Psalm 34

This article is about Psalm 34 in Hebrew (Masoretic) numbering. For Psalm 34 in Greek Septuagint or Latin Vulgate numbering, see Psalm 35.
Psalm 34
"I will bless the LORD at all times"
Psalm 34 by Ephraim Moses Lilien
Other name
  • Psalm 33
  • "Benedicam Dominum in omni tempore"
Writtenby David
LanguageHebrew (original)

Psalm 34 is the 34th psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version: "I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth." The Book of Psalms is part of the third section of the Hebrew Bible, and a book of the Christian Old Testament. In the slightly different numbering system used in the Greek Septuagint and Latin Vulgate translations of the Bible, this psalm is Psalm 33. In Latin, it is known as "Benedicam Dominum in omni tempore".[1]

Psalm 34 is attributed to David. The Psalm's subtitle, A Psalm of David when he pretended madness before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he departed,[2] derives from when David was living with the Philistines, but the account of this event in 1 Samuel 21 refers to the king as Achish, not Abimelech; however "Abimelech" may merely be a title, literally meaning "father of a king."[3] The psalm is an acrostic poem in the Hebrew alphabet, one of a series of songs of thanksgiving. It is the first Psalm which describes angels (mal’āḵîm) as guardians of the righteous.

Art from the Golden Psalter of St. Gallen, showing David feigning madness before Achish/Abimelech.

The psalm forms a regular part of Jewish, Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican and other Protestant liturgies. It has inspired hymns based on it, and has been set to music.

  1. ^ Parallel Latin/English Psalter / Psalmus 33 (34) Archived 7 May 2017 at the Wayback Machine medievalist.net
  2. ^ Sub-title, NKJV Version
  3. ^ 1 Samuel 21:10–15