"Taste and see!"

Purpose: To encourage others to fear YHWH.

Content: Fear YHWH! Because YHWH protects and provides for those who fear him.

Message: YHWH protects and provides for those who fear him.

Author: David

Videos

Overview Video

Poetic Features Video

Exegetical Issues Video

Overview

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Translation

Click 'Expand' to the right to see our Close-but-Clear translation of Psalm 34.

1. By David. When he pretended to be insane before Abimelek, and Abimelek drove him out, and he went.

2. I will bless YHWH at all times.

His praise will continually be in my mouth.

3. My soul boasts in YHWH.

May the afflicted hear and be glad!

4. Extol YHWH with me,

and let us exalt his name together!

5. I sought YHWH and he answered me

and he rescued me from all my terrors.

6. Gaze at him and glow,

and do not let your faces be ashamed!

7. This is a poor man who called out and YHWH heard

and saved him from all his troubles.

8. YHWH’s angel encamps all around those who fear him

and he delivers them.

9. Taste and see that YHWH is good!

Happy is the man who seeks refuge in him.

10. Fear YHWH, you holy ones of his!

For those who fear him have no lack.

11. Young lions have suffered want and been hungry,

but those who seek YHWH will not lack any good.

12. Come, children! Listen to me!

I will teach you the fear of YHWH.

13. Who is the person who desires life,

who wants to live a long time, who loves to see good?

14. Keep your tongue from evil

and your lips from speaking deceit!

15. Turn away from evil and do good!

Seek peace and pursue it!

17. YHWH’s face is against those who do evil,

so as to remove the memory of them from the earth.

16. YHWH’s eyes are directed towards the righteous,

and his ears are attentive to their cries for help.

18. They called for help, and YHWH heard,

and he delivered them from all their troubles.

19. YHWH is near to the broken-hearted

and he saves the crushed in spirit.

20. The hardships of the righteous are many,

but YHWH rescues him from all of them.

21. He protects all his bones.

Not one of them has broken.

22. Hardship finishes off a wicked person,

and those who hate a righteous person bear their guilt.

23. YHWH redeems his servants’ lives,

and no one who seeks refuge in him will ever bear guilt.

The Close-but-clear translation (CBC) exists to provide a window into the Hebrew text according to how we understand its syntax and word-to-phrase-level semantics. It is designed to be "close" to the Hebrew, while still being "clear." Specifically, the CBC encapsulates and reflects the following layers of analysis: grammar, lexical semantics, phrase-level semantics, and verbal semantics. It does not reflect our analysis of the discourse or of poetics. It is not intended to be used as a stand-alone translation or base text, but as a supplement to Layer-by-Layer materials to help users make full use of these resources.

For links to other translations of Psalm 34, click here.

Verse-by-Verse

Click the link to view all of Psalm 34 Verse-by-Verse, or click on an individual verse below.

Layer-by-Layer

Psalm Overview

Exegetical Issues

Notes

↑ The icon for the psalm has a double meaning. On the one hand, it depicts ‘tasting’ (Hebrew: טעם [v. 9]). At the same time, it also looks like someone drooling, just like David drooled when he pretended to be insane (=distorted his discernment [טעם]) before Ambimelek (Ps. 34:1; cf. 1 Sam. 21:14). Thus, the double-meaning of icon reflects the double-meaning of טעם, which is a key word in Psalm 34.

[1] The icon for the psalm has a double meaning. On the one hand, it depicts ‘tasting’ (Hebrew: טעם [v. 9]). At the same time, it also looks like someone drooling, just like David drooled when he pretended to be insane (=distorted his discernment [טעם]) before Ambimelek (Ps. 34:1; cf. 1 Sam. 21:14). Thus, the double-meaning of icon reflects the double-meaning of טעם, which is a key word in Psalm 34.

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