An acrostic psalm of David, composed when he feigned madness before Abimelech (the superscription's name for Achish king of Gath, 1 Samuel 21:10-15). The psalm is a wisdom-flavored hymn of thanksgiving that moves from personal testimony ('I sought the LORD and He answered me') to communal invitation ('Taste and see that the LORD is good') to didactic instruction ('Come, children, listen to me — I will teach you the fear of the LORD'). Each verse begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet, giving the psalm the feel of an orderly, comprehensive meditation on the goodness of God toward the afflicted.
What Makes This Chapter Remarkable
Verse 9 — ta'amu u-re'u ki tov YHWH ('taste and see that the LORD is good') — is one of the most sensory theological invitations in all of Scripture. The verb ta'am ('to taste') demands physical experience, not intellectual assent. You cannot taste something from a distance; you must take it into your mouth. The psalmist is not arguing that God is good; he is daring the listener to experience God's goodness directly. This is empirical theology: try it and find out. The Christian tradition adopted this verse into eucharistic liturgy, where tasting the bread and wine becomes tasting the goodness of God. But in its original context, the invitation is broader: every experience of divine rescue is a 'tasting' of God's goodness. The acrostic form is itself remarkable — the poet has disciplined an outpouring of gratitude into alphabetic order, as if to say that praise can be both spontaneous and structured, both emotional and orderly.
Translation Friction
The superscription refers to 'Abimelech' (Avimelekh), but the biblical narrative in 1 Samuel 21 names the Philistine king as Achish. Abimelech may be a dynastic title for Philistine kings (like 'Pharaoh' for Egyptian rulers), or the superscription may reflect a different tradition. The acrostic is nearly perfect but omits the letter vav (the sixth letter) and adds a pe-verse at the end (v. 23) that falls outside the alphabet, suggesting either textual corruption or deliberate poetic license. Some scholars argue that acrostic psalms are inherently artificial — the alphabetic constraint forces content to fit a formal pattern — but the theological coherence of this psalm argues against dismissing it as mere formal exercise.
Connections
Verse 9 ('Taste and see that the LORD is good') is quoted in 1 Peter 2:3 as an invitation to new believers. Verse 15 ('The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous, and His ears toward their cry') and verse 17 ('The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears') are quoted in 1 Peter 3:12. Verse 21 ('He guards all his bones; not one of them is broken') is applied to Jesus in John 19:36, connecting the righteous sufferer of the psalm to the crucified Messiah. The wisdom-teaching section (vv. 12-15) closely parallels Proverbs' instruction format: 'Come, children, listen to me.' The acrostic structure links this psalm to Psalms 25, 37, 111, 112, 119, and 145.
Of David, when he disguised his sanity before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he departed.
KJV A Psalm of David, when he changed his behaviour before Abimelech; who drove him away, and he departed.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
The phrase be-shannoto et ta'mo ('when he changed his discernment/behavior') uses the same root (ta'am) that will appear in verse 9 ('taste and see'). The word ta'am means both 'taste/discernment' and 'behavior/judgment.' David altered his ta'am (pretended to be insane) before Abimelech, and now he invites others to ta'am (taste) God's goodness. The wordplay connects the humiliating survival strategy (feigning madness) with the exalted theological conclusion (God is good). The name Abimelech ('my father is king') may be a throne-name for the Philistine king called Achish in 1 Samuel 21.
I will bless the LORD at all times.
His praise will always be in my mouth.
KJV I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
The aleph-verse. The phrase be-khol et ('at all times') and tamid ('continually, always') together eliminate any exception — there is no circumstance in which praise is inappropriate. David's commitment to bless God is not conditional on God's blessing of David. The word tehillatov ('His praise') will become the Hebrew name for the entire book of Psalms: Tehillim.
In the LORD my soul will boast.
Let the humble hear and be glad.
KJV My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
The bet-verse. The verb titballel ('will boast, will glory') in the Hitpael is reflexive-intensive: the soul exults in God as its supreme identity. The anavim ('humble, afflicted, poor') are the psalm's primary audience — those who have been brought low by suffering and know they have no resource but God. David's testimony is directed specifically to people who are still in the kind of trouble he just escaped.
and let us exalt His name together.
Magnify the LORD with me,
KJV O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
The gimel-verse. The verb gaddelu ('magnify, make great') does not mean making God larger — God cannot be enlarged — but declaring His greatness publicly. The word yachdav ('together, in unity') insists that praise is communal. David does not hoard his testimony; he recruits others to join the celebration.
I sought the LORD, and He answered me
and delivered me from all my terrors.
KJV I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
The dalet-verse. The verb darashti ('I sought') means intensive, purposeful seeking — not a casual prayer but a desperate pursuit. The noun megurotai ('my fears, my terrors') from gur ('to dread, to be afraid') describes the kind of fear that paralyzes. David was terrified (remember, he was pretending to be insane to avoid execution), and God delivered him from every fear. Not some — all (mi-kol).
Those who look to Him are radiant,
and their faces will never be ashamed.
KJV They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
The he-verse. The verb naharu ('they were radiant, they beamed, they shone') describes faces lit up from within — the visible transformation that comes from turning toward God. The word is related to nahar ('river, stream') and possibly to 'light flowing.' Those who look at God catch His light. The negation al yechparu ('their faces will not be shamed/darkened') contrasts radiance with the darkening of shame.
This poor man cried out, and the LORD heard him
and saved him from all his troubles.
KJV This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
The zayin-verse. The demonstrative zeh ('this one') is emphatic and personal — David points to himself: this poor man, this particular sufferer, this specific person standing before you. The word ani ('poor, afflicted, humble') connects David to the anavim of verse 3. Despite being a king, David identifies as one of the afflicted. The testimony is concrete and particular: I cried, God heard, God saved.
The angel of the LORD encamps
around those who fear Him and delivers them.
KJV The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
The chet-verse. The verb choneh ('encamps') is a military term — the angel of the LORD sets up a military camp around the faithful, creating a perimeter of divine protection. The image is not of a single guardian angel but of an angelic army establishing a defensive position. The verb yechaltsem ('He delivers them, He rescues them') means 'to pull out, to extract from danger' — a rescue operation, not mere comfort.
tov is the word God uses to evaluate His own creation in Genesis 1 ('and God saw that it was good'). When applied to God Himself, tov encompasses moral perfection, relational kindness, and experiential delight. God is not merely ethically correct; He is genuinely good — pleasant, nourishing, satisfying. The psalmist wants this experienced, not merely affirmed.
Translator Notes
The sensory theology of this verse has had enormous influence. In Christian eucharistic traditions, the verse is read during communion, connecting the physical act of eating bread and wine with the spiritual act of experiencing God's goodness. In its original Hebrew context, the 'tasting' is more broadly experiential — every divine rescue, every answered prayer, every provision is a taste of God's character.
The wordplay with ta'am from the superscription (v. 1) is essential: David changed his ta'am ('discernment/behavior') before Abimelech, and now he invites others to ta'am ('taste') God's goodness. What looked like insanity was actually wisdom — and the proof is in the tasting.
Fear the LORD, you His holy ones,
for there is no lack for those who fear Him.
KJV O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
The yod-verse. The qedoshav ('His holy ones, His set-apart ones') are the covenant community — people consecrated to God's service. The promise ein machsor ('there is no lack, no want') does not mean wealth but sufficiency. Those who fear God have what they need. The proof follows in verse 11.
Young lions may lack and go hungry,
but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.
KJV The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
The kaf-verse. The kefirim ('young lions') are the apex predators of the ancient Near East — the most powerful, the most feared, the most self-sufficient. Even they grow hungry. But those who seek (dorshei) the LORD will not lack kol tov ('any good thing'). The comparison is deliberately provocative: the strongest creature in the wild is less secure than the weakest person who depends on God.
Come, children, listen to me.
I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
KJV Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
The shift from praise to pedagogy is natural in Israelite worship — the temple was a place of both praise and instruction. The phrase yirat YHWH alemmedkhem ('the fear of the LORD I will teach you') treats the fear of God not as a spontaneous emotion but as a learnable skill. It can be taught and acquired, practiced and perfected.
Who is the person who desires life,
who loves many days and wants to see good?
KJV What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good?
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
The mem-verse. The rhetorical question mi ha-ish ('who is the man?') engages the listener directly — everyone wants life and good days. The phrase ohev yamim lir'ot tov ('loving days to see good') describes the universal human desire for a long and good life. The wisdom teacher's strategy is to begin with what everyone wants and then show the path to it.
Guard your tongue from evil
and your lips from speaking deceit.
KJV Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
The nun-verse. The instruction begins with speech — netsor leshonkha me-ra ('guard your tongue from evil'). In wisdom literature, the tongue is the most dangerous part of the body (Proverbs 18:21: 'Death and life are in the power of the tongue'). The word mirmah ('deceit, treachery, fraud') describes speech that misrepresents reality. The fear of the LORD begins with honest speech.
Turn away from evil and do good.
Seek peace and pursue it.
KJV Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
The samekh-verse. Four imperatives in rapid succession: sur ('turn away'), aseh ('do'), baqqesh ('seek'), rodefehu ('pursue it'). The progression intensifies: turning from evil is passive avoidance; doing good is active engagement; seeking peace is deliberate effort; pursuing peace (radfat, the same verb used for military pursuit) is aggressive commitment. Peace (shalom) is not something that arrives on its own — it must be hunted down like prey. 1 Peter 3:10-11 quotes verses 13-15 directly.
and His ears are open to their cry.
The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous,
KJV The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
The ayin-verse. God's eyes (einei) and ears (oznav) — the organs of attention — are directed toward the righteous. The preposition el ('toward') suggests movement, not merely position: God leans toward the righteous, inclines in their direction. The shav'atam ('their cry for help') is not formal prayer but the raw cry of distress. God hears unpolished screams as clearly as liturgical prayers.
The face of the LORD is against those who do evil,
to cut off their memory from the earth.
KJV The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
The pe-verse. The same 'face' (penei) that shines on the righteous (Psalm 31:17) is set against (be-) evildoers. The consequence is lehakhrit me-erets zikhram ('to cut off their memory from the earth') — not merely death but the erasure of legacy. In a culture where one's 'name' (memory, reputation, posterity) was the closest thing to immortality, this is the ultimate punishment.
The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears
and delivers them from all their troubles.
KJV The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
The tsade-verse. The structure mirrors verse 7 almost exactly (the poor man cried / the LORD heard / He saved him). The repetition is deliberate: the testimony of one becomes the experience of many. The word mi-kol tsarotam ('from all their troubles') insists on comprehensive deliverance — not partial relief but total rescue.
The LORD is near to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
KJV The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
The pairing of nishberei lev ('brokenhearted') and dakke'ei ruach ('crushed in spirit') covers the full interior of the person: lev ('heart') is the center of will and thought; ruach ('spirit') is the animating life-force. Both are broken. And both are the objects of God's nearness. Isaiah 57:15 echoes this verse: God dwells 'with the crushed and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly.'
but the LORD delivers him out of them all.
Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
KJV Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
The resh-verse. The psalm does not promise the righteous will avoid trouble — it promises they will be delivered through it. The word rabbot ('many') is honest: afflictions are numerous and persistent. But the counterbalance is mi-kullam ('out of all of them') — God's deliverance is as comprehensive as the suffering is extensive. The theology is not prosperity-gospel optimism but realistic trust: trouble will come, and God will rescue.
He guards all his bones.
Not one of them is broken.
KJV He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
The shin-verse. The image of guarding bones (shomer kol atsmotav) represents preserving the person's essential structure — bones are the framework that holds a person together. The phrase achat mehennah lo nishbarah ('not one of them is broken') is applied to Jesus in John 19:36 (where the soldiers did not break His legs on the cross). In the psalm's original context, it describes God's protective care for the righteous sufferer — however many afflictions come, the person's core is preserved.
Evil will slay the wicked,
and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
KJV Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
The tav-verse. The verb temotet ('will slay, will put to death') describes evil as self-destroying — the wicked person's own evil becomes the executioner. The verb ye'shamu ('will be held guilty, will be condemned, will be desolate') from asham encompasses both guilt and its consequences. Those who hate the righteous will themselves be found guilty.
The LORD redeems the life of His servants,
and none who take refuge in Him will be condemned.
KJV The LORD redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
This extra pe-verse falls outside the acrostic sequence, functioning as a coda or doxological conclusion. The verb podeh ('redeems, ransoms') is the language of buying back a slave or a condemned person — God pays the price to secure the release of His servants. The final promise — ve-lo ye'shemu kol ha-chosim bo ('none who take refuge in Him will be condemned') — closes the psalm with the same verb (chasah, 'to take refuge') that appeared in verse 9. The psalm ends where it began: in the shelter of God's goodness.