Taste and See That the LORD Is Good
Of David, when he pretended to be insane before Abimelech, so that the king drove him away.
Of David, when he pretended to be insane before Abimelech, so that the king drove him away.
This wisdom psalm includes a thanksgiving hymn (34:1–7) that celebrates the Lord’s care for and protection of godly sufferers. It also includes an invitation to wisdom (34:8–14) and an exposition of wisdom concerning the Lord’s care for the needy and the suffering of the wicked (34:15–22).
The psalmist exhorts the helpless to join him in praise.
The psalmist narrates his experiences of answered prayer.
The godly encourage everyone to seek wisdom, to fear the Lord, and to place themselves under the protection of the Lord’s angel.
Fear of the Lord includes reverence and respect, and it motivates a life of wisdom (see Prov 1:7; 9:10).
Wisdom contains three components: fearing the Lord (34:11), doing good (34:14), and rejecting evil (34:13).
Peter quotes this passage in his instructions for peaceful living (1 Pet 3:10–12).
The Lord distinguishes between wise and foolish people; he shows his concern for the wise by rescuing them from trouble (34:15, 17–20), but he destroys the foolish (34:16, 21).
The godly might suffer, but the Lord will reward them in the end. Similarly, the wicked might prosper for a time, but ultimately they will perish (1:6; 34:15–16).