The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth; literally, they cry , and the Lord heareth. "Cry," which by the ordinary rules of grammar should have for its subject the "evil-doers" of the preceding verse, must, it is obvious from the context, refer to the "righteous" of Psalms 34:15 , who are the predominant subject of the entire passage( Psalms 34:15-22 ). And delivereth them out of all their troubles (comp. Psalms 34:19 and Psalms 54:7 ). read more
The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and sayeth such as be of a contrite spirit. On the value in God's sight of a broken and contrite heart, see Psalms 2:1-12 :17; and on his mercy towards the truly contrite, see Psalms 147:3 ; Isaiah 57:15 ; 69:2. He "is nigh" to such persons, he "dwells with" them, "looks to them, …. revives their heart, …. heals" them, "saves" them. read more
The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth - That is, one of the advantages or benefits of being righteous is the privilege of crying unto God, or of calling on his name, with the assurance that he will hear and deliver us. No one has ever yet fully appreciated the “privilege” of being permitted to call upon God; the privilege of prayer. There is no blessing conferred upon man in his present state superior to this; and no one can fully understand the force of the argument derived from this in... read more
The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart - Margin, as in Hebrew: “to the broken of heart.” The phrase, “the Lord is nigh,” means that he is ready to hear and to help. The language is, of course, figurative. As an Omnipresent Being, God is equally near to all persons at all times; but the language is adapted to our conceptions, as we feel that one who is near us can help us, or that one who is distant from us cannot give us aid. Compare the notes at Psalms 22:11. The phrase, “them... read more
Psalms 34:18. The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart Ready to hear and succour them; though, by the course of his providence toward them, he may sometimes seem to themselves and others to stand afar off. “God is near to all men; for in him they live: but he is near to the broken in heart, in a peculiar sense, as he is ever ready and able to help them; as men are much more capable of assisting those they value, when present with them than when absent from them; from which this... read more
Psalms 34:0 Thanks for deliveranceWhen he first fled from Saul to the Philistine city of Gath, David expected the Philistines would welcome him as a deserter from Israel’s army, and so provide him with refuge. But the Philistines had probably not yet heard of David’s break with Saul. They knew only that David had killed thousands of their own Philistine people; perhaps he was spying out their city in preparation for more slaughter. They decided to kill him, and David escaped only by pretending... read more
cry = have cried. heareth = hath heard. delivereth = hath rescued. read more
spirit. Hebrew. ruach. App-9 . read more
Psalms 34:18. The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart— God is near to all men: for in him they all live: but he is near to the broken in heart in a peculiar sense, as he is ever ready and always able to help them; as men are much more capable of assisting those whom they value when present with, than when absent from them; from which the form of speech, as applied to God, is taken. Chandler. read more
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The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 34:11-22
The secret and blessings of a happy life. "In this second part the psalmist turns to believers, addresses them, and says that it is his design to teach them the art of leading a happy and quiet life, and of being secure against enemies." I. THE SECRET OF A HAPPY AND PEACEFUL LIFE . 1 . The fear of God. ( Psalms 34:11 , Psalms 34:15 , Psalms 34:18 .) Childlike fear—compatible with trust and love. 2 . The government of the tongue. ( Psalms 34:13 .) What... read more