Psalms 34:17

17 When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears, and rescues them from all their troubles.

Psalms 34:17 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 34:17

[The righteous] cry
The word "righteous" is not in the original text, but is rightly supplied in our version, as it is in the Targum, and by Jarchi; and so Kimchi and Ben Melech observe, that these words are not to be connected with ( Psalms 34:16 ) , but with ( Psalms 34:15 ) ; and they are indeed an amplification of the last clause of it; and the cry of the righteous is meant, to which the ears of the Lord are open; though Aben Ezra thinks that these words are to be understood of them that do evil, and of their cry to the Lord, when they turn from their evil ways; but the former sense is best;

and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles;
their inward troubles, through the workings of corruption in their hearts; through the violent assaults of Satan, the blasphemous thoughts he injects into them, and his solicitations of them to sin; and through divine desertions, and their outward troubles; through afflictions of body, losses of estate and friends, and the reproaches and persecutions of men; out of all these the Lord sooner or later delivers his people who cry unto him.

Psalms 34:17 In-Context

15 The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their cry.

16 The face of the Lord is against evildoers, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.

17 When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears, and rescues them from all their troubles.

18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and saves the crushed in spirit.

19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord rescues them from them all.