Psalms 34:6 · Bible study
Psalms 34:6 Commentary: The Cry of the Poor and Afflicted
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Understand how David's personal deliverance becomes a promise for all who cry to God in distress.
Research Summary
- Meaning: David’s deliverance from distress, offered as a paradigm for all who cry to God.
- Key words: “poor” (afflicted, crushed), “cried” (desperate appeal), “heard” (answered).
- Main debate: Whether “this poor man” is strictly David’s historical testimony or a representative figure for every believer.
- Theological theme: God’s faithfulness to the humble and desperate.
- Best use: Comfort in affliction, especially when a person feels at the end of their resources.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
This poor man called out, and the LORD heard him; He saved him from all his troubles.
WEB World English Bible 2000
This poor man cried, and Yahweh heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.
KJV King James Version 1769
This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
This poor man cried, and Jehovah heard him, And saved him out of all his troubles.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
This poor one called, and Jehovah heard, And from all his distresses saved him.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
This afflicted one called, and Jehovah heard [him], and saved him out of all his troubles.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Let their way become dark and slippery; and let the angel of the Lord pursue them.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Este pobre clamó, y oyóle Jehová, y librólo de todas sus angustias.
Este miserável clamou, e o SENHOR ouviu; e ele o salvou de todas as suas angústias.
Quand on tourne vers lui les regards, on est rayonnant de joie,
Da dieser Elende rief, hörte der HERR und half ihm aus allen seinen Nöten.
He. Vau. Zij hebben op Hem gezien, ja, Hem als een waterstroom aangelopen; en hun aangezichten zijn niet schaamrood geworden.
Quest’afflitto ha gridato, e l’Eterno l’ha esaudito e l’ha salvato da tutte le sue distrette.
Którzy nań spoglądają, a zbiegają się do niego, oblicza ich nie będą zawstydzone.
да будет путь их темен и скользок, и Ангел Господень да преследует их,
我這 困苦人 呼求，耶和華 便垂聽，救我 脫離一切 患難。
This poor man's cry came before the Lord, and he gave him salvation from all his troubles.
Verse in Context
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions read this verse as David’s personal testimony from his flight from King Achish of Gath. Barnes notes the force of “this”, not a generic “a poor man” but the specific, crushed, desolate petitioner. Calvin sees it as a “signal deliverance” that David celebrates for the Church’s instruction. Keil & Delitzsch agree that David points to himself with “this poor man.” At the same time, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown calls David “a specimen” of the humble, and Barnes adds that the word “poor” means afflicted, not materially poor. The shared conviction: God hears the desperate cry of the oppressed and rescues them. The verse functions both as history and as promise for every believer who cries out. This assurance, that God hears and saves, is the constant thread from David’s experience to our own.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: God hears and saves those who cry out to him in desperation, as David did.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Identity of 'this poor man' | Commentators agree the verse refers to David’s experience in Gath (1 Sam 21). | Some read it as strictly autobiographical (Calvin, Keil & Delitzsch), while others treat David as a representative 'specimen' (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown, Barnes). A minority (Gill notes this) see a Christological reference. |
| Meaning of 'poor' | The word denotes affliction, not primarily lack of wealth. | None, Barnes, Gill, and Calvin all agree it means crushed or desolate. |
| Scope of 'all his troubles' | God’s deliverance is comprehensive for the petitioner. | Whether this includes only outward dangers or also inner spiritual rescue (Gill includes sin and Satan); most take it as both physical and spiritual. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The psalm’s title links it to David’s escape from Abimelech (Achish), king of Gath (1 Sam 21:10, 15). Feigning madness to avoid execution, David drooled and scratched at the city gates until the disgusted king dismissed him as harmless. This was not a proud moment. David acted out of sheer desperation, and the psalm’s tone of grateful astonishment reflects that. The Hebrew word for “poor” (‛aniy) does not mean financially destitute. It conveys being crushed, bent down, afflicted, exactly David’s state when he had no ally, no weapon, no refuge except God.
The narrative context shapes the theology: if God could rescue a man who had to pretend to be a lunatic to save his hide, then no situation is beyond his reach. The cave of Adullam, where David later hid, becomes the backdrop for a community of the distressed (1 Sam 22:1, 2). This verse gave that community its founding testimony: the afflicted cried, and God answered. The Canaanite title “Abimelech” was a royal designation, not a personal name (as Calvin and Matthew Henry note), so the same king appears as Achish in 1 Samuel. David’s deliverance from that court was so improbable that he frames it as the work of God alone.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for Psalm 34:6 in the Hebrew tradition. The verse is consistently transmitted across the Masoretic Text, Septuagint, and Vulgate with minor orthographic differences that do not affect interpretation.
Reception History
Across church history, Psalm 34:6 has been a staple of prayer and hymnody for the afflicted. Early Christian writers like Augustine read it as a type of Christ’s own cry from the cross, a reading that continued through the medieval period. The Reformers, especially Calvin, used it to illustrate God’s providential care for the powerless. In Jewish tradition, the verse is part of the Hallel and is recited in times of personal distress as a testimony of hope. It has been set to music in countless congregational songs and remains a go-to promise for anyone who feels they have hit bottom.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The identity of the petitioner: “this poor man”, not a hero, but a desperate fugitive whose only resource was a cry.
- The content of the cry: not a formal prayer but a raw, wordless appeal that God recognizes and answers.
- The completeness of the rescue: “saved him out of all his troubles”, not partial relief but total deliverance, both physical and spiritual.
Five-point outline
- The historical anchor: David’s flight from Gath and his feigned madness set the stage for an improbable escape.
- The personal pronoun: “this” forces listeners to see a real person, not an abstraction.
- The meaning of poverty: spiritual and emotional desperation, not financial lack.
- The divine response: God hears (answers) and saves, inseparable actions.
- The universal application: David’s story becomes the Church’s pattern; the promise extends to all who fear God (v. 7, 9).
Illustration hooks
- A farmer who loses an entire crop and has to borrow seed, the feeling of being down to nothing but a last, desperate call for help.
- A parent whose child is in crisis, and all they can do is whisper a name to God in the dark.
- A job seeker after months of rejection, applying for a position they are overqualified for, yet praying as if it were the only door.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does God really hear me when I’m too broken to pray properly?
- How can I be sure deliverance will come for me like it did for David?
- What if my trouble doesn’t end, does that mean God didn’t hear me?
Leading a Discussion
Psalm 34:6 sits at the heart of a song of thanksgiving. It turns one man’s narrow escape into a permanent invitation to trust. As you discuss, notice how David’s language moves from personal testimony (v. 4, 6) to general promise (v. 7, 10). The word “this” asks you to consider: what is your own “this poor man” moment?
Discussion questions
- Why does the psalmist write “this poor man” instead of “I”? What effect does that have on the reader?
- From the context of 1 Samuel 21, what made David a “poor man” in Gath, was he poor in money, in status, in safety, or all of the above?
- What does the word “cried” suggest about the urgency and content of David’s prayer?
- How does verse 6 echo verse 4? What is added or changed in verse 6?
- Verse 6 claims God saved David “out of all his troubles.” Yet David’s life remained hard, fleeing Saul, exile, family strife. How can you reconcile the phrase “all his troubles” with ongoing hardship?
- What does this verse teach about the character of God, especially about his attention to the powerless?
- Where in your own life do you need to cry out as “this poor man”, and what holds you back from doing so?
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Genesis 48:16 | the angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads, and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac. Let them grow into a multitude upon the earth.” |
| II Samuel 22:1 | David spoke to Yahweh the words of this song in the day that Yahweh delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul, |
| Psalms 3:4 | I cry to Yahweh with my voice, and he answers me out of his holy hill. Selah. |
| Psalms 10:17 | Yahweh, you have heard the desire of the humble. You will prepare their heart. You will cause your ear to hear, |
| Psalms 34:17 | The righteous cry, and Yahweh hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles. |
| Psalms 34:19 | Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but Yahweh delivers him out of them all. |
| Psalms 40:17 | But I am poor and needy. May the Lord think about me. You are my help and my deliverer. Don’t delay, my God. |
| Psalms 66:16 | Come and hear, all you who fear God. I will declare what he has done for my soul. |
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 notes that the phrase "this poor man" refers to David himself, using the Hebrew zeh ani to mean "this afflicted man." He highlights that David is speaking personally, calling himself afflicted rather than merely poor.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes highlights the force of the word "this" in "this poor man cried." It makes the psalmist's suffering vivid and personal, far more touching than a simple "I cried." He also notes that "poor" here means crushed and afflicted, not financially poor, and that "heard" means God answered.
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 commentator raises the question of whether the poet refers to himself or to any afflicted person who calls on God. The point is that such divine help is not limited to the psalmist alone, but extends to others who cry out in distress.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva annotators highlight the striking contrast between the man's desperate poverty and God's gracious response. Though this poor man had nothing to offer, his cry moved the Lord to hear him and deliver him fully from every trouble.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill explores three possible identities for the poor man who cried: a representative humble believer, David himself during his distress at Gath, or Jesus Christ in his suffering. In each case the Lord heard and delivered, whether by raising Christ from the dead, rescuing David from his enemies, or saving all afflicted believers from sin, Satan and persecution.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB notes
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch draws a careful distinction between two Hebrew words for seeking God: one implies diligent, prayerful striving, the other a more general search. For them, looking to God with intense longing brings a shining countenance, because a disappointed face would mean the hope was misplaced. The shame that covers the face is the opposite of the bold, bright look faith produces.
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.