Psalms 34:6
This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him and saved him out of all his troubles.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The verse isn't just about any "poor man," but points to a specific, "this" afflicted individual, highlighting David himself as an example. This isn't a generic tale of rescue; it's David sharing his own dramatic experience to show God's attentiveness to the cries of those in deep distress.
This psalm begins with David vowing to praise God no matter his circumstances, stemming from a specific time he feigned madness before Achish, king of Gath. After recounting God's deliverance from his fears, David then uses his own experience to encourage others, pointing to himself as an example of someone God hears and saves. This verse acts as a transition, shifting from David's personal testimony to a broader invitation for all the afflicted to trust in God.
The verse speaks of a 'poor man' who cried out to God. Who is this person, and why does the text emphasize his poverty?
The Hebrew word used here, often translated as 'poor' or 'humble,' doesn't just refer to financial status. It describes someone who is afflicted, brought low, and recognizes their complete dependence on God.
David, the likely author of this psalm, experienced profound hardship and vulnerability, especially during his time hiding from King Saul and later while in Gath. He wasn't just down on his luck; he was actively suffering and felt utterly reliant on God's intervention. This highlights that God's ear is particularly tuned to the cries of those who feel stripped of their own resources and power, acknowledging their need for Him.
The verse says God 'heard him' and 'saved him.' What does this tell us about God's attention and the scope of His deliverance?
There's a beautiful immediacy and comprehensiveness in God's action described here. 'The LORD heard him' signifies not just passive listening, but attentive engagement—He truly perceived and understood the cry.
And 'saved him out of all his troubles' indicates a complete rescue. It wasn't a partial fix or a temporary reprieve. God's deliverance was total, bringing him out from all the difficulties that encompassed him. This shows us that when we cry out to God from a place of genuine need and dependence, He not only hears us but acts decisively to bring about a full salvation from our distresses.
Understand the original words
ani · Hebrew Adjective/Noun
A term often referring to the physically impoverished, but in the Psalms, it frequently denotes those who are humble, oppressed, or helpless, who recognize their total dependence upon God.
YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun
The personal name of the self-existent, covenant-keeping God of Israel (Yahweh), who reveals Himself through His redemptive actions.
yasha · Hebrew Verb
To be delivered, rescued, or set free from danger, distress, or judgment; biblically, it emphasizes God’s initiative in bringing His people into a state of safety and relationship with Himself.
Psalm 34, especially this verse, is understood by many commentators as David's reflection on his terrifying experience pretending to be mad before King Achish of Gath, a moment of deep vulnerability and peril.
c. 1000 BC
David flees Saul's persecution
David, a fugitive from King Saul's increasingly violent jealousy, sought refuge with the Philistine king Achish in Gath.
c. 1000 BC— this verse
David feigns madness before Achish
Fearing Achish would turn him over to Saul, David pretended to be insane, scraping on the doors of the city gate and letting spittle run down his beard.
c. 1000 BC
Achish dismisses David
Humiliated and disgusted by David's apparent madness, Achish ordered him to be removed from his presence, thus sparing David's life.
c. 1000 BC
David escapes to Adullam
After his escape from Gath, David took refuge in the cave of Adullam, where his family and other distressed people joined him.
This passage mirrors Psalm 34:6 by showing David, described as 'greatly distressed,' crying out to the Lord, who then strengthened and delivered him from a dire situation.
Jonah 2:2Similar to Psalm 34:6, Jonah in his distress cries out to the Lord from the depths of his trouble (the fish's belly), and the Lord hears and answers his prayer for deliverance.
Luke 18:13This parable highlights the 'poor man' motif, where the tax collector acknowledges his own sinfulness and cries out to God with humility, finding acceptance and justification, reflecting the theme of God hearing the cries of the afflicted.
2 Corinthians 12:8Paul, like David in Psalm 34, recounts his 'thorn in the flesh' and thrice pleaded with the Lord to remove it, illustrating the earnest cry of a 'poor man' in affliction, to which God responded with grace and strength instead of removal.
clarkePsalms 34:6: "This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles."
This poor man cried - זה עני zeh ani, "This afflicted man," David.
pulpitPsalms 34:6: "This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles."
Verse 6. - This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. Almost a repetition of ver. 4, but in the third person instead of the first. The "poor man" intended is David him* self, not an ideal poor man. Otherwise the demonstrative "this" (זֶה) would not have been employed.
The verse isn't just about any "poor man," but points to a specific, "this" afflicted individual, highlighting David himself as an example. This isn't a generic tale of rescue; it's David sharing his own dramatic experience to show God's attentiveness to the cries of those in deep distress.
This psalm begins with David vowing to praise God no matter his circumstances, stemming from a specific time he feigned madness before Achish, king of Gath. After recounting God's deliverance from his fears, David then uses his own experience to encourage others, pointing to himself as an example of someone God hears and saves. This verse acts as a transition, shifting from David's personal testimony to a broader invitation for all the afflicted to trust in God.
This psalm begins with David vowing to praise God no matter his circumstances, stemming from a specific time he feigned madness before Achish, king of Gath. After recounting God's deliverance from his fears, David then uses his own experience to encourage others, pointing to himself as an example of someone God hears and saves. This verse acts as a transition, shifting from David's personal testimony to a broader invitation for all the afflicted to trust in God.
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"This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him and saved him out of all his troubles." — The verse isn't just about any "poor man," but points to a specific, "this" afflicted individual, highlighting David himself as an example. This isn't a generic tale of rescue; it's David sharing his…
