Blessing and Fearing the Lord Psalm 34:1-22 · 2011. 6. 24. · Psalm 34:3, Glorify the LORD with...

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Commentary by Clyde M. Miller Questions by John C. Sewell

Blessing and Fearing the Lord

Psalm 34:1-22

Landmark Publications, Inc., 1045 Maynor Street, Nashville, TN 37216, U.S.A., John C. Sewell, Ph.D., Editor.

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Blessing and Fearing the Lord

Commentary by Clyde M. Miller Text: Psalm 34:1-22, 1. I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. 2. My soul will boast in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. 3. Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together. 4. I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. 5. Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. 6. This poor man called, and the LORD heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles. 7. The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them. 8. Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. 9. Fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing. 10. The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing. 11. Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. 12. Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, 13. keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies. 14. Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. 15. The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry;




16. the face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth. 17. The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. 18. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. 19. A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all; 20. he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken. 21. Evil will slay the wicked; the foes of the righteous will be condemned. 22. The LORD redeems his servants; no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him. (NIV) Introduction: I. Psalm 34 is one of several psalms that include historical notations in the title.

A. Ash well remarks, “‘Abimelech’, in the superscription, is inaccurate.

1. The episode in 1 Sam. 21:11-15 concerned Achish”.

a. 1 Samuel 21:11-15, But the servants of Achish said to him, "Isn't this David, the king of the land? Isn't he the one they sing about in their dances: "'Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands'?" David took these words to heart and was very much afraid of Achish king of Gath. So he pretended to be insane in their presence; and while he was in their hands he acted like a madman, making marks on the doors of the gate and letting saliva run down his beard. Achish said to his servants, "Look at the man! He is




insane! Why bring him to me? Am I so short of madmen that you have to bring this fellow here to carry on like this in front of me? Must this man come into my house?" (NIV)

2. These notations are not part of the inspired Scriptures.

a. They were added later by an editor.

3. Most of them are accurate, but obviously this one is not completely so.

B. There is no doubt, however, that David is designated as the author.

II. Psalm 34 is mixed in form in that verses 1-10 are in the form of a psalm of thanksgiving, while verses 11-22 are in the form of a wisdom psalm.

A. The theme of deliverance, however, pervades the whole (4,6,15,17,18,19,22), so the psalm can be considered a unit and classified as a psalm of thanksgiving with wisdom motifs.

1. Psalm 34:4, 6, 15, 17, 18, 19, 22, I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. This poor man called, and the LORD heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles. The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry; The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all; The LORD redeems his servants; no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him. (NIV)




III. Psalm 34 is an alphabetic psalm, and each successive English verse begins with the successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

A. The letter waw is omitted probably because very few words begin with that letter. B. To compensate for that omission, the letter pe is repeated after taw, the last letter in the Hebrew alphabet, to enable the psalm to have twenty-two couplets, equaling the number of letters in the Hebrew alphabet.

Commentary:

Introductory Vow of Praise and Exhortation Psalm 34:1-3, I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. My soul will boast in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together. (NIV) Psalm 34:1, I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. (NIV) I. Verse 1 employs synonymous parallelism.

A. “Extol” and “praise” are synonyms, as are “at all times” and “always”.

1. “Extol” renders the word barak, which literally means to bend the knee. 2. It can be translated “bless” or “praise”.

Psalm 34:2, My soul will boast in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. (NIV)




I. Verse 2 is written in progressive parallelism, the first line continuing the vow of praise, and the second apparently offering an exhortation to “the afflicted”. II. “My soul” is here, as often, a reference to the person. III. The versions differ whether the Hebrew imperfect verb for “hear” should be interpreted as a jussive expressing a wish, “let hear”, or a future, “will hear”.

A. See the note on verse 3. B. “Boast” carries forward the thought of “extol/bless” and “praise” from verse 1.

1. The LORD is the object of all three verbs. Psalm 34:3, Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together. (NIV) I. Verse 3 is structured in synonymous parallelism. II. “Glorify the LORD with me”, and “let us exalt his name together” are definitely synonymous exhortations. III. Other exhortations follow (8-9,11,13-14).

A. Psalm 34:8, 9, 11, 13, 14, Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. Fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing. Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies. Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. (NIV)




Recitation of Deliverance and Exhortation

Psalm 34:4-10, I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. This poor man called, and the LORD heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them. aste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. Fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing. The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing. (NIV) Note: Verses 4-10 alternate between recitations of deliverance (4,6), declarations of confidence (5,7,8b,10), and exhortations to experience God’s goodness (8a). Psalm 34:4, I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. (NIV) I. Verse 4 is written in progressive parallelism.

A. The first line contains two clauses revealing cause and effect. B. The second line elaborates the effect.

C. “Fears”, meguroth, refers to terrors or dread (Ps. 31:13; Prov. 10:24; Isa. 66:4), and is in sharp contrast to the “fear”, yare’, that is, reverence to be given to the LORD (7,9,11).

1. Psalm 31:13, For I hear the slander of many; there is terror on every side; they conspire against me and plot to take my life. (NIV)




2. Proverbs 10:24, What the wicked dreads will overtake him; what the righteous desire will be granted. (NIV)

3. Isaiah 66:4, so I also will choose harsh treatment for them and will bring upon them what they dread. For when I called, no one answered, when I spoke, no one listened. They did evil in my sight and chose what displeases me." (NIV)

4. Psalm 34:7, 9, 11, The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them. Fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing. Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. (NIV)

Psalm 34:5, Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. (NIV) I. Verse 5 is structured exactly like verse 4. II. The second line defines one of his fears as the dread of “shame”. Psalm 34:6, This poor man called, and the LORD heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles. (NIV) I. Verse 6 is also structured exactly like verses 4 and 5.

A. The second line defines one circumstance that would cause shame, namely, defeat or despair in a time of “troubles”. B. “Poor” is often used in the book of Psalms to mean one who considers oneself helpless and dependent on the LORD (14:5,6; 22:26; 34:6,7; 69:32; 74:21; 82:3; 86:1).




1. Psalm 14:5, 6, There they are, overwhelmed with dread, for God is present in the company of the righteous. You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor, but the LORD is their refuge. (NIV)

2. Psalm 22:26, The poor will eat and be satisfied; they who seek the LORD will praise him— may your hearts live forever! (NIV)

3. Psalm 34:6, 7, This poor man called, and the LORD heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them. (NIV)

4. Psalm 69:32, The poor will see and be glad— you who seek God, may your hearts live! (NIV)

5. Psalm 74:21, Do not let the oppressed retreat in disgrace; may the poor and needy praise your name. (NIV)

6. Psalm 82:3, Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. (NIV)

7. Psalm 86:1, Hear, O LORD, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. (NIV)

Psalm 34:7, The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them. (NIV) I. Verse 7 is structured similar to verses 4-6.

A. The second line reveals the result of God’s encampment around “those who fear him”.




B. “The angel of the LORD” could refer to God himself (Ex. 3:2-4, et al) or to a heavenly messenger (Pss. 35:5-6; 91:11-12; Ex. 23:23).

1. Exodus 3:2-4, There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. So Moses thought, "I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up." When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, "Moses! Moses!" (NIV)

2. Psalm 35:5, 6, May they be like chaff before the wind, with the angel of the LORD driving them away; may their path be dark and slippery, with the angel of the LORD pursuing them. (NIV)

3. Psalm 91:11, 12, For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. (NIV)

4. Exodus 23:23, My angel will go ahead of you and bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites and Jebusites, and I will wipe them out. (NIV)

C. The present passage may allude to Joshua 5:13-15 in which the angel is the commander of the army of the LORD.

1. Joshua 5:13-15, Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, "Are you for us or for our enemies?" "Neither," he replied, "but as commander of the army




of the LORD I have now come." Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, "What message does my Lord have for his servant?" The commander of the LORD's army replied, "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy." And Joshua did so. (NIV)

Psalm 34:8, Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. (NIV) I. David, in the first line of verse 8, exhorts one to “taste”, experience the goodness of God. II. In the second line, he declares the blessing to be received by the one who trusts God, that is, takes “refuge” in Him. III. The second line, therefore, states the result of one who decides to let the LORD provide him with an experience of His goodness. Psalm 34:9, Fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing. (NIV) I. Verse 9 is structured in progressive parallelism of the reason type.

A. The first line declares the “fear of LORD” to be a duty, for it is given in the form of an imperative, a command. B. “His Saints”, is literally “his holy ones” (NRSV). C. The second line states the result of fearing God; their needs will be fully supplied.

Psalm 34:10, The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing. (NIV)




I. Verse 10 is structured in an antithetic couplet indicating contrast.

A. The first line describes those who trust themselves, and the second line describes those who trust God.

1. “Lions” is literally “young lions”, here a metaphor for self-sufficiency.

a. They trust themselves instead of God. b. Because of this false trust, they likely will “grow weak and hungry”.

B. The second line, by contrast, describes those who trust God enough to seek and follow His counsel.

1. They will have their needs supplied.

C. Verse 10, therefore, ends with the same thought as does verse 9.

Man’s Responsibility in Living the Good Life

Psalm 34:11-14, Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies. Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. (NIV) Note: It is unusual for a psalm of thanksgiving to take such a long diversion to a wisdom motif. It is usual, however, for didactic elements to be interspersed in a psalm of thanksgiving. Verses 1-10 give evidence of this feature (3,8,9). It is unlikely that a later editor would add such an extended poem to verses 1-10.




Psalm 34:11, Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. (NIV) I. Verse 11 is written in progressive parallelism.

A. The first line summons his “children” and exhorts them to “listen” to his teaching.

B. The second line declares his intention to “teach” them “the fear of the LORD”. C. He is following the form used by wisdom teachers in summoning their pupils to pay attention to the instruction of their teacher.

1. “Sons” or “son” is probably used of pupils in Proverbs (1:8,10,15; 2:1; 3:1,11,21; 4:1,10,20: 5:1,7; 6:1,20; 7:1,24).

a. Proverbs 1:8, 10, 15, Listen, my son, to your father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching. My son, if sinners entice you, do not give in to them. my son, do not go along with them, do not set foot on their paths; (NIV)

b. Proverbs 2:1, My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, (NIV)

c. Proverbs 3:1, 11, 21, My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, My son, do not despise the LORD's discipline and do not resent his rebuke, My son, preserve sound judgment and discernment, do not let them out of your sight; (NIV)




d. Proverbs 4:1, 10, 20, Listen, my sons, to a father's instruction; pay attention and gain understanding. Listen, my son, accept what I say, and the years of your life will be many. My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. (NIV)

e. Proverbs 5:1, 7, My son, pay attention to my wisdom, listen well to my words of insight, Now then, my sons, listen to me; do not turn aside from what I say. (NIV)

f. Proverbs 6:1, 20, My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor, if you have struck hands in pledge for another, My son, keep your father's commands and do not forsake your mother's teaching. (NIV)

g. Proverbs 7:1, 24, My son, keep my words and store up my commands within you. Now then, my sons, listen to me; pay attention to what I say. (NIV)

Proverbs 34:12, 13, Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies. (NIV) I. Verses 12-16 are quoted in First Peter 3:10-12 and applied to Christians.

A. 1 Peter 3:10-12, For, "Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech. He must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are




on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil." (NIV)

II. Verses 12 and 13 involve a single sentence.

A. Verse 12 is written in progressive parallelism and verse 13 in synonymous parallelism of the similar type. B. Verse 13 is incomplete in that “keep” is omitted in the writing but is to be understood in thought. C. Verse 12 is the protasis, and verse 13 the apodosis of a conditional sentence.

III. The person contemplated is not only one who “loves life”, as most people do, but also one who would live a good life.

A. “Many good days” leaves room for some bad days that all will occasionally experience, but the phrase also describes one who usually will live a rewarding life. B. Verse 12 prepares the mind of the reader for the conditions that will assure a happy life.

IV. Verse 13 begins the conditions with a requirement that is exceedingly hard to keep.

A. James 3:1-12 is especially informative on this subject.

1. James 3:1-12, Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check. When we put bits into the mouths of horses to




make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water. (NIV)

2. Perhaps the psalmist intentionally begins here in order to suggest that if one takes care of this requirement, most of the others will fall in place.

Psalm 34:14, Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. (NIV) I. Verses 13 and 14 together inform us that right speech and conduct are necessary ingredients of the fear of the LORD (11b) and the good life (12).

A. Verse 14 is an exhortation of a general nature.




B. The first line sets forth the conversion necessary for living the good life.

C. “Turn from evil” implies that some evil is present.

1. One psalmist clearly understood this fact (Ps. 143:2).

a. Psalm 143:2, Do not bring your servant into judgment, for no one living is righteous before you. (NIV)

D. “And do good” indicates not merely giving ascent to that which is good, but the actual practice.

II. The second line indirectly suggests two important things.

A. First, “peace” is something that we must “seek”; it does not come without effort. B. Second, peace is not easy to keep; we must “pursue it”.

God’s Direction of the Life of the Righteous

Psalm 34:15-22, The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry; the face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth. The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all; he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken. Evil will slay the wicked; the foes of the righteous will be condemned. The LORD redeems his servants; no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him. (NIV)




Psalm 34:15, 16, The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry; the face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth. (NIV) I. Verses 15-16 contain a single sentence, each succeeding line adding something to the former.

A. Here we have progressive parallelism involving antithesis. B. Verse 15 deals with God’s watchful care of the righteous, and verse 16 with God’s abandonment of those who habitually do evil.

II. “Eyes”, “ears”, and “face” involve anthropomorphisms, that is, attributing human characteristics to God who is a spirit.

A. This literary device, of which there are many examples in the Bible, vivifies the condescending nature of God who comes into our situation to help. B. “Attentive to” and “against” point up the contrast between God’s treatment of the righteous and the evil person. C. “Cut off the memory of” points to the most feared fate of the loss of personal recognition of the wicked following death.

1. This fear was unfounded but it was real in the mind of the ancients.

Psalm 34:17, The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. (NIV) I. The two clauses in the first line set forth in bold relief the troubled condition of “the righteous” and the compassionate heart of God.




II. “He hears them” is further defined in the second line in the declaration that “he delivers them”. III. “From all their troubles” is a hyperbole, an exaggeration used for an intensive effect (cf. 19a).

A. Psalm 34:19a, A righteous man may have many troubles, (NIV)

IV. God allows some trouble to enter every life in order to bring us to spiritual maturity (James 1:2-4).

A. James 1:2-4, Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (NIV)

Psalm 34:18, The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. (NIV) I. Verse 18 is written in synonymous parallelism of the similar type, as the expressions “brokenhearted” and “crushed in spirit” indicate. II. The meaning of the expression “close to” is governed by the parallel word “saves”. III. “Saves” could refer to physical deliverance or spiritual salvation, or both. Psalm 34:19,20, A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all; he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken. (NIV)




I. Verses 19 and 20 compose a single sentence.

A. The first line acknowledges that the righteous may have “many troubles”.

1. See the notes on 17b.

a. Psalm 34:17b, he delivers them from all their troubles. (NIV)

2. “But the LORD delivers him from them all” projects the reader’s mind to the ultimate outcome of our faithfulness.

II. “Bones” is often used as a synecdoche of the person, in which figure the part stands for the whole.

A. Verse 20b is quoted in John 19:36 and applied to the body of Christ.

1. Psalm 34:20b, not one of them will be broken. (NIV)

2. John 19:36, These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: "Not one of his bones will be broken," (NIV)

Psalm 34:21, Evil will slay the wicked; the foes of the righteous will be condemned. (NIV) I. Verse 21, like 19-20, must be interpreted in like manner as the notes on 19b.

A. The verse is structured in progressive parallelism. B. The “wicked” are more specifically defined as “the foes of the righteous”.




Psalm 34:22, The LORD redeems his servants; no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him. (NIV) I. Verse 22 extends the thoughts of verses 19-21.

A. “Redeems” could be taken in a physical or spiritual sense, or in both. B. The confidence expressed in the closing verses of Psalm 34 is a good summary of the tenor of the entire psalm.

Application: I. The Hebrew writer in the New Testament describes the shameful and torturous treatment suffered by those righteous persons who were not delivered from their troubles in this life (Heb. 11:32-39).

A. Hebrews 11:32-39, And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned[a]; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground. These were all commended for their




faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. (NIV)

II. Stephen condemned those who persecuted the prophets and murdered “the Righteous One”, the Christ (Acts 7:51-53).

A. Acts 7:51-53, "You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit! Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him— you who have received the law that was put into effect through angels but have not obeyed it." (NIV)

II. James condemned those who had murdered innocent men (Jas. 5:6).

A. James 5:6, You have condemned and murdered innocent men, who were not opposing you. (NIV)

IV. Superlative promises like those we see in Psalm 34 and elsewhere in Scripture are not meant to say that the righteous will never suffer.

A. In fact, Jesus anticipated suffering for righteousness’ sake and pronounced those that endured blessed (Mt. 5:10-12).

1. Matthew 5:10-13, Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its




saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. (NIV)

V. God does not promise the faithful a panacea from all trouble in this life; he promises them the ultimate reward of eternal life in the world to come (Rev. 2:10).

A. Revelation 2:10, Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.




Questions

Psalms 34:1-22

(Questions based on NIV text.) 1. Are the superscriptions for the psalms inspired? Explain your answer. _________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. Who is the author of Psalm 34 and in what form was it written? __ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 3. What theme permeates this psalm? Give references to support your answer. _________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 4. Why can Palm 34 be classified as an alphabetic psalm? _________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________




5. “_____________ will ________________ the ________________ at ________________ ________________; his ________________ will always be on my ________________. My ________________ will ______________ in the _____________; let the ______________ ________________ and ________________. ________________ the _____________ with me; let us _____________ his ______________ together.” (NIV) 6. Name two kinds of fears mentioned in scriptures. ______________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 7. Define poor as used in psalms. Discuss the use of this term in psalms. _________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 8. “I ______________ the _____________, and he _______________ me; he _______________ me from all my ________________.” (NIV) 9. Describe the person who looks to God. According to verses 5 and 6 what blessings come to the people who look, pray to God. _________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________




10. Does verse 7 teach that the righteous have guardian angels? ____ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 11. What is the meaning of the word poor in verse 6? _____________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 12. How are Joshua 5:13-15 and Psalm 34:7 related? _____________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 13. “_____________ and ______________ that the ______________ is ______________; ______________ is the ______________ who take ______________ in him.” (NIV) 14. Define those who fear and seek the Lord in verses 9 and 10. What are they promised? Are these promises absolute or do they allow for exceptions? ______________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________




15. What advice is given to people who love life and desire to see many good days? _________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 16. Are sons, son and pupils sometimes used as synonyms in Scripture? Give scriptures to support your answer. _______________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 17. Quote 1 Peter 3:10-12. __________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 18. Define protasis and apodosis and illustrate their use in verses 12 and 13. _________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 19. How are Psalm 34:12-14 and James 3:1-12 related? ___________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________




________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 20. Peace is something we must ________________; it does not come ________________ ________________. Peace is not easy to _______________; we must ________________ ________________. 21. On whom are the eyes of the Lord and for what purposes? ______ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 22. The face of the Lord is against whom and for what purposes? ___ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 23. “The ______________ is ______________ to the _____________ and ___________ those who are ____________ in ______________.” (NIV) 24. In this respect (see question 23 above) are we like God? Explain your answer. _____________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 25. Explain the use of hyperbole in verse 17. ____________________




________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 26. What does bones mean as used in verse 20? _________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 27. “______________ will _________________ the _____________; the _____________ of the _______________ will be _____________. The _______________ ______________ his ______________; no one will be ________________ who takes ________________ in him.” (NIV) 28. Are the righteous immune to trouble? What does Hebrews 11:32-39 say on this subject? _____________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 29. Are the righteous immune to suffering? What did Stephen and James say on this subject? __________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________




30. Are the righteous immune to suffering? What did Jesus say on this subject? _____________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________



Blessing and Fearing the Lord Psalm 34:1-22 · 2011. 6. 24. · Psalm 34:3, Glorify the LORD with...

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Transcript of Blessing and Fearing the Lord Psalm 34:1-22 · 2011. 6. 24. · Psalm 34:3, Glorify the LORD with...