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LXX Psalms

Septuagint

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Psalm 33

1 A Psalm of David, when he changed his face before Abimelech; and he let him go, and he departed. 2 I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall be continually in my mouth. 3 My soul shall boast herself in the Lord: let the meek hear, and rejoice. 4 Magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together. 5 I sought the Lord diligently, and he listened to me, and delivered me from all my sojournings. 6 Draw near to him, and be enlightened: and your faces shall not by any means be ashamed. 7 This poor man cried, and the Lord listened to him, and delivered him out of all his afflictions. 8 The angel of the Lord will encamp all around those who fear him, and will deliver them. 9 Taste and see that the Lord is good:⁠ blessed is the man who hopes in him. 10 Fear the Lord, all you his saints: for there is no lack to those who fear him. 11 The rich have become poor and hungry: but they that seek the Lord diligently shall not lack any good thing. Pause. 12 Come, you children, hear me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord.⁠ 13 What man is there that desires life, loving to see good days? 14 Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking guile. 15 Turn away from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.⁠ 16 The eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer: 17 but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to destroy their memorial from the earth. 18 The righteous cried, and the Lord listened to them, and delivered them out of all their afflictions. 19 The Lord is near to those who are of a contrite heart; and will save the lowly in spirit. 20 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but out of them all he will deliver them. 21 The Lord keeps all their bones: not one of them shall be broken. 22 The death of sinners is evil: and they that hate the righteous will go wrong. 23 The Lord will redeem the souls of his servants: and none of those that hope in him shall go wrong.

Texts in conversation

Compare LXX Psalm 33:9 and 1 Peter 2:3

Septuagint · New Testament

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Summary

1 Peter 2 echoes Psalm 34 by repeating the phrase about tasting that God is good. This reference to the Psalm is used as part of establishing a household code for believers, mixing Hebrew Bible and Greek traditions.

Passages

LXX Psalm 33:9

Septuagint
7 This poor man cried, and the Lord listened to him, and delivered him out of all his afflictions. 8 The angel of the Lord will encamp all around those who fear him, and will deliver them. 9 Taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man who hopes in him. 10 Fear the Lord, all you his saints: for there is no lack to those who fear him.
100–1 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in LXX Psalms

1 Peter 2:3

New Testament
1 So get rid of all evil and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 2 And yearn like newborn infants for pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up to salvation, 3 if you have tasted the Lord’s kindness. 4 So as you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but chosen and precious in God’s sight, 5 you yourselves, as living stones, are built up as a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood and to offer spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
80–90 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in 1 Peter

References

"... There are two clear references to Psalm 34 in 1 Peter - an extended citation at 3:10–12 (Psalm 34:12–16 [33:13–17aLXX]) and an obvious allusion at 1 Peter 2:3 (Psalm 34:8 [33:9 LXX]). Peter uses the extended citation to conclude a household code begun at 2:11 (2:11—3:12) ... The gist of the quotation is an exhortation to honorable speech and peaceable living through doing good; these are actions that Peter has already commended in his letter (compare 1:15; 2:1, 12). They aptly sum up the sense of the household code, which focuses on how those with little power in the household might mitigate hostilities toward their faith within that sphere (e.g., 2:18; 3:1). By living peaceably, within cultural constraints, these slaves and wives, along with the other believers, will “silence the ignorant talk of foolish people” (2:15). The allusion to Psalm 34:8 in 1 Peter consists in the words “taste[d] that the Lord is good” (1 Peter 2:3: “ἐγεύσασθε ὅτι χρηστὸς ὁ κύριος”). In the psalm it is paired with a blessing: “Taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the person who hopes in him” (Psalm 33:9; LXX) ..."
Jeannine K. Brown, “Metalepsis,” in Exploring Intertextuality: Diverse Strategies for New Testament Interpretation of Texts, ed. B. J. Oropeza and Steve Moyise (Eugene, OR: Cascade, 2016), 56–72.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

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LXX Psalm 33:9 and 1 Peter 2:3

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