Psalms 34:12-13
What man is there who desires life and loves many days, that he may see good? Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The verse poses a rhetorical question, but the real insight is that it's not just about wanting to live long; it's about loving those days specifically for the good one can experience within them. This emphasizes that true life isn't just duration, but a quality of experiencing goodness, which the rest of the psalm unpacks.
The Psalmist, having just shared his personal testimony of God's deliverance, now turns to invite others, especially the young, to learn the ways of the Lord. He presents a question designed to stir reflection: who truly desires a good and long life? This rhetorical question sets up the following verses, which offer practical, ethical instructions on how to achieve the very thing most people crave—a life marked by God's favor and enduring well-being.
Understand the original words
chayyim · Hebrew Noun
In biblical wisdom literature, this often refers to the fullness of blessing, prosperity, and communion with God. It encompasses both physical longevity and the spiritual quality of life in covenantal relationship with the Creator.
ra' · Hebrew Adjective/Noun
That which is morally reprehensible, worthless, or detrimental to one's relationship with God and others. It represents anything that is contrary to God’s character or will.
mirmah · Hebrew Noun
Refers to treachery, falsehood, or craftiness in speech. It is the act of intentionally misleading others, which is fundamentally opposed to the truthfulness of God.
This passage directly quotes and expands on Psalm 34:12-16, reinterpreting the desire for a good and long life as a longing for spiritual well-being and divine favor.
Proverbs 3:13-16Similar to Psalm 34, Proverbs highlights the immense value and benefits of wisdom, linking it to a life that is not only long but also filled with prosperity and goodness.
Exodus 20:12This commandment to 'honor your father and your mother' is famously promised a long life in the land, directly connecting obedience and godly living with the desire for sustained 'good' days.
John 10:10Jesus contrasts the thief who comes to steal and destroy with His own purpose: to give life, and that more abundantly. This echoes the psalm's aspiration for a life brimming with divine goodness, not just mere existence.
calvinPsalms 34:11-14: "Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD."
Come, children, hearken unto me, I will teach you the fear of Jehovah. 12. Who is the man who desireth life, loving days in which he may see good? 13. Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking deceit. 14. Turn away from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.
Come, children, [696] hearken unto me. The Psalmist continues, with increased earnestness, to exhort the faithful, tha…
clarkePsalms 34:12: "What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good?"
What man is he that desireth life - He who wishes to live long and to live happily, let him act according to the following directions. For a comment upon this and the four ensuing verses, see the notes on 1 Peter 3:10-12 (note).
The verse poses a rhetorical question, but the real insight is that it's not just about wanting to live long; it's about loving those days specifically for the good one can experience within them. This emphasizes that true life isn't just duration, but a quality of experiencing goodness, which the rest of the psalm unpacks.
The Psalmist, having just shared his personal testimony of God's deliverance, now turns to invite others, especially the young, to learn the ways of the Lord. He presents a question designed to stir reflection: who truly desires a good and long life? This rhetorical question sets up the following verses, which offer practical, ethical instructions on how to achieve the very thing most people crave—a life marked by God's favor and enduring well-being.
The Psalmist, having just shared his personal testimony of God's deliverance, now turns to invite others, especially the young, to learn the ways of the Lord. He presents a question designed to stir reflection: who truly desires a good and long life? This rhetorical question sets up the following verses, which offer practical, ethical instructions on how to achieve the very thing most people crave—a life marked by God's favor and enduring well-being.
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"What man is there who desires life and loves many days, that he may see good? Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit." — The verse poses a rhetorical question, but the real insight is that it's not just about wanting to live long; it's about loving those days specifically for the good one can experience within them…
