New King James Version
Psalms 34:18
18The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit.
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 Living Translation (NLT)The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.
Context of Psalms 34:18
16The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, To cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. 17The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit. 19Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all. 20He guards 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 to You, O God, we give thanks! For Your wondrous works declare that Your name is near.
- Psalms 85:9Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him, That glory 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 upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth.
- Isaiah 55:6Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near.
- Psalms 51:17The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart— These, O God, You will not despise.
- Psalms 147:3He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds.
- Isaiah 61:1“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, Because the Lord has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
- Luke 4:18“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
- 2 Kings 22:19because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard what I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants, that they would become a desolation and a curse, and you tore your clothes and wept before Me, I also have heard you,” says the Lord.
- Isaiah 57:15For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, With him who has a contrite and humble spirit, To revive the spirit of the humble, And to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
- Isaiah 66:2For all those things My hand has made, And all those things exist,” Says the Lord. “But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word.
- Ezekiel 36:26I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of 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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries