Psalm 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7 (9a)

“I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.” (Psalm 34:1)

In addition to being an alphabetic acrostic,[1] Psalm 34 shares at least three other features with Psalm 25, another acrostic: (1) the waw (the sixth letter of the Hebrew alphabet) is missing from both poems; (2) each closes with a supernumerary verse beginning with the Hebrew letter pe; and (3) the same verb begins each of these closing verses, pedeh (imperative, “redeem,” NIV: “deliver”) in 25:22 (also in 26:11) and podeh (participle, “redeems,” NIV: “rescues”) in 34:17. This verb, as both petition (Ps. 25) and affirmation (Ps. 34), is at the heart of Israel’s life and faith, and these acrostic poems that, at least by their formal engagement of the complete alphabet, have covered the gamut of the poem’s topic, have still not said everything necessary until they have petitioned or affirmed Yahweh’s redemption of Israel.

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