Psalm 34 19

Psalm 34:19 kjv

Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.

Psalm 34:19 nkjv

Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all.

Psalm 34:19 niv

The righteous person may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all;

Psalm 34:19 esv

Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all.

Psalm 34:19 nlt

The righteous person faces many troubles,
but the LORD comes to the rescue each time.

Psalm 34 verses

Psalm 34 19 Meaning

Psalm 34:19 declares that those who live uprightly before God will inevitably face numerous adversities and troubles in life. However, it boldly assures that the Lord, by His nature as the covenant-keeping God, will rescue and deliver the righteous person completely from every single one of these difficulties. It emphasizes God's comprehensive and unfailing intervention in the life of His devoted followers, assuring their ultimate preservation and victory through or from all their trials.

Psalm 34 19 Context

Psalm 34 is an acrostic psalm of thanksgiving and wisdom, primarily attributed to David, written during a particularly perilous period of his life. The superscription links it to an event described in 1 Samuel 21:10-15, where David, fleeing from Saul, sought refuge with Achish (referred to as Abimelech in the Psalm), the Philistine king of Gath. In a desperate attempt to escape capture and death, David feigned madness. This deception worked, leading to his release. The psalm reflects David's profound relief, personal experience of God's immediate help in a time of extreme distress, and his subsequent desire to exhort others to trust in the Lord. Verse 19, in particular, distills this lived experience into a universal truth: righteousness does not exempt one from hardship, but it does ensure divine deliverance from all forms of adversity.

Psalm 34 19 Word analysis

• Many (רַבּוֹת - rabbōṯ): This word signifies a great quantity, abundance, or multitude. It emphasizes that the righteous face not just some troubles, but a substantial, often overwhelming, number of them. It sets the expectation of frequent and varied struggles.
• afflictions (רָעוֹת - rāʿōṯ): This term carries a broad meaning of "evils," "calamities," "troubles," "misfortunes," or "distresses." It encompasses any form of adversity, suffering, or hardship. The plural highlights the diverse nature and recurring presence of these difficulties.
• of the righteous (צַדִּיק - ṣaddîq): Refers to one who is just, upright, or innocent in God's eyes. This isn't sinless perfection but rather a person whose heart is devoted to God, striving to live in accordance with His ways and commands, characterized by integrity and right relationship with God and others. It challenges the false notion that righteousness guarantees an affliction-free life.
• but (וּמִכֻּלָּם - ūmiḵḵullām, beginning a new clause contrasting the previous): This conjunction marks a crucial shift in emphasis, introducing the core promise. It sets up a strong antithesis, moving from the reality of suffering to the greater reality of God's power.
• the Lord (יְהוָה - YHWH, Yahweh): This is the covenant name of God, emphasizing His personal, relational, and all-powerful nature. It underscores that deliverance comes not from human strength or chance, but from the faithful, omnipotent God who is intimately involved with His people.
• delivers (יַצִּילֶנּוּ - yaṣṣîlenū): Derived from the Hebrew root נָצַל (natsal), meaning "to rescue," "snatch away," "deliver," or "pull out." It denotes a decisive, active, and powerful intervention by God to remove one from danger or difficulty. The singular suffix refers to the ṣaddîq.
• him (implicit in yaṣṣîlenū): Refers directly back to the "righteous" person.
• out of them all (מִכֻּלָּם - mikullam): This phrase emphasizes the completeness and comprehensiveness of God's deliverance. It means God delivers from every trouble, not just some or most. This points to God's ultimate and total victory, either by removing the trouble, bringing the individual through it successfully, or by redeeming the experience for greater good.

Words-group analysis:

• "Many are the afflictions of the righteous": This phrase starkly highlights the paradox of the righteous enduring substantial suffering. It corrects any misguided belief that piety grants immunity from life's hardships, acknowledging the harsh reality of tribulations even for God's faithful. It speaks against a simplistic retribution theology.
• "but the Lord delivers him out of them all": This contrasting clause reveals the core theological truth of the verse. Despite the "many afflictions," the character and power of YHWH guarantee not partial but complete deliverance. This phrase signifies divine triumph and comprehensive rescue, assuring that the righteous will ultimately be preserved through or from all their trials by God's intervention.

Psalm 34 19 Bonus section

The phrase "out of them all" is a powerful expression of God's exhaustive and comprehensive care. It implies that there is no trial, no trouble, no form of suffering that can permanently hold the righteous captive, beyond God's power to intervene. This does not always mean an immediate cessation of the trouble itself, but rather that God will provide a way through it, redeem it, sustain the person in it, or ultimately remove the righteous from its long-term adverse effects. For instance, sometimes deliverance is physical rescue (as David's flight), sometimes it's spiritual fortitude through the trial (e.g., Job's perseverance), and sometimes it's the ultimate eternal redemption from all suffering. The ultimate fulfillment of this promise points to the eternal reality in which all tears will be wiped away (Rev 21:4), demonstrating God's complete and final triumph over all afflictions for His beloved. The verse provides profound encouragement, reminding believers that even in the deepest and most frequent valleys, their faithful God is at work to ensure their ultimate liberation and victory.

Psalm 34 19 Commentary

Psalm 34:19 stands as a profound biblical truth, addressing the apparent paradox of righteous suffering. It asserts that believers are not exempt from the harsh realities of a fallen world, but rather face "many afflictions"—a multitude of troubles, distresses, and evils. This statement guards against the erroneous belief that a life of faith is a problem-free existence. David, from his own experience of fear, flight, and potential death, declares that righteous living does not mean avoiding suffering, but rather experiencing it with the promise of divine intervention.

The verse's core promise lies in "the Lord delivers him out of them all." This is not a promise of immediate rescue from every minor inconvenience, nor an assurance that believers will never feel pain or loss. Instead, "delivers" implies God's active, powerful, and decisive rescue. "Out of them all" signifies comprehensive deliverance. This means that God's people will ultimately be brought through, triumph over, or be saved from the complete range of their difficulties, whether in this life or ultimately in eternity. It speaks to God's sustained presence and work in sustaining, strengthening, and preserving the believer, ensuring their ultimate well-being and salvation, rather than always removing every problem instantly. It underscores that no suffering is beyond God's reach to redeem or deliver from. Practically, it encourages endurance, trusting that God's hand is on every facet of suffering to bring about ultimate good.