Psalm 34:12-16
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The verse isn't just asking if anyone wants a good life, but challenges our assumptions about what that looks like. It implies that many people chase after life and "good days" through means that actually lead them astray, rather than the godly path that the following verses will reveal.
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. Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry. The face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The psalmist has just shared his own testimony of God's deliverance and is now inviting others to learn from his experience. He turns to address a younger generation, urging them to listen and offering to teach them the "fear of the LORD," which is the pathway to true well-being. This verse poses a rhetorical question, setting the stage for the practical instructions that follow.
We all want to live, but what does it truly mean to live? This verse challenges us to think beyond mere survival.
The question, 'What man is there who desires life...?' isn't asking if people want to live. Of course, they do! But the Psalmists are pointing to a richer, deeper understanding of 'life.'
A Life of Quality, Not Just Quantity
Commentators agree that 'life' here isn't just about breathing. It's about a life that is good, prosperous, and filled with divine favor. It’s about quality and purpose, not just clocking in days.
Think about it: We often say, 'I don't just want to survive, I want to thrive!' This verse echoes that sentiment, hinting that the good life God offers is far more than just a long stretch of uneventful days.
We all want to 'see good,' but how do we get there? This verse sets up a direct challenge and points us toward the answer.
The Psalmist poses a rhetorical question, almost like a gentle challenge: Who is it that truly desires this abundant life and longs for good days? The implication is clear: it’s not everyone.
Why the Question?
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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.
shalom · Hebrew Noun
The Hebrew concept of wholeness, completeness, prosperity, and welfare. It involves not just the absence of conflict, but the presence of right relationship with God and others.
tsaddiq · Hebrew Adjective/Noun
Refers to those who are in right standing with God, often characterized by integrity, obedience, and alignment with God's law. They are not sinless, but their lives are marked by a pursuit of God's ways.
shav'ah · Hebrew Noun
An earnest appeal for help, usually voiced in distress. It implies a recognition of one's need and a dependency upon God’s intervention.
panim · Hebrew Noun
In the Hebrew worldview, this refers to the visible presence or manifestation of God, representing His attention, judgment, or favor. To be before His face is to be in His direct purview, either for blessing or for opposition.
ra'ah · Hebrew Adjective/Noun
Moral wickedness, depravity, or active disobedience against God's law. It characterizes those who live in rebellion against God's holiness and His covenant.
This passage directly echoes Psalm 34:12, quoting it almost word-for-word to show that a desire for a long, good life is fulfilled by abstaining from evil and doing good.
Proverbs 3:1-2This proverb offers a similar promise that keeping God's commands leads to length of days and long life, mirroring the sentiment in Psalms that a fulfilling life comes from obedience.
Matthew 5:5Jesus' beatitude states 'Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth,' which connects to the idea that a life of gentleness and pursuing peace, as alluded to in the verses following Psalm 34:12, leads to a desirable inheritance and good days.
John 10:10Jesus declares He came 'that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly,' offering a spiritual fulfillment to the desire for 'life' and 'good' mentioned in the Psalm, pointing to a deeper, more plentiful existence through Him.
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 isn't just asking if anyone wants a good life, but challenges our assumptions about what that looks like. It implies that many people chase after life and "good days" through means that actually lead them astray, rather than the godly path that the following verses will reveal.
The psalmist has just shared his own testimony of God's deliverance and is now inviting others to learn from his experience. He turns to address a younger generation, urging them to listen and offering to teach them the "fear of the LORD," which is the pathway to true well-being. This verse poses a rhetorical question, setting the stage for the practical instructions that follow.
The psalmist has just shared his own testimony of God's deliverance and is now inviting others to learn from his experience. He turns to address a younger generation, urging them to listen and offering to teach them the "fear of the LORD," which is the pathway to true well-being. This verse poses a rhetorical question, setting the stage for the practical instructions that follow.
"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. Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. The eyes of the…" — The verse isn't just asking if anyone wants a good life, but challenges our assumptions about what that looks like. It implies that many people chase after life and "good days" through means that a…
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Last reviewed October 2026
