Read Psalm 34 at Bible Gateway.
Psalm 34 forms an elegant and complex chiastic structure, with a lesson embedded in it on the difference between the tongues of the righteous and the wicked:
1a) Psa 34:1-7, My tongue shall speak praise/ the Lord delivers the righteous:
1a.1) Psa 34:1-3, My tongue shall bless the Lord + my lips shall praise Him continually:
1a) Psa 34:1, I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth;
1b) Psa 34:2a, My soul shall make its boast in the Lord;
central axis) Psa 34:2b, The humble shall hear of it and be glad;
2b) Psa 34:3a, Oh, magnify the Lord with me;
2a) Psa 34:3b, And let us exalt His name together.
1a.2) Psa 34:4-7, I sought the Lord, He heard me + delivered me from all my fears + troubles:
1a.1) Psa 34:4a, I sought the Lord, and He heard me;
1a.2) Psa 34:4b, And delivered me from all my fears;
central axis) Psa 34:5, They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces were not ashamed;
2a.1) Psa 34:6a, This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him;
2a.2) Psa 34:6b-7, The Lord/ angel of the Lord saves + delivers them:
1a) Psa 34:6b, And saved him out of all his troubles;
central axis) Psa 34:7a, The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him;
2a) Psa 34:7b, And delivers them.
1b) Psa 34:8, Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him;
1c) Psa 34:9, Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him;
central axis) Psa 34:10, The young lions lack and suffer hunger; But those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing;
2c) Psa 34:11, Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord;
2b) Psa 34:12, Who is the man who desires life, And loves many days, that he may see good;
2a) Psa 34:13-22, Let not your tongue speak evil/ the Lord delivers the righteous:
2a.1) Psa 34:13, Keep your tongue from evil, And your lips from speaking deceit;
2a.2) Psa 34:14-22, The righteous cry out, the Lord hears + delivers them out of all their troubles:
1a) Psa 34:14-16, The Lord’s face is against the wicked/ His eyes + ears open to the righteous;
central axis) Psa 34:17-20, Two- part theme repeated for emphasis:
1.1) Psa 34:17, The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears + delivers them out of all their troubles;
1.2) Psa 34:18, The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart + saves such as have a contrite spirit;
2.1) Psa 34:19, Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all;
2.2) Psa 34:20, He guards all his bones; Not one of them is broken;
2a) Psa 34:21-22, Evil shall slay + condemn the wicked/ The Lord redeems the righteous. {p}
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