3 Oh magnify Yahweh with me. Let us exalt his name together.
I will praise the name of God with a song, And will magnify him with thanksgiving.
A voice came forth from the throne, saying, "Give praise to our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, the small and the great!" I heard something like the voice of a great multitude, and like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of mighty thunders, saying, "Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns!
Praise our God, you peoples! Make the sound of his praise heard,
Let all those who seek you rejoice and be glad in you. Let such as love your salvation say continually, "Let Yahweh be exalted!"
Praise Yahweh, you angels of his, Who are mighty in strength, who fulfill his word, Obeying the voice of his word. Praise Yahweh, all you hosts of his, You servants of his, who do his pleasure. Praise Yahweh, all you works of his, In all places of his dominion. Praise Yahweh, my soul.
David said to all the assembly, Now bless Yahweh your God. All the assembly blessed Yahweh, the God of their fathers, and bowed down their heads, and worshiped Yahweh, and the king.
Rejoice in Yahweh, you righteous! Praise is fitting for the upright. Give thanks to Yahweh with the lyre. Sing praises to him with the harp of ten strings.
Praise Yah! Praise Yahweh from the heavens! Praise him in the heights! Praise him, all his angels! Praise him, all his host! Praise him, sun and moon! Praise him, all you shining stars! Praise him, you heavens of heavens, You waters that are above the heavens. Let them praise the name of Yahweh, For he commanded, and they were created. He has also established them forever and ever. He has made a decree which will not pass away. Praise Yahweh from the earth, You great sea creatures, and all depths! Lightning and hail, snow and clouds; Stormy wind, fulfilling his word; Mountains and all hills; Fruit trees and all cedars; Wild animals and all cattle; Small creatures and flying birds; Kings of the earth and all peoples; Princes and all judges of the earth; Both young men and maidens; Old men and children: Let them praise the name of Yahweh, For his name alone is exalted. His glory is above the earth and the heavens. He has lifted up the horn of his people, The praise of all his saints; Even of the children of Israel, a people near to him. Praise Yah!
Moreover Hezekiah the king and the princes commanded the Levites to sing praises to Yahweh with the words of David, and of Asaph the seer. They sang praises with gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshiped.
This became known to all, both Jews and Greeks, who lived at Ephesus. Fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Psalms 34
Commentary on Psalms 34 Matthew Henry Commentary
Psalm 34
This psalm was penned upon a particular occasion, as appears by the title, and yet there is little in it peculiar to that occasion, but that which is general, both by way of thanksgiving to God an instruction to us.
So that, in singing this psalm, we are both to give glory to God and to teach and admonish ourselves and one another.
A psalm of David when he changed his behaviour before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he departed.
Psa 34:1-10
The title of this psalm tells us both who penned it and upon what occasion it was penned. David, being forced to flee from his country, which was made too hot for him by the rage of Saul, sought shelter as near it as he could, in the land of the Philistines. There it was soon discovered who he was, and he was brought before the king, who, in the narrative, is called Achish (his proper name), here Abimelech (his title); and lest he should be treated as a spy, or one that came thither upon design, he feigned himself to be a madman (such there have been in every age, that even by idiots men might be taught to give God thanks for the use of their reason), that Achish might dismiss him as a contemptible man, rather than take cognizance of him as a dangerous man. And it had the effect he desired; by this stratagem he escaped the hand that otherwise would have handled him roughly. Now,
Psa 34:11-22
David, in this latter part of the psalm, undertakes to teach children. Though a man of war, and anointed to be king, he did not think it below him; though now he had his head so full of cares and his hands of business, yet he could find heart and time to give good counsel to young people, from his own experience. It does not appear that he had now any children of his own, at least any that were grown up to a capacity of being taught; but, by divine inspiration, he instructs the children of his people. Those that were in years would not be taught by him, though he had offered them his service (Ps. 32:8); but he had hopes that the tender branches will be more easily bent and that children and young people will be more tractable, and therefore he calls together a congregation of them (v. 11): "Come, you children, that are now in your learning age, and are now to lay up a stock of knowledge which you must live upon all your days, you children that are foolish and ignorant, and need to be taught.' Perhaps he intends especially those children whose parents neglected to instruct and catechise them; and it is as great a piece of charity to put those children to school whose parents are not in a capacity to teach them as to feed those children whose parents have not bread for them. Observe,
In singing these verses let us be confirmed in the choice we have made of the ways of God; let us be quickened in his service, and greatly encouraged by the assurances he has given of the particular care he takes of all those that faithfully adhere to him.