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No. 32Psalms of Thanksgiving
Psalm 34
Taste and see that the LORD is good
StatusEssential
Read2 min
Study5 min
DifficultyBeginner
Psalm 34 · A psalm of David, when he feigned madness before Abimelech · Gath, in Philistine territory
The Point
Psalm 34 comes out of a humiliating episode, David scratching at doors and drooling to convince a king he was harmless, and turns it into an invitation: taste and see that the LORD is good. Its most durable claim is not that the righteous avoid trouble but the opposite, that they have many afflictions and God is near the brokenhearted, close to the crushed in spirit.
Story Snapshot
David blesses the LORD at all times and invites others to magnify God with him, testifying that he sought God and was delivered from all his fears. He invites the hearer to taste and see that the LORD is good. He teaches the fear of the LORD, urging honest speech and turning from evil to do good. He affirms that God hears the righteous, is near the brokenhearted, and delivers them from their many afflictions.
Main Characters
| Character | Role | Key Trait | Why They Matter |
|---|---|---|---|
| David | The delivered fugitive | Grateful, instructive | Turns humiliation into invitation and teaching |
| The LORD | The near deliverer | Attentive, close | Hears the poor and stays near the crushed in spirit |
Story Summary
The psalm, an acrostic in Hebrew, opens with a vow of continual praise: I will bless the LORD at all times, His praise always in my mouth. David invites the humble to hear and rejoice and calls the community to magnify the LORD together. He testifies personally, he sought the LORD who answered and delivered him from all his fears; those who look to Him are radiant and unashamed. He recalls that this poor man cried and the LORD heard and saved him out of all his troubles, and that the angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him. Then the famous invitation: taste and see that the LORD is good, blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him. The psalm turns instructional, calling the young to learn the fear of the LORD, asking who desires life and many good days, and answering with practical counsel, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from deceit, turn from evil and do good, seek peace and pursue it. It affirms that God's eyes are on the righteous and His ears open to their cry, while His face is against evildoers. Crucially, it does not promise a life without trouble: the righteous cry and the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles; He is near the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit; many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all. It closes affirming that God keeps his bones and redeems the life of His servants, and none who take refuge in Him will be condemned.
Timeline
- A Vow of PraiseI will bless the LORD at all times.
- The TestimonyI sought Him and He delivered me from all my fears.
- The InvitationTaste and see that the LORD is good.
- The InstructionGuard your tongue; turn from evil; pursue peace.
- God's AttentionHis eyes on the righteous, His ears to their cry.
- Near the BrokenheartedClose to the crushed in spirit.
- Many AfflictionsThe righteous suffer much, and God delivers.
Themes
ThanksgivingDeliveranceNearnessFear of the LORDPeace
What This Story Means
Psalm 34 is remarkable for where it came from. Its heading places it after one of David's least dignified moments, feigning insanity to escape a hostile king, and out of that comes an invitation for others to taste God's goodness for themselves. The invitation is worth noticing: taste and see is experiential, not theoretical, an argument you can only settle by trying. And the psalm is careful about what it promises. It says plainly that the righteous have many afflictions, so its comfort is not immunity but nearness, God close to the brokenhearted and the crushed in spirit. That word 'near' is the psalm's real gift. It also refuses to leave faith abstract, giving concrete instructions about speech, conduct, and peacemaking as the shape of fearing the LORD.
Bringing It Home
- God's goodness is something to taste, not merely to be told about.
- The psalm promises nearness in affliction, not exemption from it.
- Fearing the LORD shows up in speech, conduct, and peacemaking.
- Even humiliating episodes can become testimony that helps others.
Key Verse
Psalm 34:8
“Oh taste and see that Yahweh is good. Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.”
Did You Know?
- The heading refers to David feigning madness before a Philistine king to escape Gath.
- The psalm is an acrostic, each verse beginning with a successive Hebrew letter.
- 'Taste and see' is quoted in 1 Peter 2:3 of experiencing the Lord's kindness.
- John's Gospel applies verse 20, that none of his bones are broken, to the crucifixion.
Read Next
What This Shows Us About God
- God draws near to the brokenhearted rather than withdrawing.
- God hears the cry of the poor and afflicted.
- God's goodness can be experienced, not just believed about.
What This Shows Us About People
- We suffer many afflictions even when walking rightly.
- We need experience, not only argument, to trust God.
- We show what we fear by how we speak and act.
A Question to Sit With
Where am I brokenhearted, and can I believe that God's response to that is nearness rather than distance?
Prayer
LORD, I want to taste and see that You are good, not just be told it. Thank You that You are near the brokenhearted and save the crushed in spirit. When afflictions are many, keep me close to You. Guard my tongue, turn me from evil, and make me a person who seeks peace. Amen.