🎵WEB · Psalms 34:9
What does Psalms 34:9 mean?
"Oh fear Yahweh, you his saints, for there is no lack with those who fear him."
— Psalms 34:9 (World English Bible)
Surrounding context
This poor man cried, and Yahweh heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.
Yahweh’s angel encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.
Oh taste and see that Yahweh is good. Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.
Oh fear Yahweh, you his saints, for there is no lack with those who fear him.
The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger, but those who seek Yahweh shall not lack any good thing.
Come, you children, listen to me. I will teach you the fear of Yahweh.
Who is someone who desires life, and loves many days, that he may see good?
Explanation
Psalm 34:9 calls God's people—those described as "saints" or "holy ones"—to fear Yahweh, and it grounds that call in a promise: those who fear him will not lack anything they truly need. In plain language, the verse is saying that reverence for God is not a burden but a doorway to sufficiency and provision. The word "fear" here doesn't mean cowering terror but a deep, reverent awe that shapes how a person lives—taking God seriously, honoring him, and trusting him above all else.
This psalm is attributed to David, written, according to its superscription, after he feigned madness before Abimelech (likely Achish, king of Gath) to escape danger, as recorded in 1 Samuel 21. Having just survived a desperate and humiliating situation through God's protection, David composed this psalm as a testimony of praise and instruction for others. It is structured as an acrostic in Hebrew, moving through the alphabet, which suggests it was crafted as a memorable, teachable psalm meant to be learned and passed on to the covenant community—hence the direct address to "his saints," the faithful who belong to him.
Theologically, the verse ties reverence for God to trust in his provision. It reflects a major theme throughout the Psalms and Wisdom literature (compare Proverbs 9:10, "the fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom"): that right relationship with God—marked by humility, obedience, and awe—brings blessing, while self-sufficiency apart from him leads to want. The imagery in the surrounding ver
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