The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
What does Psalms 34:18 mean?
Let young persons set out in life with learning the fear of the Lord, if they desire true comfort here, and eternal happiness hereafter. Those will be most happy who begin the soonest to serve so good a Master.
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Keep this verse inside its immediate passage and alongside a few nearby related passages.
Commentary on Psalms 34:18
The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart - Margin, as in Hebrew: "to the broken of heart." The phrase, "the Lord is nigh," means that he is ready to hear and to help. The language is, of course, figurative. As an Omnipresent Being, God is equally near to all persons at all times; but the language is adapted to our conceptions, as we feel that one who is near us can help us, or that one who is distant from us cannot give us aid. Compare the notes at Psalm 22:11 . The phrase, "them that are of a broken heart," occurs often in the Bible.
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Context in Psalms 34
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Psalms 34 belongs to the early movement of the book, especially the section often described as Book II. Psalms is the Bible’s great book of sung prayer, teaching the full range of faithful speech from anguish and repentance to jubilation and doxology. Read this chapter with the wider themes of prayer, praise, and lament in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.
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