The Meaning of Psalms 34:1 Explained

Psalms 34:1

KJV: {A Psalm of David, when he changed his behaviour before Abimelech; who drove him away, and he departed.} I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

YLT: By David, in his changing his behaviour before Abimelech, and he driveth him away, and he goeth. I do bless Jehovah at all times, Continually His praise is in my mouth.

Darby: {A Psalm of David; when he changed his behaviour before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he departed.} I will bless Jehovah at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

ASV: I will bless Jehovah at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

{{[A Psalm] of David,  when he changed  his behaviour  before  Abimelech;  who drove him away,  and he departed.  }} I will bless  the LORD  at all times:  his praise  [shall] continually  [be] in my mouth. 

What does Psalms 34:1 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalms 34:1-10 - "magnify The Lord With Me"
The event associated with this psalm is recorded in 1 Samuel 21:1-15. It was not a very creditable incident. David, however, realized the goodness of God, notwithstanding his own failures and mistakes.
In the original the verses begin with the letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
Psalms 34:1 : At all times"¦ continually. It is a sign of great grace to bless always, in dark as well as bright days.
Psalms 34:3 : "Birds," says Trapp, "when they come to a full heap of corn, will chirp to call their fellows."
Psalms 34:4-6 : All the time David was feigning madness, his soul was going out to God in prayer.
Psalms 34:7 : Compare Acts 12:6-10.
Psalms 34:8 : Some experiences must be enjoyed to be understood. There are not words adequate to tell of them.
Psalms 34:10 : "We will leave thee nothing!" said plundering soldiers to a widow. "I care not," returned she. "I shall not want so long as God is in the heavens." Columba-an early Celtic missionary-spent his last afternoon in transcribing this psalm, saying when He reached Psalms 34:10 : "I will stop here. The following verse will better suit My successor." [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalms 34

1  David praises God, and exhorts others thereto by his experience
8  They are blessed who trust in God
11  He exhorts to the fear of God
15  The privileges of the righteous

What do the individual words in Psalms 34:1 mean?

A Psalm of David when he pretended - madness before Abimelech and who drove him away and he departed I will bless Yahweh at all times continually His praise [shall be] in my mouth
לְדָוִ֗ד בְּשַׁנּוֹת֣וֹ אֶת־ טַ֭עְמוֹ לִפְנֵ֣י אֲבִימֶ֑לֶךְ וַֽ֝יְגָרֲשֵׁ֗הוּ וַיֵּלַֽךְ אֲבָרֲכָ֣ה יְהוָ֣ה בְּכָל־ עֵ֑ת תָּ֝מִ֗יד תְּֽהִלָּת֥וֹ בְּפִֽי

לְדָוִ֗ד  A  Psalm  of  David 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
בְּשַׁנּוֹת֣וֹ  when  he  pretended 
Parse: Preposition-b, Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁנָה  
Sense: to repeat, do again, change, alter.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
טַ֭עְמוֹ  madness 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: טַעַם  
Sense: taste, judgment.
לִפְנֵ֣י  before 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
אֲבִימֶ֑לֶךְ  Abimelech 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲבִימֶלֶךְ  
Sense: king of Gerar in Abraham’s time.
וַֽ֝יְגָרֲשֵׁ֗הוּ  and  who  drove  him  away 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: גָּרַשׁ 
Sense: to drive out, expel, cast out, drive away, divorce, put away, thrust away, trouble, cast up.
וַיֵּלַֽךְ  and  he  departed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
אֲבָרֲכָ֣ה  I  will  bless 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect Cohortative, first person common singular
Root: בָּרַךְ 
Sense: to bless, kneel.
יְהוָ֣ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
בְּכָל־  at  all 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
עֵ֑ת  times 
Parse: Noun, common singular
Root: עֵת  
Sense: time.
תָּ֝מִ֗יד  continually 
Parse: Adverb
Root: תָּמִיד  
Sense: continuity, perpetuity, to stretch.
תְּֽהִלָּת֥וֹ  His  praise  [shall  be] 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: תְּהִלָּה  
Sense: praise, song or hymn of praise.
בְּפִֽי  in  my  mouth 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: פֶּה  
Sense: mouth.