14 Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.
Pursue peace with all, and holiness, without which no one shall see the Lord:
Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; -- cease to do evil, learn to do well: seek judgment, gladden the oppressed, do justice to the fatherless, plead for the widow.
if possible, as far as depends on you, living in peace with all men;
How much better is it to get wisdom than fine gold, and the getting of intelligence to be preferred to silver! The highway of the upright is to depart from evil: he that taketh heed to his way keepeth his soul.
But the wisdom from above first is pure, then peaceful, gentle, yielding, full of mercy and good fruits, unquestioning, unfeigned. But [the] fruit of righteousness in peace is sown for them that make peace.
Yet the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, [The] Lord knows those that are his; and, Let every one who names the name of [the] Lord withdraw from iniquity.
For the rest, brethren, rejoice; be perfected; be encouraged; be of one mind; be at peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.
So then let us pursue the things which tend to peace, and things whereby one shall build up another.
Be not wise in thine own eyes; fear Jehovah, and depart from evil:
Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He that does good is of God. He that does evil has not seen God.
And unto man he said, Lo, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.
I [am for] peace; but when I speak, *they* [are] for war.
who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all lawlessness, and purify to himself a peculiar people, zealous for good works.
and to seek earnestly to be quiet and mind your own affairs, and work with your [own] hands, even as we charged you,
Jesus who [was] of Nazareth: how God anointed him with [the] Holy Spirit and with power; who went through [all quarters] doing good, and healing all that were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.
The teaching of the wise [man] is a fountain of life, to turn away from the snares 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.