Psalms 34:10 · Bible study
Psalms 34:10 Commentary: No Lack for Those Who Seek God
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Psalm 34:10 contrasts the hunger of young lions with the provision for those who seek God.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God promises to supply what is truly good for those who seek Him, even when the self-sufficient lack.
- Key words: “young lions” (symbol of natural strength), “seek” (wholehearted devotion), “good thing” (defined by God’s wisdom).
- Main debate: Is this a guarantee of material provision or a promise of spiritual good that may include affliction?
- Theological theme: Divine provision versus human self-reliance; God as the ultimate source of all good.
- Best use: Comfort for believers facing need; a call to trust God’s definition of good.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Young lions go lacking and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.
WEB World English Bible 2000
The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger, but those who seek Yahweh shall not lack any good thing.
KJV King James Version 1769
The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger; But they that seek Jehovah shall not want any good thing.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
Young lions have lacked and been hungry, And those seeking Jehovah lack not any good,
Darby Darby Bible 1890
The young lions are in need and suffer hunger; but they that seek Jehovah shall not want any good.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
All my bones shall say: Lord, who is like to thee? Who deliverest the poor from the hand of them that are stronger than he; the needy and the poor from them that strip him.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Los leoncillos necesitaron, y tuvieron hambre; pero los que buscan á Jehová, no tendrán falta de ningún bien.
Os filhos dos leões passam necessidades e têm fome; mas os que buscam ao SENHOR não têm falta de bem algum.
Craignez l’ Éternel, vous ses saints!
Reiche müssen darben und hungern; aber die den HERRN suchen, haben keinen Mangel an irgend einem Gut.
Jod. Vreest den HEERE, gij Zijn heiligen! want die Hem vrezen, hebben geen gebrek.
I leoncelli soffron penuria e fame, ma quelli che cercano l’Eterno non mancano d’alcun bene.
Bójcie się Pana święci jego; bo niemasz niedostatku bojącym się go.
Все кости мои скажут: "Господи! кто подобен Тебе, избавляющему слабого от сильного, бедного и нищего от грабителя его?"
少壯獅子 還缺 食忍餓，但尋求 耶和華 的甚麼好處 都 不 缺。
The young lions are in need and have no food; but those who are looking to the Lord will have every good thing.
Verse in Context
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that Psalm 34:10 contrasts the self-reliance of even the strongest creatures with the secure provision given to those who trust God. Barnes notes that young lions often go hungry because their parents may not find prey, but God never fails to supply His children with “any real good”, a good defined by God's wisdom, not human wants. Gill emphasizes that the promise covers “any good thing which God has purposed to bestow,” not every passing desire. JFB adds that the word “good” is emphatic: afflictions themselves may be good for the believer (citing 2 Cor 4:17). Keil and Delitzsch see the young lions as the pinnacle of natural strength, yet even they may lack; but the one who seeks fellowship with God possesses everything in Him. The shared conviction: God withholds nothing that is truly beneficial for His people, though He may deny what seems desirable.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Material provision view: The contrast with literal hunger of young lions suggests a tangible promise; God will meet physical needs.
- Spiritual good view: Barnes, JFB, and Gill argue that “good” is defined by God’s wisdom and may include affliction; the promise is not for every whim.
- Textual variant view: Clarke notes that “young lions” may read “powerful men,” shifting the promise from animal provision to social justice for the poor.
What is clear: Those who seek Yahweh will not lack what God considers good for them.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| The meaning of “young lions” | Most commentators agree they represent natural strength or the self-reliant, who cannot secure their own provision. | Some ancient versions (LXX, Vulgate) read “powerful men” instead of “young lions,” shifting the image to human oppressors; others (Cambridge, Keil) keep the literal reading, emphasizing the animal kingdom’s dependency. |
| The scope of the promise: “any good thing” | All agree that God provides for His own and that no ultimate good is withheld from them. | Some see a promise of this-worldly provision (material needs met); others emphasize spiritual good that may include affliction (Barnes, JFB, Gill). |
| The condition: “those who seek Yahweh” | This phrase denotes true piety, a relationship of trust and dependence on God. | How exactly this seeking relates to the “fear of the Lord” in v. 9: some see them as synonymous, others as distinct aspects of devotion. |
| The role of the historical context | The psalm is tied to David’s deliverance from Achish/Abimelech. | How directly the historical event informs the general teaching: Calvin sees it as a pattern for the whole church; others treat it as a wisdom principle derived from David’s experience. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Psalm 34 is attributed to David after he escaped from the Philistine king Achish (called Abimelech in the title, likely a royal title). According to 1 Samuel 21, David feigned madness to save his life. Calvin sees in this deliverance a “memorable instance of God’s favor” that teaches the whole church to trust Him. The psalm moves from personal thanksgiving (vv. 1, 6) to general instruction (vv. 11, 22), with vv. 7, 10 forming a hinge that celebrates divine protection. The image of the young lions in v. 10 is best taken literally, as Cambridge argues: the strongest beasts may starve (cf. Job 4:10, 11; Ps 104:21), but God's people never lack what is good. Some ancient versions read “powerful men” instead of “young lions” (Clarke), but the meaning remains: human or animal strength cannot secure provision the way God does. The surrounding verses call believers to “fear Yahweh” (v. 9), “taste and see that Yahweh is good” (v. 8), and then to seek Him, a phrase that denotes wholehearted devotion and dependence. This is not a promise of effortless wealth; the next verses command departing from evil and doing good (v. 14), implying a life of active faith. The psalm’s acrostic form (each line beginning with a successive Hebrew letter) suggests a deliberate, memory-friendly composition meant for public teaching.
Textual Notes
The supplied commentaries note one significant textual variant. Adam Clarke reports that instead of “young lions” (Hebrew kephirim), one manuscript reads “powerful men” (cabbirim), a reading supported by the Vulgate, Septuagint, Ethiopic, Syriac, and Arabic. The Masoretic Text retains “young lions,” and the interpretive difference is minor: both renderings contrast the strong with the provision given to God’s seekers. No other variants are mentioned in the consulted sources.
Reception History
Psalm 34:10 has been a source of comfort for believers facing material need. The Cambridge Bible notes that St. Columba, in his final hours, was copying this very verse and stopped because he trusted that “eternal good shall never be wanting” to God’s people. The surrounding verse “taste and see that the Lord is good” (v. 8) was used as a Communion text in the early church, as Keil and Delitzsch observe, linking the psalm to sacramental experience. Throughout church history, the verse has been sung in hymns of refuge and quoted in times of poverty and persecution, reinforcing the confidence that God supplies what is truly good, even when circumstances suggest otherwise.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Limitations of Natural Strength: Young lions, the strongest of beasts, can starve. Human strength, wealth, or status cannot guarantee provision. This levels all boasts.
- The Promise for Those Who Seek God: “Seek Yahweh” denotes persistent, wholehearted trust. The promise is not that every want is met, but that God supplies every real good. Barnes: “any real good.”
- The Redefinition of “Good”: JFB notes that afflictions may themselves be good. The verse invites faith to trust God’s definition of good over our own.
Five-point outline
- Context: The psalm is a thanksgiving from David’s escape, broadening into instruction for God’s people.
- Contrast: The young lions represent self-sufficiency at its most impressive; yet they lack. Those who fear the Lord lack nothing good.
- Condition: “Seek Yahweh”, a posture of dependence and desire for God Himself, not merely His gifts.
- Promise: “Not lack any good thing.” This is both comfort and challenge. Do we believe God knows what is good?
- Application: The call to “taste and see” (v. 8) invites personal experience of God’s goodness even in hardship.
Illustration hooks
- A farmer prays for rain during a drought. The rain does not come, but the season teaches patience and deeper trust. Was that “good”? In God’s economy, yes.
- St. Columba, copying the Psalter, stopped at this verse in his last hours, trusting that “eternal good shall never be wanting” (Cambridge Bible).
- A child asks for something harmful, and a wise parent says no. The child feels lack, but the parent knows what is good. So with God.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does this verse promise I will never go hungry or be poor? How do I reconcile it with believers who suffer material lack?
- What exactly is the “good thing” God promises? How do I know if something I want is truly good?
- If I am seeking God but still feel empty, does that mean I am not seeking rightly?
Leading a Discussion
This verse sits in a psalm that moves from personal testimony to corporate teaching. The contrast between young lions and those who seek Yahweh challenges our assumptions about provision and trust. As you discuss, hold the tension between the promise’s certainty and the mystery of God’s definition of “good.”
Discussion questions
- What does the text say about young lions? What does it say about those who seek Yahweh?
- Why do you think the psalmist uses young lions specifically to make his point?
- What does “seek the Lord” mean in the context of Psalm 34? How does it relate to “fear the Lord” in v. 9?
- How does the surrounding context (vv. 11, 14, with commands to guard the tongue and pursue peace) shape your understanding of what “good thing” God promises?
- When have you experienced God supplying a “good thing” that you did not expect? When have you felt a lack and wondered about this promise?
- How might this verse change the way you pray about your needs this week?
- One commentator (Barnes) says God withholds only what is not “real good.” How does that affect your view of unanswered requests?
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Job 4:10 | The roaring of the lion, and the voice of the fierce lion, the teeth of the young lions, are broken. |
| Job 4:11 | The old lion perishes for lack of prey. The cubs of the lioness are scattered abroad. |
| Psalms 84:11 | For Yahweh God is a sun and a shield. Yahweh will give grace and glory. He withholds no good thing from those who walk blamelessly. |
| Psalms 104:21 | The young lions roar after their prey, and seek their food from God. |
| Matthew 6:32 | For the Gentiles seek after all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. |
| Luke 1:51 | He has shown strength with his arm. He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. |
| Luke 1:53 | He has filled the hungry with good things. He has sent the rich away empty. |
Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke argues that the original Hebrew likely refers to "powerful men" rather than literal young lions, citing manuscript evidence and ancient versions. He finds this reading supported by context and an old English Psalter that paraphrases the phrase as "the rich," emphasizing that those who seek the Lord will lack nothing.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes highlights the contrast between young lions, who depend on their parents for food and often go hungry, and believers who depend on God. He argues that when God withholds something, it is never from inability but because He sees it is not truly good for them. The real good
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin highlights how improbable David's escape was, since he had fled to his deadliest enemy and could only save himself by feigning madness. The deliverance was so remarkable that David intended it as an instruction for the whole Church. Calvin also notes that Abimelech was a royal title, not a personal name.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentary reads the young lions as literal animals, not as a symbol for the rich or powerful. Even the strongest beasts can go hungry, yet those who fear God lack nothing. The note adds that St Columba stopped writing the Psalter at this verse, finding it fitting as he prepared for death.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note draws a sharp contrast between even the strongest animals, which can go hungry, and those who seek the Lord. No creature, however mighty, is exempt from need, but the faithful are promised that every good thing will be supplied to them.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill contrasts the natural strength of young lions, which still leaves them hungry, with those who sincerely seek the Lord through prayer and a whole heart. He specifies that such seekers will lack nothing God has purposed, promised, and provided for their good, unlike the lions' uncertain provision.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB stresses that the word "good" carries strong emphasis. While believers may still face affliction, that suffering itself can be a good thing, as it works for their eternal benefit and spiritual training.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch insists the Angel of the Lord is not a collective but a single divine being, the same one who guided the patriarchs and led Israel. He encamps around believers as commander of heaven's host, providing protection on every side. Spiritual experience, they note, comes before understanding: tasting leads to seeing.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry points out that David wrote this psalm after escaping danger by pretending to be insane. He notes that although David's trick succeeded, his deception cannot be excused. It was beneath an honest and honorable man to act like a fool or a madman to save himself.