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Pentecost Season · All Saints · Year A

Psalm 34:1-10, 22

Taste and See That the Lord Is Good

November 1, 2026

David Feigning Madness before Achish, Golden Psalter of St Gall
David Feigning Madness before Achish, Golden Psalter of St Gall, about 883-900Stiftsbibliothek St. Gallen
Guards seize the young David, who lets his body go slack in feigned madness, while the king sits on his throne and waves him away.Of David, when he feigned madness before Abimelech … I will bless the Lord at all times … This poor soul cried, and was heard by the Lord, and was saved from every trouble.Golden Psalter of St GallA Carolingian psalter whose pictures illustrate the stories behind the psalm titles.Stiftsbibliothek St. GallenStiftsbibliothek St. Gallen (Cod. Sang. 22).Stiftsbibliothek St. Gallen
Revised Common Lectionary
GospelMatt. 5:1-12Mt 5:1-12
Epistle1 John 3:1-31 Jn 3:1-3
Old TestamentRev. 7:9-17Rev 7:9-17
PsalterPs. 34:1-10, 22Ps 34:1-10, 22

Overview & Insights

“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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Take it further: Psalm 34:1-10, 22

Commentary

Commentary on Psalm 34:1-10, 22Commentary on Ps 34:1-10, 22 Working Preacher

The Lutheran home commentary on the appointed psalm by a named seminary scholar.

Psalm 34 - Praising the God Who DeliversPs 34 - Praising the God Who Delivers Enduring Word · David Guzik

A verse-by-verse evangelical study of thanksgiving and the invitation to taste and see.

Psalm 34:1 CommentariesPs 34:1 Commentaries BibleHub

Classic commentaries gathered verse by verse on blessing the LORD at all times.

Background & Word Study

Psalms 34 (Hebrew and English)Ps 34 (Hebrew and English) Sefaria

The Hebrew of the psalm alongside English with linked Jewish commentary.

The Church Fathers

Psalms 34 (Catena)Ps 34 (Catena) Catena

Early church readings of the psalm that invites us to taste and see the LORD's goodness.

Questions preachers ask

What does Psalm 34 promise?

A psalm of David, it invites all to “taste and see that the Lord is good” and promises that the Lord is near to the brokenhearted and redeems his servants, fitting for the feast of all the faithful.

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