English Standard Version
Psalms 34:12
12What man is there who desires life and loves many days, that he may see good?
Psalms 34:12 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good?
- New International Version (NIV)Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days,
- New King James Version (NKJV)Who is the man who desires life, And loves many days, that he may see good?
- New Living Translation (NLT)Does anyone want to live a life that is long and prosperous?
Context of Psalms 34:12
10The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. 11Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. What man is there who desires life and loves many days, that he may see good? 13Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. 14Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.
Read all of Psalms 34Psalms 34:12 word by word
מִֽי־הָ֭אִישׁ הֶחָפֵ֣ץ חַיִּ֑ים אֹהֵ֥ב יָ֝מִ֗ים לִרְא֥וֹת טֽוֹב׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Psalms 34:12
- Psalms 21:4He asked life of you; you gave it to him, length of days forever and ever.
- Psalms 91:16With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation."
- Deuteronomy 6:2that you may fear the Lord your God, you and your son and your son's son, by keeping all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be long.
- Deuteronomy 30:20loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them."
- 1 Peter 3:10For "Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit;
- Psalms 4:6There are many who say, "Who will show us some good? Lift up the light of your face upon us, O Lord!"
- Job 7:7"Remember that my life is a breath; my eye will never again see good.
- Ecclesiastes 2:3I searched with my heart how to cheer my body with wine—my heart still guiding me with wisdom—and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the children of man to do under heaven during the few days of their life.
- Ecclesiastes 12:13The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.
Commentaries on Psalms 34:12
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 12What man is he that desireth life - He who wishes to live long and to live happily, let him act according to the following directions. For a comment upon this and the four ensuing verses, see the notes on 1 Peter 3:10-12; (note).Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12What man is he that desireth life? - That desires to live long. All people naturally love life; and all naturally desire to live long; and this desire, being founded in our nature, is not wrong. Life is, in itself, a good - a blessing to be desired; death is in itself an evil, and a thing to be dreaded, and there is nothing wrong, in itself, in such a dread. Equally proper is it to wish not to be cut down in early life; for where one has before him an…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. 11-13Wisdom has three parts: fearing the Lord (Psalm 34:11), doing good (Psalm 34:14), and rejecting evil (Psalm 34:13).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1212. What man--Whoever desires the blessings of piety, let him attend.Read the comment
Topics related to Psalms 34:12
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
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries