Psalms 34:5

5 Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.

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Psalms 34:5 in Other Translations

KJV

5 They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.

ESV

5 Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed.

NLT

5 Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces.

MSG

5 Look at him; give him your warmest smile. Never hide your feelings from him.

CSB

5 Those who look to Him are radiant with joy; their faces will never be ashamed.

Psalms 34:5 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 34:5

They looked to him, and were lightened
That is, "the humble" ones, ( Psalms 34:2 ) ; and so this is a reason why they should join in praising and magnifying the Lord; these "looked" up to God in prayer and by faith, when in distressed and uncomfortable circumstances, for help and deliverance, and a supply of every needful good thing; and they were "enlightened"; so the Targum renders it, "their faces were enlightened"; as Jarchi and Aben Ezra interpret it, in opposition to what follows: they must have been enlightened before they could look, but by looking to the Lord more light was gained: this chiefly designs the light of joy, peace, and comfort, which is had in a way of believing: some render the word "and flowed" ^F12, as a river does, that is, to the Lord, as in ( Jeremiah 31:12 ) . So Kimchi and Ben Melech explain the word; and it denotes both the numbers of them that looked up to the Lord in their distress, and the swiftness of their motion to him, and their earnestness and fervour of mind; so faith is not only a looking to Christ, but a going forth unto him;

and their faces were not ashamed;
having what they prayed and looked for, and what they hoped and believed they should have; namely, deliverance and salvation, and so peace and pleasure.

FOOTNOTES:

F12 (wdhnw) "et confluunt", Junius & Tremellius, Michaelis; "et instar fluvii irruerint", Piscator, Amama; "et confluxerunt", Gejerus.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible