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Psalms

About this book
Psalm 34

1 By David, when he pretended to be insane before Abimelech, causing the king to send him away. I will praise the Lord at all times; my mouth will continually praise him. 2 I will boast in the Lord; let the oppressed hear and rejoice. 3 Magnify the Lord with me. Let us praise his name together. 4 I sought the Lord’s help and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. 5 Look to him and be radiant; do not let your faces be ashamed. 6 This oppressed man cried out and the Lord heard; he saved him from all his troubles. 7 The angel of the Lord camps around the Lord’s loyal followers and delivers them. 8 Taste and see that the Lord is good. How blessed is the one who takes shelter in him. 9 Fear the Lord, you chosen people of his, for those who fear him lack nothing. 10 Even young lions sometimes lack food and are hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. 11 Come children. Listen to me. I will teach you what it means to fear the Lord. 12 Do you want to really live? Would you love to live a long, happy life? 13 Then make sure you don’t speak evil words or use deceptive speech. 14 Turn away from evil and do what is right. Strive for peace and promote it.⁠ 15 The Lord pays attention to the godly and hears their cry for help. 16 But the Lord opposes evildoers and wipes out all memory of them from the earth.⁠ 17 The godly cry out and the Lord hears; he saves them from all their troubles. 18 The Lord is near the brokenhearted; he delivers those who are discouraged. 19 The godly face many dangers, but the Lord saves them from each one of them. 20 He protects all his bones; not one of them is broken. 21 Evil people self-destruct; those who hate the godly are punished. 22 The Lord rescues his servants; all who take shelter in him escape punishment.

Texts in conversation

Compare Psalm 34:15 and Matthew 5:9

Hebrew Bible · New Testament

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Summary

In Matthew, Jesus blesses those who make peace, echoing Psalm 34 where people are told to turn from evil and seek peace. Jesus follows Jewish traditions and describes peace as something gained through active effort rather than avoiding conflict.

Passages

Psalm 34:15

Hebrew Bible
10 Even young lions sometimes lack food and are hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. 11 Come children. Listen to me. I will teach you what it means to fear the Lord. 12 Do you want to really live? Would you love to live a long, happy life? 13 Then make sure you don’t speak evil words or use deceptive speech. 14 Turn away from evil and do what is right. Strive for peace and promote it. 15 The Lord pays attention to the godly and hears their cry for help. 16 But the Lord opposes evildoers and wipes out all memory of them from the earth.
600–201 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Psalms

Matthew 5:9

New Testament
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. 7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them. 11 Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you and say all kinds of evil things about you falsely on account of me.
70–90 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in Matthew

References

"... Besides the passages quoted directly from the Hebrew Bible, Hebrews includes a large number of allusions to certain stories or expressions, such as “consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:29, compare Deuteronomy 4:24); or “pursue peace with everyone” (Hebrews 12:14, compare Psalm 34:15), etc ... (The injunction “pursue peace” is a common motif of Old Testament and of later Jewish paraenesis. See Psalm 34:15; Testament of Simeon 5:2; Pirkei Avot 1:12; Matthew 5:9; 1 Peter 3:11, which cites Psalm 34:15 ...) ..."
Elke Tönges, “The Epistle to the Hebrews as a ‘Jesus-Midrash’,” in Hebrews: Contemporary Methods, New Insights, ed. Gabriella Gelardini, BibInt 75 (Leiden: Brill, 2005), 89–105.

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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Psalm 34:15 and Matthew 5:9

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