Psalm 34:17 kjv
The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.
Psalm 34:17 nkjv
The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles.
Psalm 34:17 niv
The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.
Psalm 34:17 esv
When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.
Psalm 34:17 nlt
The LORD hears his people when they call to him for help.
He rescues them from all their troubles.
Psalm 34 17 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Psa 3:4 | I cried aloud to the LORD, and he answered me from his holy hill. | God hears when David cries. |
| Psa 4:1 | Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! | Prayer to the righteous God for an answer. |
| Psa 18:6 | In my distress I called upon the LORD... He heard my voice... | God's immediate response to a call of distress. |
| Psa 34:6 | This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him and saved him out of all his troubles. | Similar verse, preceding this one in the Psalm. |
| Psa 66:19 | But truly God has listened; he has attended to the voice of my prayer. | Assurance of God listening to prayer. |
| Psa 91:15 | When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; | God's promise to answer and be with in trouble. |
| Psa 145:18-19 | The LORD is near to all who call on him... He hears their cry and saves them. | God's nearness and saving action for callers. |
| Exo 3:7-8 | Then the LORD said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people... and have come down to deliver them." | God sees distress and delivers. |
| 1 Ki 17:22 | And the LORD listened to the voice of Elijah... | God hears the cries of His prophets. |
| Isa 58:9 | Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, ‘Here I am.’ | God promises immediate response to cries. |
| Jnh 2:2 | I called out to the LORD, out of my distress, and he answered me. | Jonah's prayer and God's response from despair. |
| Jam 5:13 | Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. | Encouragement to pray in suffering. |
| Php 4:6-7 | Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication... | Peace found through prayer to God. |
| 1 Pet 3:12 | For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. | God's specific attentiveness to the righteous. |
| 2 Tim 4:18 | The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely... | God's promise of ultimate deliverance. |
| Psa 1:1-2 | Blessed is the man... whose delight is in the law of the LORD... | Description of the righteous person. |
| Psa 125:4 | Do good, O LORD, to those who are good, to those who are upright in their hearts! | God's blessing on the righteous. |
| Pro 11:8 | The righteous is delivered from trouble, and the wicked steps into it instead. | Contrast of the fate of righteous and wicked. |
| 2 Chr 7:14 | if my people who are called by my name humble themselves... and pray... then I will hear from heaven. | Condition for God to hear and act. |
| Matt 5:6 | Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. | Hunger for righteousness is a sign of faith. |
Psalm 34 verses
Psalm 34 17 Meaning
Psalm 34:17 proclaims that when those in right standing with God call out in distress, the covenant Lord hears their urgent pleas and actively rescues them from every form of their adversities and afflictions. It emphasizes God's attentive and responsive nature to the heartfelt prayers of His devoted followers.
Psalm 34 17 Context
Psalm 34 is attributed to David "when he feigned madness before Abimelech, so that he drove him out, and he went away" (1 Sam 21:10-15). This specific historical context reveals David's intense personal distress, fear, and ultimate reliance on God for deliverance despite his own flawed actions (lying and deception). The psalm, an acrostic (alphabetical) poem, is structured as a wisdom teaching, sharing David's firsthand experience of God's faithfulness. It invites readers to "taste and see that the LORD is good" (Psa 34:8). Verse 17 directly follows David's testimony of his own experience (Psa 34:4-6) and presents it as a general truth for all who fear and trust the Lord. It forms part of the instruction on the benefits of righteous living and God's unfailing care.
Psalm 34 17 Word analysis
The righteous (צַדִּיקִים, tzaddiqim): Refers to individuals who are in a covenantal right relationship with God. This isn't about sinless perfection, but a spiritual posture of faith, obedience, and dependence on God, striving to live in accordance with His will. Their position before God, marked by humble submission, makes their cry efficacious.
cry (צָעֲקוּ, tsa'aqu): This Hebrew verb signifies an urgent, often desperate and loud appeal for help, typically made in a time of deep distress, danger, or pain. It denotes an earnest and fervent supplication, a call for rescue, demonstrating profound reliance on God alone.
and the LORD (וַיהוָה, waYHWH): YHWH is God's unique, personal, and covenantal name, emphasizing His eternal nature, faithfulness, and active presence with His people. The inclusion of His sacred name assures that the one who hears and delivers is the reliable, covenant-keeping God of Israel.
hears (שָׁמַע, shama‘): This Hebrew word encompasses more than mere auditory perception. It implies listening with attention, understanding, taking heed, and crucially, acting in response. When God "hears," it means He acknowledges, validates the cry, and intends to intervene.
and delivers (מִלְצָהּ, natzal, Piel Imperfect): Means to snatch away, rescue, draw out, or save someone from danger or distress. It conveys powerful, decisive intervention, suggesting God's active, strong hand in liberating His people from oppressive circumstances.
them out of all: This phrase highlights the comprehensive scope of God's saving power. "All" (כָּל, kol) indicates every single kind of trouble or distress, leaving no difficulty outside the potential for His deliverance.
their troubles (צָרוֹת, tsarot): Refers to adversities, distresses, tribulations, anguish, or narrow straits. The root implies tightness or pressure, denoting situations that are overwhelming or confining, causing significant suffering or affliction.
Words-group analysis:
- "The righteous cry": This establishes the critical condition for God's responsive action. It's not a general promise to everyone, but specifically to those aligned with His ways, who humble themselves and seek Him in their distress, reflecting a heart of faith and reliance on God.
- "and the LORD hears and delivers": This core pairing demonstrates God's immediate and active response. His hearing is purposeful, always leading to effective action. It underlines His personal engagement and powerful capability to rescue His people from whatever entraps them.
- "them out of all their troubles": This emphasizes the absolute comprehensiveness of God's saving work. It does not promise a life free from trouble but guaranteed deliverance through or from within every form of affliction, showcasing His complete sovereignty and unfailing care.
Psalm 34 17 Bonus section
- Reciprocity: The verse establishes a direct cause-and-effect relationship: the cry of the righteous invokes the active hearing and deliverance of the LORD. It underscores that God's covenant relationship involves reciprocal engagement.
- Polemics: This declaration subtly contrasts the living God (YHWH) with idols or false gods who cannot hear, speak, or act (Psa 115:5-7; Isa 44:9-20). The God of Israel is personal, active, and responsive.
- Hope in Suffering: It provides immense hope for believers, reassuring them that even when overwhelmed by all kinds of difficulties, their sincere prayer activates God's powerful, unfailing intervention. It does not guarantee an absence of trouble, but rather an assurance of being brought through and out of them.
- Invitation to Prayer: The promise implicit in this verse serves as a powerful invitation to prayer for all believers facing any kind of distress. It encourages a humble, persistent, and expectant heart when seeking God's help.
Psalm 34 17 Commentary
Psalm 34:17 stands as a powerful testament to God's profound attentiveness and active faithfulness toward those who belong to Him. The verse underscores that genuine prayer, particularly born from distress and voiced by "the righteous"—those striving to live in God's will—never goes unheard. The "cry" (tsa'aqu) is a desperate appeal, revealing complete dependence on God. When such a cry ascends, "the LORD" (YHWH), the covenant-keeping God, doesn't merely acknowledge; He "hears" (shama'), meaning He listens with intent to respond, and He "delivers" (natzal), demonstrating His immediate and decisive power to rescue. This deliverance is promised "out of all their troubles," indicating the breadth of God's saving reach into every facet of a believer's affliction. It teaches believers to pray confidently, assured that their sovereign Father intervenes precisely because of their relationship with Him, and He acts completely for their good.