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Psalm 34:9-15
New Catholic Bible
Psalm 34:9-15
New Catholic Bible
9 Taste and see that the Lord is good;
blessed[a] is the man who takes refuge in him.
10 Fear the Lord,[b] you his saints;
nothing is lacking for those who fear him.
11 The powerful[c] suffer want and go hungry,
but those who seek the Lord want for no good thing.
12 [d]Come, my children,[e] and listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
13 Who among you delights in life
and desires many years to enjoy prosperity?[f]
14 Then keep your tongue[g] from evil
and your lips from telling lies.
15 Shun evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it.
Footnotes
- Psalm 34:9 This verse is applied to the Holy Eucharist by the Fathers of the Church and the Liturgy (see 1 Pet 2:3). Blessed: see note on Ps 1:1.
- Psalm 34:10 Fear the Lord: see note on Ps 15:2-5. Saints: that is, those consecrated to God and sharing in his holiness (see Ex 19:6; Lev 19:2; Num 16:3; Isa 4:3; Dan 8:24). See also notes on Pss 4:4; 16:3.
- Psalm 34:11 Powerful: literally, “lions”—fierce animals were symbols of people with power.
- Psalm 34:12 To gain wisdom entails two things: fearing the Lord and doing his will. The latter calls for integrity of language rather than deception (v. 14; see Jer 4:2), practicing good rather than evil (v. 15; see Ps 37:3, 27), and working for rather than against peace (vv. 15-16; see Ps 37:37; Mt 5:9; Rom 12:18; 14:19; Heb 12:14).
- Psalm 34:12 Children: a term (also translated as “simple” or “sons”) for students in Wisdom literature (see Prov 1:22; 4:1; 8:32; Sir 3:1; 23:7).
- Psalm 34:13 This verse is found word for word in an Egyptian text of the 18th dynasty (tomb of Ai) (see 1 Pet 3:10f).
- Psalm 34:14 Tongue: see note on Ps 5:10.
