Amplified Bible
Psalms 34:18
18The Lord is near to the heartbroken And He saves those who are crushed in spirit (contrite in heart, truly sorry for their sin).
Psalms 34:18 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
- New International Version (NIV)The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
- English Standard Version (ESV)The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.
- New King James Version (NKJV)The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit.
Context of Psalms 34:18
16The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, To cut off the memory of them from the earth. 17When the righteous cry [for help], the Lord hears And rescues them from all their distress and troubles. The Lord is near to the heartbroken And He saves those who are crushed in spirit (contrite in heart, truly sorry for their sin). 19Many hardships and perplexing circumstances confront the righteous, But the Lord rescues him from them all. 20He keeps all his bones; Not one of them is broken.
Read all of Psalms 34Psalms 34:18 word by word
קָר֣וֹב יְ֭הוָה לְנִשְׁבְּרֵי־לֵ֑ב וְֽאֶת־דַּכְּאֵי־ר֥וּחַ יוֹשִֽׁיעַ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Psalms 34:18
- Psalms 75:1We give thanks and praise to You, O God, we give thanks, For Your [wonderful works declare that Your] name is near; People declare Your wonders.
- Psalms 85:9Surely His salvation is near to those who [reverently] fear Him [and obey Him with submissive wonder], That glory [the manifest presence of God] may dwell in our land.
- Psalms 119:151You are near, O Lord, And all Your commandments are truth.
- Psalms 145:18The Lord is near to all who call on Him, To all who call on Him in truth (without guile).
- Isaiah 55:6Seek the Lord while He may be found; Call on Him [for salvation] while He is near.
- Psalms 51:17My [only] sacrifice [acceptable] to God is a broken spirit; A broken and contrite heart [broken with sorrow for sin, thoroughly penitent], such, O God, You will not despise.
- Psalms 147:3He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds [healing their pain and comforting their sorrow].
- Isaiah 61:1The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, Because the Lord has anointed and commissioned me To bring good news to the humble and afflicted; He has sent me to bind up [the wounds of] the brokenhearted, To proclaim release [from confinement and condemnation] to the [physical and spiritual] captives And freedom to prisoners,
- Luke 4:18“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me (the Messiah), Because He has anointed Me to preach the good news to the poor. He has sent Me to announce release (pardon, forgiveness) to the captives, And recovery of sight to the blind, To set free those who are oppressed (downtrodden, bruised, crushed by tragedy),
- 2 Kings 22:19because your heart was tender (receptive, penitent) and you humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard what I said against this place and against its inhabitants, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and because you have torn your clothes and wept before Me, I have heard you,” declares the Lord.
- Isaiah 57:15For the high and exalted One He who inhabits eternity, Whose name is Holy says this, “I dwell on the high and holy place, But also with the contrite and humble in spirit In order to revive the spirit of the humble And to revive the heart of the contrite [overcome with sorrow for sin].
- Isaiah 66:2For all these things My hand has made, So all these things came into being [by and for Me],” declares the Lord. “But to this one I will look [graciously], To him who is humble and contrite in spirit, and who [reverently] trembles at My word and honors My commands.
- Ezekiel 36:26Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you, and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
Commentaries on Psalms 34:18
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 18A broken heart - לב נשברי nishberey Web, the heart broken to shivers. A contrite spirit - רוח דכאי dakkeey ruach, "the beaten-out spirit." In both words the hammer is necessarily implied; in breaking to pieces the ore first, and then plating out the metal when it has been separated from the ore. This will call to the reader's remembrance Jeremiah 23:29; : "Is not my word like as a fire, saith the Lord? And like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?"…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 18The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart - Margin, as in Hebrew: “to the broken of heart.” The phrase, “the Lord is nigh,” means that he is ready to hear and to help. The language is, of course, figurative. As an Omnipresent Being, God is equally near to all persons at all times; but the language is adapted to our conceptions, as we feel that one who is near us can help us, or that one who is distant from us cannot give us aid. Compare the…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 11-22Verses 11-22 Let young persons set out in life with learning the fear of the Lord, if they desire true comfort here, and eternal happiness hereafter. Those will be most happy who begin the soonest to serve so good a Master. All aim to be happy. Surely this must look further than the present world; for man's life on earth consists but of few days, and those full of trouble. What man is he that would see the good of that where all bliss is perfect? Alas!…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 18Those who are brokenhearted have a spirit of deep sorrow for sin and a strong dependence on the Lord. God accepts this humble spirit as a proper sacrifice (Psalm 51:17). The wicked hate people who are brokenhearted (Psalm 109:16). But the Lord heals them and restores them (Psalm 147:3; see Isaiah 57:15; 61:1).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 17-1817-18. Humble penitents are objects of God's special tender regard (Psa 51:19; Is 57:15).Read the comment
Topics related to Psalms 34:18
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Psalms 34
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- The Treasury of David
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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