you will not be ashamed; among them are Job 6:20 Psalm 22:5 Rom. 9:33 1John 2:28. Let’s just quote Rom. one of these passages as an example: As it stands written, Behold I lay in Zion a Stumbling-Stone and a Rock of Offense, and everyone believing in Him should not be ashamed (Rom. 9:33 quoting Isa. 28:16).

Here is how others have translated this verse:

Early translations:

The Septuagint                      This poor man cried out, and the Lord listened to him, and He delivered him out of all his afflictions.

Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:

CEV                                       I was a nobody, but I prayed,

and the Lord saved me from all my troubles.

NAB                                       In my misfortune I called,

the Lord heard and saved me from all distress.

NLT                                I cried out to the Lord in my suffering,

and he heard me.

He set me free from all my fears.

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

JPS (Tanakh)                        Here was a lowly man who called

and the Lord listened,

and delivered him from all his troubles.

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

NASB                                    The poor man cried and the Lord heard him;

And saved him out of all his troubles.

NRSV                                    This poor soul cried, and was heard by the Lord,

and was saved from every trouble.

Young's Updated LT              This poor one called, and Jehovah heard,

And from all his distresses saved him.

What is the gist of this verse? When a man in need calls out to Jehovah, God hears him and delivers him from his problems or through his problems.

Translation: This afflicted [man] called [out]... The afflicted or troubled man in this verse is David. David finally, in the previous psalm, called out to God. Again, note the perfect tense. This is a completed action. When David writes this psalm, he is in fellowship. Also, note the perfect tense: spirituality does not involve progressive action. Spiritual growth does, but getting back into fellowship comes from naming your sins.

Translation: ...and Y^ehowah heard [him],... Again, the perfect tense—God heard David back in eternity past. However, from David’s perspective, God just heard him.

Translation: ...and He delivered him from all of his troubles [distresses and adversities]. The previous phrase makes complete sense—David calls out to God and God hears him; however, note this phrase: God has, perfect tense, delivered David out from all of his troubles and distresses. David’s still being pursued by Saul. David is still an outlaw. Yet, from his perspective, he has been delivered from all of his distresses, afflctions and adversities. David knows how this will play out. God will eventually make him king over all Israel. David knows that God has taken care of everything in eternity past—the perfect tense. It’s all taken care of, so there is no reason to worry.

Application: This is pretty obvious—God knew about our lives and everything in our lives that would go wrong and every pressure that we would face. He has taken care of these things in eternity past. He has delivered from all of our problems, distresses and adversities. It’s a done deal.

Application: Not, it is a hard fact, but no one gets out of this life alive. Unless we are of the rapture generation, we will all die, and our deaths will run the gamut of dying in our sleep to a slow a painful death by some wasting disease. We will all die. There will be a disease or a bullet or some type of death with our name on it. We will not escape our death and all of the prayers in the world will not change this, if it is our time (this is apart from the sin unto death, which can be turned around in some instances). So, the point is, we will all face troubles; and we will all face the ultimate end of life—God has made provision for these things, and His provision may not include a complete deliverance from these things. My point is, you will face some trials and tribulations in life that will not be completely eradicated; they will not suddenly disappear in a poof of smoke because you fervently prayed to God. He has still provided for you and these provisions will get you through any of these troubles, even though the troubles may not be removed (the classic example is Paul’s physical infirmity or thorn in the flesh of II Cor. 12:7–10).

Here is how others have translated this verse:

Early translations:

The Septuagint                      The Angel of the Lord will encamp around them that fear him, and He will deliver them.

Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:

CEV                                       If you honor the Lord, his angel will protect you.

NLT                                For the angel of the Lord guards all who fear him,

and he rescues them.

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

JPS (Tanakh)                 ח      The angel of the Lord camps around those who fear Him

and rescues them.

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

NASB                                    Then angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him,

And rescues them.

Young's Updated LT              A messenger of Jehovah is encamping,

Round about those who fear Him,

And He arms them.

What is the gist of this verse? God first establishes a protective perimeter about the believer in fellowship, and then He delivers the believer from his troubles.

Translation: The Angel of Y^ehowah bivouacs around those who fear [and respect] Him;... This phrase is followed by the wâw consecutive, which is actually rare in poetry. In a narrative, almost every clause is pulled together by a wâw consecutive. However, this is unusual. What we are getting here is a succession of events, rather than simply two things that God does. First, He encamps around those who fear and respect Him. This is the contrast; David used to be afraid of Saul; he used to be afraid of the king of Gath. Now, instead, David fears God. Don't be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the One who can destroy both body and soul in hell (Matt. 10:28). The Qal active participle gives us continuous action. David is in a constant state of fear of God; this indicates that David is in fellowship.

David is out camped in the woods, in hiding. However, now, Jehovah has camped all around him, which makes him completely safe. This does not mean that David can now act without thinking and function as though he is not a fugitive. David is not going to go to Gibeah and plant himself down on a park bench, because God has protected him. Trusting in God’s protection does not mean that we act with complete abandon. We do not jump off a 1000 ft. cliff, knowing that God has camped about us and we are safe. We don’t jump in front of a speeding train, knowing that God has camped about us and we are completely safe. Trust in God and God’s provision does not mean that we then act like complete idiots.

Application: There are several cults out there that when one of their own is sick, they pray for that person and they refuse all medical treatment. That is stupid; that would be like David now moving back into his old house in Gibeah (I assume that is where he lived as he is married to Saul’s daughter) because he has trusted in God. That is idiocy. I’ve had several operations and I will guarantee you that I prayed many times prior to each operation and I trusted God for the outcome of each operation. God was faithful and the operations were successful. There is a time for medical treatment and seeking medical treatment does not show a lack of faith in God. When a person has a condition which can only be solved by a medical team, and he refuses treatment, saying that he is instead trusting in God, those around him, for the most part, write him off as being an idiot. They now have one more reason not to believe in Jesus Christ, because they have just witnessed the testimony of an idiot.

Application: Do not just behave irrationally after becoming a believer. Do not make these big decisions thinking that, God will take care of me and protect me. You don’t suddenly get married, you don’t leave your job, you don’t give all of your money to the church. When you become a believer, Paul urges you to stay as you are. Don’t make any radical, life-changing decisions. If you are a slave, don’t seek to be free (modern take: if you work for a lousy employer, don’t quit your job). If you are married, don’t seek a divorce; if you are single, don’t seek to be married (I Cor. 7:20–27 gives Paul’s complete dissertation on this topic). Just because you are a believer and just because God has given you certain promises and guaranteed His protection, this is not enough of a reason to act like a flaming idiot.

We covered the Doctrine of the Angel of Jehovah back in Gen. 16:7. The Angel of Jehovah is the revealed member of the Trinity, which is generally Jesus Christ. The imagery here is interesting; there is no indication of direct contact between David and the Angel of God. Although several exegetes assert that angel here really stands in for angels (as a metonym)  I don’t believe that there is any clear rationale for that position. It is Jesus Christ Who provides our protection.

Translation: ...then He delivers them. Recall that I mentioned the wâw consecutive, which gives us sequential action here. First God forms a barrier around the believer; God becomes a buffer between the believer and his enemies. Once God has established a perimeter, then he delivers the believer from trouble. David isn’t delivered right then and there. He doesn’t call out to God, and then God immediately vanquishes his enemies; God first establishes a perimeter, a protective barrier, a circle of fire around the believer, and then God, in His Own time, delivers the believer. But the believer is protected at all times and given grace to deal with whatever onslaught that he must face.

Jesus Christ first pioneered God’s designed spirituality model; this sustained Him even up to the cross, prior to which, Jesus had endured unbelievable suffering, primarily at the hand of the vicious, sadistic Roman soldiers (applauded by the Jewish religious hierarchy). This was not His payment for our sins; however, Jesus had to endure this in order to get to the cross to begin with. It is on the cross, during the 6 hours of darkness, wherein He endured the punishment for our sins, where He was made sin for us. We have the same resources that got Him to that point; and He got there without sinning. So, when we face great difficulties, realize that our Savior has endured far greater difficulties—unimaginable sufferings—and with the same operating assets as He has given to us.

David Exhorts His Listeners to Taste Jehovah

Here is how others have translated this verse:

Early translations:

The Septuagint                      Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who hopes in Him.

Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:

CEV                                       Discover for yourself that the Lord is kind.

Come to him for protection, and you will be glad.

NLT                                Taste and see that the Lord is good.

Oh, the joys fo those who trust in him!

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

JPS (Tanakh)                 ס      Taste and see how good the Lord is;

happy is the man who takes refuge in Him!

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

The Amplified Bible                O taste and see that the Lord [our God] is good! Blessed—happy, fortunate [to be envied]—is the man who trusts and takes refuge in Him.

NASB                                    O taste and see that the Lord is good;

How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!

Young's Updated LT              Taste and see that Jehovah is good,

O the happiness of the man who trusts in Him.

What is the gist of this verse? David implores the listener (and now, the reader) to taste Jehovah—that is, to try Him out—and the result will be that he will see that Jehovah is good. David guarantees happiness to the one who trusts in God.

Translation: Try [lit., taste] Y^ehowah and see that [He is] good;... David suggests to the listener that he try the Lord; that he taste the Lord. It is like offering a treat of some sort, with guarantees from David that God is good. David has spent much of his time panicked and trying to escape Saul. Here, he stops and realizes how well taken care of his is; and he urges others to try God as well.

Barnes comments on this portion of v. 34: This is an address to others, founded on the experience of the psalmist. He had found protection from the Lord; he had had evidence of His goodness; and he asks now of others that they would make the same trial which he had made. It is the language of piety in view of personal experience; and it is such language as a young convert, whose heart is filled with joy as hope first dawns on his soul, would address to his companions and friends, and to all the world around; such language as one who has had any special comfort, or who has experienced any special deliverance from temptation or from trouble, would address to others. Lessons, derived from our own experience, we may properly recommend to others; the evidence which has been furnished us that God is good, we may properly employ in persuading others to come and taste his love.

Translation: ...great happiness [lit., happinesses] [is to] the man [who] takes refuge in Him. David takes this a step further: he promises great happiness to anyone who takes refuge in God. I don’t have an explanation for the structure of this line, except to default to the explanation, it’s just poetry.

Here is how others have translated this verse:

Early translations:

The Septuagint                      Fear the Lord, all you his saints; for there is not want to those that fear Him.

Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:

CEV                                       Honor the Lord! You are his special people.

No one who honors the Lord will ever be in need.

NLT                                Let the Lord’s people show him reverence,

for those who honor him will have all they need.

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

JPS (Tanakh)                 י     Fear the Lord, you His consecrated ones,

for those who fear Him lack nothing.

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

God’s Word™                         Fear the Lord, you holy people who belong to him.

Those who fear him are never in need.

NASB                                    O fear the Lord, you His saints;

For to those who fear Him, there is no want.

Young's Updated LT              Fear Jehovah, you His holy ones,

For there is no lack to those fearing Him.

What is the gist of this verse? David encourages his listeners to fear (respect) Jehovah, guaranteeing them that there is no wanting for those who believe in Him.

Translation: Fear [and respect] Y^ehowah, [you] His saints,... David implores his listeners, God’s saints, to fear and respect Jehovah. Now, saints are those whom God has set apart for Himself. This is equivalent to believers or Christians. This tells us that fear/respect is a step beyond simple belief in Jehovah Elohim. That implies an occupation with Christ; a functioning in one’s life knowing that Jesus is right there (or, Jehovah Elohim, as He is known in the Old Testament).

Translation: ...for [there is] no lack [or want] to the ones who fear Him. David now gives a rationale for being occupied with Jehovah Elohim: those who are occupied with Jesus Christ—those believers who are growing in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ—these believers do not lack. They have their basic needs met and then some.

Barnes comments on this statement: Sooner or later all their real necessities will be met, and God will bestow upon them every needed blessing. The statement here cannot be regarded as absolutely and universally true—that is, it cannot mean that they who fear the Lord will never, in any instance, be hungry or thirsty, or destitute of raiment or of a comfortable home; but it is evidently intended to be a general affirmation, and is in accordance with the other statements which occur in the Bible about the advantages of true religion in securing temporal as well as spiritual blessings from God. Barnes continues: And so, in Psalm 37:25, David records the result of his own observation at the end of a long life, “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.” But while these statements should not be interpreted as affirming absolutely that no child of God will ever be in need of food, or drink, or raiment, or home, or friends, yet it is generally true that the needs of the righteous are supplied, often in an unexpected manner, and from an unexpected source. It is true that virtue and religion conduce to temporal prosperity; and it is almost universally true that the inmates of charity-houses and prisons are neither the pious, nor the children of the pious. These houses are the refuge, to a great extent, of the intemperate, the godless, and the profligate - or of the families of the intemperate, the godless, and the profligate; and if all such persons were to be discharged from those abodes, our almshouses and prisons would soon become tenantless. A community could most easily provide for all those who have been trained in the ways of religion, but who are reduced to poverty by fire, or by flood, or by ill health; and they would most cheerfully do it. Nothing can be more true than that if a man wished to do all that could be done in the general uncertainty of human affairs to secure prosperity, it would be an advantage to him to be a virtuous and religious man. God never blesses or prospers a sinner as such, though he often does it notwithstanding the fact that he is a sinner; but he does and will bless and prosper a righteous man as such, and because he is righteous.

One might add to Barnes comments, look only to Psalm 119, of the march of the Jews out of the land; they were removed from the land because of their reversionism; however, there were some faithful believers as well. Both the faithful and unfaithful suffered privation. Also, take a look at Paul, in II Cor. 11:24–27: Five times the Jewish leaders had me beaten with 39 lashes; three times Roman officials had me beaten with clubs. Once people tried to stone me to death; three times I was shipwrecked, and I drifted on the sea for a night and a day. Because I've traveled a lot, I've faced dangers from raging rivers, from robbers, from my own people, and from other people. I've faced dangers in the city, in the open country, on the sea, and from believers who turned out to be false friends. Because I've had to work so hard, I've often gone without sleep, been hungry and thirsty, and gone without food and without proper clothes during cold weather. What Paul describes here seems to be antithetical to the promises made to us by David. As a general rule, God takes care of the believer’s basic needs. However, there are times when God allows the believer to suffer privation, and He provides him the grace to get through these sufferings.

Personally, I have been lucky all of my life. Even though I was very poor during my last few years of college, newly married, and dealing with a ton of pressures, I was never hungry, I never lacked a roof over my head, and God provided Bible doctrine for me to get through the other pressures of life. When I heard Thieme’s teachings about the privation test and the prosperity test, I volunteered, in prayer, for the latter, and God saw to it that I faced the prosperity test. There are two basic keys to facing any testing: being filled with the Spirit through rebound and taking in Bible doctrine. Because of the tremendous impact of Berachah Church, there are now dozens of outstanding pastors out there in the world, so finding God’s Word taught properly is not difficult. You may not find it taught in your particular city, but it is available. Throughout all of your life, nothing is more important than the daily intake of God’s Word while filled with God the Holy Spirit.

Let me dispel a myth. The saying shine the little light that you have is just that, a saying. You don’t study one verse and then practice it until you get it down. If you suffer from materialism lust, then you might stall out when you come to commandment 10. If materialism lust is your biggest problem, then you may never overcome it entirely. This does not mean that you stop studying God’s Word after you get to the 10^th commandment. You continue to study His Word and there will be things in addition to the 10^th commandment which may help you to better get control of that weakness. However, if that is your area of weakness, you may deal with it until the day you die. What is important is, when you find yourself lusting after someone else’s car, house, wife, etc., that you name that sin to God and move on. In other words, you don’t ever stop with the study of God’s Word.

Here is how others have translated this verse:

Early translations:

The Septuagint                      The rich have become poor and hungry; but they who seek the Lord diligently will not want any good thing. Pause

Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:

CEV                                       Young lions may go hungry or even starve,

but if you trust the Lord,

you will never miss out on anything good.

NAB                                       The powerful grow poor and hungry,

but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

NLT                                Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry,

but those who trust in the Lord will never lack any good thing.

REB                                       Princes may suffer want and go hungry,

but those who fear him lack for nothing.

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

God’s Word™                         Young lions go hungry and may starve,

but those who seek the Lord’s help have all the good things they need.

JPS (Tanakh)                 כ      Lions have been reduced to starvation,

but those who turn to the Lord shall not lack any good.

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

NASB                                    The yong lions do lack and suffer hunger;

But they who seek the Lord shall not be in want of any good thing.

Young's Updated LT              Young lions have lacked and been hungry,

And those seeking Jehovah lack not any good thing.

What is the gist of this verse? Those who seek Jehovah do not lack any necessity even though there are young lions (or strong men) who go hungry.

Translation: [Although even] young lions [or, strong men] are in want and go hungry,... The word for lions here is an interesting one: this is a young lion which has been recently weaned and has not learned quite how to hunt. Therefore, this lion is going to be hungry until it learns to kill.

Spurgeon comments: They are fierce, cunning, strong, in all the rigour of youth, and yet they sometimes howl in their ravenous hunger, and even so crafty, designing, and oppressing men, with all their sagacity and unscrupulousness, often come to want; yet simple-minded believers, who dare not act as the greedy lions of earth, are fed with food convenient for them. To trust God is better policy than the craftiest politicians can teach or practise. These two sets of comments may seem contradictory, but they are not. The common perception of the lion is as Spurgeon has commented—intelligent, powerful creatures who can take what they want. The reality of the matter, however, is that those lions who have just been weaned are ill-prepared to hunt; they are not ready yet to take care of themselves. Therefore, it may seem as though they are capable of eating whatever they want whenever they want, the reality is that they go hungry at times.

Despite the poetic-sound of the words above, this could also be a reference to strong, powerful men. This is a word which is commonly found in poetry, and therefore might be what should have been here (see the Hebrew exegesis). However, before you are too quick to finalize the reading as strong me, keep in mind that a copyist could have changed an early manuscript to make the meaning more ascertainable (it may not have even been an intentional change, given the similarity of the words).

Translation: ...those who seek Y^ehowah are not lacking any good thing. This does not mean that every believer has everything that they want and need. First of all, the person described here is a seeker of Y^ehowah, meaning that, not only do they believe in Jehovah, but they actively seek Him, meaning that they are pursuing God and His Word. We are told that they lack no good thing, which indicates that God provides both the necessities and the extras as well. Again, this does not mean that we get everything that we want. Some people don’t understand this, but having every material thing that you have ever wanted does not translate into happiness. I’ve personally been able to buy everything that I really want and I have been in situations where I could barely afford my food; and inside, I am no happier in either situation.

Also, we have already discussed this basic topic in general in the previous verse. Although, in general, God provides for the basic needs of His Own, and then some; there are times when we are called upon to suffer privation. II Cor. 4:16–17: That is why we are not discouraged. Though outwardly we are wearing out, inwardly we are renewed day by day. Our suffering is light and temporary and is producing for us an eternal glory that is greater than anything we can imagine.

Barnes comments on any good thing: Any real good. God is able to supply every need; and if anything is withheld, it is always certain that it is not because God could not confer it, but because He sees some good reasons why it should not be conferred. The real good; what we need most; what will most benefit us - will be bestowed on us; and universally it may be said of all the children of God that everything in this world and the next will be granted that is really for their good. They themselves are often not the best judges of what will be for their good; but God is an infallible Judge in this matter, and He will certainly bestow what is best for them. God either gives us the necessities of life or He gives us the strength to endure lack of these necessities.

David Teaches the Fear of Jehovah

Here is how others have translated this verse:

Early translations:

The Septuagint                      Come, you children, hear me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:

CEV                                       Come, my children, listen

as I teach you to respect the Lord.

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

JPS (Tanakh)                 ל      Come, my sons, listen to me;

I will teach you what it is to fear the Lord.

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

The Amplified Bible                Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you to revere and worshipfully fear the Lord.

Updated Emphasized Bible   Come, you children! Listen to me,

<The reverence of Yahweh> Will I teach you.

NASB                                    Come, you children, listen to me;

I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

Young's Updated LT              Come you, children, listen to me,

The fear of Jehovah I teach you.

What is the gist of this verse? David asks his listeners to pay attention, as he will teach them respect/fear of Jehovah.

Translation: Come [here], O sons [and] listen to me;... What this requires is positive volition. You have to desire to know who and what God is. David bades those who are within earshot to come near and listen.

There are a number of exegetes who suggest that David is now speaking to young children; however, there is really no indication of that. This word can mean sons, in the sense of David’s actual sons (although that would make little sense, given this time frame); to very young people in general (which would also make little sense, given this time frame); to young people in general (which is not out of the question); or to those who are, in a sense, his spiritual sons (also, a reasonable understanding). My thinking is that the use of this word is more of a poetic device than an intentional narrowing of the listeners to a specific subgroup.

Translation: ...I will teach you the fear/respect of Y^ehowah. There may be someone who is listening to what David is saying, and thinking, I would like to have this fear of Jehovah; I would like to know more about this fear/respect of Jehovah. David promises that he will teach this to anyone who will listen. This tells us, also, that this sort of thing is not automatic. The new believer does not necessarily understand the fear/respect of God. He must be taught this. This gives us a better sense of to whom this verse is directed: David’s spiritual sons, in a sense; those who have believed in Jehovah Elohim, but are still young in this belief. Again, this suggests that David has people with him, although they could join up with him at a later date (after the incident in Gath). It is also simply a poetic device, as the purpose of a psalm is to be sung or read to a group; therefore, even if there is no group, David writes as though there is. I write much of this exegesis as though I am addressing a group, although at the time that I write this, I have no idea what will become of this manuscript.

Here is how others have translated this verse:

Early translations:

The Septuagint                      What man is there that desires life, loving to see good days?

Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:

CEV                                       Do you want to live and enjoy a long life?

NJB                                        Who among you delights in life,

longs for time to enjoy prosperity?

NLT                                Do any of you want to live

a life that is long and good?

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

God’s Word™                         Which of you wants a full life?

Who would like to live long enough to enjoy good things?

JPS (Tanakh)                 מ      Who is the man who is eager for life,

who desires years of good fortune?

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

MKJV                                     Who is the man that desires life, and loves days, that he may see good?

NASB                                    Who is the man who desires life,

And loves length of days that he may see good?

Young's Updated LT              Who is the man that is desiring life?

Loving days to see good?

What is the gist of this verse? David asks the rhetorical questions, who desires a long and full life? and who wants many days that they classify as good?

With this verse, we have a change in number. In vv. 7–11, David is speaking to a group; now, in vv. 12–14, he speaks to the individual man.

Translation: What man delights [in] being alive... David offers a rhetorical question here: Who takes pleasure in being alive? This is a man who enjoys his life. David appears to be asking, what man does not want to enjoy his life? It is an odd sort of construction, with delight being a noun with a definite article rather than a verb. We may have the implication of the verb to be here. Who [is] the man the one delighting [in] life? The idea is, what man would not want to delight in his life?

Translation:...[and] desiring days to see good. Who does not want to remain alive long enough to enjoy that which is good? Most people, if they live long enough, experience some good in their lives. What man does not want those days which he classifies as good? Who doesn’t have an idea about how life should be and what things would have to fall into place for it to be that way? The idea here is that David is asking a rhetorical question: who doesn’t want a good life? In the verses which follow, he tells how this life may be achieved.

Spurgeon comments: Mere existence is not life; the art of living, truly, really, and joyfully living, it is not given to all men to know. To teach men how to live and how to die, is the aim of all useful religious instruction.

Here is how others have translated this verse:

Early translations:

The Septuagint                      Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking guile.

Thought-for-thought translations; paraphrases:

CEV                                       Then don’t say cruel things and don’t tell lies.

REB                                       Then keep your tongue from evil

and your lips from telling lies;...

Mostly literal renderings (with some occasional paraphrasing):

JPS (Tanakh)                 נ     Guard your tongue from evil,

your lips from deceitful speech.

Literal, almost word-for-word, renderings:

NASB                                    Keep your tongue from evil,

And your lips from speaking deceit.

Young's Updated LT              Keep your tongue from evil,

And your lips from speaking deceit.

What is the gist of this verse? Closely associated with having a good life is the control of the tongue and avoiding sins of the tongue.

Translation: Keep your tongue from evil... David here more or less answers the question which he asked in the previous verse. He asked what man desires a full life and days to enjoy the good things of life? Obviously, this is pretty much every man. Everyone wants to lead a long and full life. The real question is, how do we lead a long full life? That is David’s implied question, which he answers here. First, you keep your tongue from evil. There are all sorts of verbal sins: gossiping, lying, maligning; and all of these fall under the category of evil. So part of your way to a happier life is to avoid these sorts of sins.

Peter quotes this verse in his first epistle: For he that wants to love life and to see good days, let him restrain his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking guile. Let him turn aside from evil and do good. Let him seek peace and pursue it (I Peter 3:11–12 quoting Psalm 34:12–14). The context of this quotation is how one should live; with the emphasis upon the inner person and not on the exterior. The personal enjoyment of life is related to refraining from sins of the tongue and the lack of evil in one’s life. There are those who say every damn thing that pops into their head, and they are often proud of it (“I’m not afraid to speak my mind”). That is such a load of crap. Part of being civilized is not saying everything that pops into your head. You don’t comment on how fat someone has just gotten since you last saw them—it doesn’t matter if they are now the size of a house. And your rude and cruel comments are not ever going to result in their suddenly losing all that excess weight. By the way, these people who always speak their mind, generally do so to others that they care little about, or that they like to feel superior to. When it comes to someone that they really care about (and such a person may not even exist), then they do not tend to be this cruel. If they happen to run across a cute child with cystic fibrosis, they rarely say, “Hey kid, you got cystic fibrosis and you will probably die soon.” Whether or not something is the truth, doesn’t mean that it is important enough for them to always point it out. Here, and in many places throughout Scripture, we are told to limit what we say with the tongue.