Psalms 34:17

17 [The righteous] cry, and Jehovah heareth, and delivereth them out of 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 Jehovah are upon the righteous, and his ears are toward their cry;

16 The face of Jehovah is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth:

17 [The righteous] cry, and Jehovah heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.

18 Jehovah is nigh to those that are of a broken heart, and saveth them that are of a contrite spirit.

19 Many are the adversities of the righteous, but Jehovah delivereth him out of them all: