14 Be turned from evil, and do good; make a search for peace, desiring it with all your heart.
Let your desire be for peace with all men, and to be made holy, without which no man may see the Lord;
Be washed, make yourselves clean; put away the evil of your doings from before my eyes; let there be an end of sinning; Take pleasure in well-doing; let your ways be upright, keep down the cruel, give a right decision for the child who has no father, see to the cause of the widow.
As far as it is possible for you be at peace with all men.
How much better it is to get wisdom than gold! and to get knowledge is more to be desired than silver. The highway of the upright is to be turned away from evil: he who takes care of his way will keep his soul.
But the wisdom which is from heaven is first holy, then gentle, readily giving way in argument, full of peace and mercy and good works, not doubting, not seeming other than it is. And the fruit of righteousness is planted in peace for those who make peace.
But God's strong base is unchanging, having this sign, The Lord has knowledge of those who are his: and, Let everyone by whom the name of the Lord is named be turned away from evil.
Let this be my last word, brothers; be glad; be complete; be comforted; be of the same mind; be at peace with one another: and the God of love and peace will be with you.
So then, let us go after the things which make peace, and the things by which we may be a help to one another.
Put no high value on your wisdom: let the fear of the Lord be before you, and keep yourself from evil:
My loved one, do not be copying what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God: he who does evil has not seen God.
And he said to man, Truly the fear of the Lord is wisdom, and to keep from evil is the way to knowledge.
Who gave himself for us, so that he might make us free from all wrongdoing, and make for himself a people clean in heart and on fire with good works.
And that you may take pride in being quiet and doing your business, working with your hands as we gave you orders;
About Jesus of Nazareth, how God gave the Holy Spirit to him, with power: and how he went about doing good and making well all who were troubled by evil spirits, for God was with him.
The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, turning men away from the nets of death.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Psalms 34
Commentary on Psalms 34 Matthew Henry Commentary
Psalm 34
This psalm was penned upon a particular occasion, as appears by the title, and yet there is little in it peculiar to that occasion, but that which is general, both by way of thanksgiving to God an instruction to us.
So that, in singing this psalm, we are both to give glory to God and to teach and admonish ourselves and one another.
A psalm of David when he changed his behaviour before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he departed.
Psa 34:1-10
The title of this psalm tells us both who penned it and upon what occasion it was penned. David, being forced to flee from his country, which was made too hot for him by the rage of Saul, sought shelter as near it as he could, in the land of the Philistines. There it was soon discovered who he was, and he was brought before the king, who, in the narrative, is called Achish (his proper name), here Abimelech (his title); and lest he should be treated as a spy, or one that came thither upon design, he feigned himself to be a madman (such there have been in every age, that even by idiots men might be taught to give God thanks for the use of their reason), that Achish might dismiss him as a contemptible man, rather than take cognizance of him as a dangerous man. And it had the effect he desired; by this stratagem he escaped the hand that otherwise would have handled him roughly. Now,
Psa 34:11-22
David, in this latter part of the psalm, undertakes to teach children. Though a man of war, and anointed to be king, he did not think it below him; though now he had his head so full of cares and his hands of business, yet he could find heart and time to give good counsel to young people, from his own experience. It does not appear that he had now any children of his own, at least any that were grown up to a capacity of being taught; but, by divine inspiration, he instructs the children of his people. Those that were in years would not be taught by him, though he had offered them his service (Ps. 32:8); but he had hopes that the tender branches will be more easily bent and that children and young people will be more tractable, and therefore he calls together a congregation of them (v. 11): "Come, you children, that are now in your learning age, and are now to lay up a stock of knowledge which you must live upon all your days, you children that are foolish and ignorant, and need to be taught.' Perhaps he intends especially those children whose parents neglected to instruct and catechise them; and it is as great a piece of charity to put those children to school whose parents are not in a capacity to teach them as to feed those children whose parents have not bread for them. Observe,
In singing these verses let us be confirmed in the choice we have made of the ways of God; let us be quickened in his service, and greatly encouraged by the assurances he has given of the particular care he takes of all those that faithfully adhere to him.