Psalm 34:18
The LORD is near to the brokenhearted; He saves the contrite in spirit.
The LORD
The term "LORD" in this context is derived from the Hebrew word "YHWH," often vocalized as Yahweh. This is the personal name of God, emphasizing His eternal existence and covenantal faithfulness. In the Old Testament, this name is a reminder of God's unchanging nature and His intimate relationship with His people. The use of "LORD" here underscores the personal and attentive nature of God, who is not distant or detached but actively involved in the lives of His followers.

is near
The phrase "is near" comes from the Hebrew word "qarob," which means close in proximity or relationship. This word conveys the idea of God's immediate presence and accessibility. In the ancient Near Eastern context, gods were often perceived as distant and unapproachable, but the God of Israel is depicted as being intimately close to His people, especially in their times of distress. This nearness is not just physical but also relational, indicating God's readiness to support and comfort.

to the brokenhearted
"Brokenhearted" is translated from the Hebrew word "shabar," which means to break or shatter. This term paints a vivid picture of emotional and spiritual brokenness, akin to a heart that has been crushed by grief or despair. In biblical times, the heart was seen as the center of one's emotions and will. Thus, being brokenhearted signifies a deep, inner suffering. The promise that God is near to such individuals highlights His compassion and desire to heal and restore those who are deeply wounded.

He saves
The word "saves" is derived from the Hebrew "yasha," which means to deliver or rescue. This term is often used in the context of salvation, both physical and spiritual. In the biblical narrative, God is frequently portrayed as a deliverer who rescues His people from danger, oppression, and sin. This saving action is not just a one-time event but an ongoing process of redemption and restoration, reflecting God's power and mercy.

the contrite in spirit
"Contrite in spirit" comes from the Hebrew "dakka," meaning crushed or humbled. This phrase describes a state of humility and repentance, where an individual recognizes their own limitations and need for God's grace. In the biblical tradition, contrition is a prerequisite for receiving God's forgiveness and favor. It is a posture of the heart that acknowledges one's dependence on God and openness to His transformative work. The promise that God saves the contrite underscores His readiness to lift up those who humbly seek Him.

Persons / Places / Events
1. David
The author of Psalm 34, who wrote this psalm after being delivered from a difficult situation with Abimelech. David's life experiences provide a backdrop for understanding the depth of his reliance on God.

2. The LORD (Yahweh)
The covenant name of God, emphasizing His eternal presence and faithfulness to His people. In this verse, Yahweh is depicted as compassionate and attentive to those in distress.

3. The Brokenhearted
Individuals who are experiencing deep sorrow or distress. The term "brokenhearted" in Hebrew (nishberei lev) conveys a sense of being crushed or shattered emotionally.

4. The Contrite in Spirit
Those who are humble and repentant. The Hebrew word for "contrite" (dakka) suggests a sense of being crushed or humbled, often in recognition of one's own sinfulness.

5. Abimelech
The Philistine king before whom David feigned madness to escape. This historical context highlights God's deliverance and presence in times of trouble.
Teaching Points
God's Nearness in Suffering
God is not distant in our times of sorrow. He is intimately present and attentive to our pain, offering comfort and healing.

The Value of a Contrite Heart
A humble and repentant spirit is precious to God. Recognizing our need for Him opens the door to His saving grace.

Encouragement in Trials
In moments of deep distress, we can find hope in God's promise to be near. Our brokenness is not the end but a place where God meets us with His love.

Repentance and Restoration
True repentance involves a broken and contrite heart, leading to restoration and salvation. God delights in lifting up those who humbly seek Him.

Community Support
As believers, we are called to reflect God's compassion by supporting and comforting those who are brokenhearted within our communities.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does understanding the historical context of David's life enhance our appreciation of Psalm 34:18?

2. In what ways can we experience God's nearness during times of personal brokenness or sorrow?

3. How do the concepts of being "brokenhearted" and "contrite in spirit" challenge our understanding of humility and repentance?

4. What practical steps can we take to cultivate a contrite heart before God, and how does this align with other biblical teachings on humility?

5. How can we, as a church community, better support those who are brokenhearted, reflecting God's compassion and nearness?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Isaiah 57:15
This verse speaks of God dwelling with the contrite and lowly in spirit, emphasizing His closeness to those who are humble and repentant.

Matthew 5:3-4
Jesus' Beatitudes highlight the blessedness of the poor in spirit and those who mourn, reflecting the same themes of humility and comfort found in Psalm 34:18.

James 4:8-10
James encourages believers to draw near to God with humility and repentance, promising that God will lift them up, echoing the promise of God's nearness to the contrite.
A Broken HeartThomas Adam.Psalm 34:18
A Broken HeartNewton Jones.Psalm 34:18
The Broken Heart and its Divine RestorerSamuel Martin.Psalm 34:18
The Obdurate Heart SoftenedPsalm 34:18
A Devout HymnHomilistPsalm 34:1-22
Blessing the LordJ. Bate.Psalm 34:1-22
Life's Experiences Turned to Manifold UsesC. Clemance Psalm 34:1-22
The Secret and Blessings of a Happy LifeC. Short Psalm 34:11-22
People
Abimelech, David, Psalmist
Places
Jerusalem
Topics
Broken, Brokenhearted, Broken-hearted, Bruised, Contrite, Crushed, Heart, Nigh, Saves, Saveth, Saviour, Spirit, Spirits
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Psalm 34:18

     1110   God, present everywhere
     5450   poverty, spiritual
     5801   brokenness
     5805   comfort
     5952   sorrow
     6733   repentance, nature of
     8713   discouragement

Library
Struggling and Seeking
'The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.'--PSALM xxxiv. 10. If we may trust the superscription of this psalm, it was written by David at one of the very darkest days of his wanderings, probably in the Cave of Adullam, where he had gathered around him a band of outlaws, and was living, to all appearance, a life uncommonly like that of a brigand chief, in the hills. One might have pardoned him if, at such a moment, some cloud of doubt or
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

No Condemnation
'None of them that trust in Him shall be desolate.' --PSALM xxxiv. 22. These words are very inadequately represented in the translation of the Authorised Version. The Psalmist's closing declaration is something very much deeper than that they who trust in God 'shall not be desolate.' If you look at the previous clause, you will see that we must expect something more than such a particular blessing as that:--'The Lord redeemeth the soul of His servants.' It is a great drop from that thought, instead
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Encamping Angel
'The Angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them.'--PSALM xxxiv. 7. If we accept the statement in the superscription of this psalm, it dates from one of the darkest hours in David's life. His fortunes were never lower than when he fled from Gath, the city of Goliath, to Adullam. He never appears in a less noble light than when he feigned madness to avert the dangers which he might well dread there. How unlike the terror and self-degradation of the man who 'scrabbled
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Religion Pleasant to the Religious.
"O taste and see how gracious the Lord is; blessed is the man that trusteth in Him."--Psalm xxxiv. 8. You see by these words what love Almighty God has towards us, and what claims He has upon our love. He is the Most High, and All-Holy. He inhabiteth eternity: we are but worms compared with Him. He would not be less happy though He had never created us; He would not be less happy though we were all blotted out again from creation. But He is the God of love; He brought us all into existence,
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VII

Lions Lacking --But the Children Satisfied
RIGHT truly did Paul say, "Whereby he hath given unto us exceeding great and precious promises;" for surely this promise is exceeding great indeed. In the entire compass of God's holy word, there is not to be found a precious declaration which can excel this in sweetness; for how could God promise to use more than all things? how could even his infinite benevolence stretch the line of his grace farther than it hath gone in this verse of the psalm?--"They that seek the Lord shall not want any good
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 2: 1856

A Poor Man's Cry, and what came of It
On this occasion I want to speak of what happens to those who do return to God; because many have newly been brought, through mighty grace. Some of them I have seen; and I have rejoiced over them with exceeding great joy. They tell me that they did distinctly lay hold on eternal life last Sabbath day; and they are clear about what it means. They came out of darkness into his marvellous light; they knew it, and could not resist the impulse at once to tell those with whom they sat in the pews, that
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 37: 1891

Looking unto Jesus
"Till God in human flesh I see, My thoughts no comfort find,--" God shrouded and veiled in the manhood,--there we can with steady gaze behold him, for so he cometh down to us, and our poor finite intelligence can understand and lay hold upon him. I shall therefore use my text this morning, and I think very legitimately, in reference to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ--"They looked unto him, and were lightened;" for when we look at God, as revealed in Jesus Christ our Lord, and behold the Godhead
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 4: 1858

Seeking Richly Rewarded
"The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger, but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing."--Psalm 34:10. THE young lions are very strong; they are as yet in the freshness of their youth, and yet their strength does not always suffice to keep them supplied. The young lions are very crafty; they understand how to waylay their game and leap upon them with a sudden spring at unawares, and yet, with all their craftiness, they howl for hunger in the wood. The young lions are very bold and
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 60: 1914

Tender Mercies, on My Way
"I will bless the Lord at all times." -- Psalm 34:1. Tender mercies, on my way Falling softly like the dew, Sent me freshly every day, I will bless THE LORD for you. Though I have not all I would, Though to greater bliss I go, Every present gift of good To Eternal Love I owe. Source of all that comforts me, Well of joy for which I long, Let the song I sing to Thee Be an everlasting song.
Miss A. L. Waring—Hymns and Meditations

But God Wanted not Power to Make Man Such as that He Should Not...
16. But God wanted not power to make man such as that he should not be able to sin: but He chose rather to make him such, as that it should lie in his power [1859] to sin, if he would; not to sin, if he would not; forbidding the one, enjoining the other; that it might be to him first a good desert not to sin, and after a just reward not to be able to sin. For such also at the last will He makes His Saints, as to be without all power to sin. Such forsooth even now hath He His angels, whom in Him we
St. Augustine—On Continence

Letter xi (Circa A. D. 1120) the Abbot of Saint Nicasius at Rheims
The Abbot of Saint Nicasius at Rheims He consoles this abbot for the departure of the Monk Drogo and his transfer to another monastery, and exhorts him to patience. 1. How much I sympathize with your trouble only He knows who bore the griefs of all in His own body. How willingly would I advise you if I knew what to say, or help you if I were able, as efficaciously as I would wish that He who knows and can do all things should advise and assist me in all my necessities. If brother Drogo had consulted
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux—Some Letters of Saint Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux

Draw Me, we Will Run after Thee to the Odor of Thine Ointments.
This young lover prays the Bridegroom to draw her by the centre of her soul, as if she were not satisfied with the sweetness of the balsam poured forth among her powers; for she already comprehends, through the grace of the Bridegroom, who continually draws her with more and more force, that there is an enjoyment of Himself more noble and more intimate than that which she at present shares. This is what gives rise to her present request. Draw me, says she, into the most interior chambers of my soul,
Madame Guyon—Song of Songs of Solomon

Fourth Sunday after Easter Second Sermon.
Text: James 1, 16-21. 16 Be not deceived, my beloved brethren. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation, neither shadow that is cast by turning. 18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. 19 Ye know this, my beloved brethren. But let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: 20 for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness
Martin Luther—Epistle Sermons, Vol. II

Biographical Preface.
"The Church! Am I asked again, What is the Church? The ploughman at his daily toil--the workman who plies the shuttle--the merchant in his counting-house--the scholar in his study--the lawyer in the courts of justice--the senator in the hall of legislature--the monarch on his throne--these, as well as the clergymen in the works of the material building which is consecrated to the honour of God--these constitute the Church. The Church is the whole congregation of faithful men, in which the pure word
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

The Dead Christ
It was not usual to remove bodies from the cross immediately after their death. They were allowed to hang, exposed to the weather, till they rotted and fell to pieces; or they might be torn by birds or beasts; and at last a fire was perhaps kindled beneath the cross to rid the place of the remains. Such was the Roman custom; but among the Jews there was more scrupulosity. In their law there stood this provision: "If a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be put to death, and thou hang
James Stalker—The Trial and Death of Jesus Christ

The Abbots Euroul and Loumon.
To the examples already given in the previous biographies, of the power which religion exercised over the rough and savage mind, we may add the following. The abbot Ebrolf (Euroul) had settled with his monks in a thick forest, infested by wild beasts and robbers. One of the robbers came to them, and, struck with reverence at their aspect, said to them: "Ye have chosen no fit dwelling for you here. The inhabitants of this forest live by plunder, and will not tolerate any one amongst them who maintains
Augustus Neander—Light in the Dark Places

Letter Xli to Thomas of St. Omer, after He had Broken his Promise of Adopting a Change of Life.
To Thomas of St. Omer, After He Had Broken His Promise of Adopting a Change of Life. He urges him to leave his studies and enter religion, and sets before him the miserable end of Thomas of Beverley. To his dearly beloved son, Thomas, Brother Bernard, called Abbot of Clairvaux, that he may walk in the fear of the Lord. 1. You do well in acknowledging the debt of your promise, and in not denying your guilt in deferring its performance. But I beg you not to think simply of what you promised, but to
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux—Some Letters of Saint Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux

Letter Xlix to Romanus, Sub-Deacon of the Roman Curia.
To Romanus, Sub-Deacon of the Roman Curia. He urges upon him the proposal of the religious life, recalling the thought of death. Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux, to his dear Romanus, as to his friend. MY DEAREST FRIEND, How good you are to me in renewing by a letter the sweet recollection of yourself and in excusing my tiresome delay. It is not possible that any forgetfulness of your affection could ever invade the hearts of those who love you; but, I confess, I thought you had almost forgotten yourself
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux—Some Letters of Saint Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux

Bunsen's Biblical Researches.
When geologists began to ask whether changes in the earth's structure might be explained by causes still in operation, they did not disprove the possibility of great convulsions, but they lessened necessity for imagining them. So, if a theologian has his eyes opened to the Divine energy as continuous and omnipresent, he lessens the sharp contrast of epochs in Revelation, but need not assume that the stream has never varied in its flow. Devotion raises time present into the sacredness of the past;
Frederick Temple—Essays and Reviews: The Education of the World

Second Sunday after Easter
Text: First Peter 2, 20-25. 20 For what glory is it, if, when ye sin, and are buffeted for it, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye shall take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. 21 For hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that ye should follow his steps: 22 who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 23 who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, threatened not; but committed
Martin Luther—Epistle Sermons, Vol. II

The Great Privilege of those that are Born of God
"Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin." 1 John 3:9. 1. It has been frequently supposed, that the being born of God was all one with the being justified; that the new birth and justification were only different expressions, denoting the same thing: It being certain, on the one hand, that whoever is justified is also born of God; and, on the other, that whoever is born of God is also justified; yea, that both these gifts of God are given to every believer in one and the same moment. In one
John Wesley—Sermons on Several Occasions

Fifth Lesson. Ask, and it Shall be Given You;
Ask, and it shall be given you; Or, The Certainty of the Answer to Prayer. Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: for every one that asketh receiveth, and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened,'--Matt. vii. 7, 8. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss.'--Jas. iv. 3. OUR Lord returns here in the Sermon on the Mount a second time to speak of prayer. The first time He had spoken of the Father who is
Andrew Murray—With Christ in the School of Prayer

Cæsarius of Arles.
He was born in the district of Chalons-sur-Saone, A. D. 470. He seems to have been early awakened, by a pious education, to vital Christianity. When he was between seven and eight years old, it would often happen that he would give a portion of his clothes to the poor whom he met, and would say, when he came home, that he had been, constrained to do so. When yet a youth, he entered the celebrated convent on the island of Lerins, (Lerina,) in Provence, from which a spirit of deep and practical piety
Augustus Neander—Light in the Dark Places

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