Psalms 34 · Verse 18

Psalms 34:18

The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
Psalms 34:18, King James Version

Psalms 34:18 in other translations

BSBThe LORD is near to the brokenhearted; He saves the contrite in spirit.
WEBThe LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves those who have a crushed spirit.
ASVJehovah is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart, And saveth such as are of a contrite spirit.
YLTNear is Jehovah to the broken of heart, And the bruised of spirit He saveth.
DARBYJehovah is nigh to those that are of a broken heart, and saveth them that are of a contrite spirit.
BBEThe Lord is near the broken-hearted; he is the saviour of those whose spirits are crushed down.
WebsterThe LORD is nigh to them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as are of a contrite spirit.

What does Psalms 34:18 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Psalms 34:17-18

17-18. Humble penitents are objects of God's special tender regard (Psa 51:19; Is 57:15).

Read the full comment on Psalms 34:17-18 →

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 18 A broken heart - נשברי לב nishberey Web, the heart broken to shivers. A contrite spirit - דכאי רוח 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 Jer 23:29 : "Is not my word like as a fire, saith the Lord? And like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?" The breaking to shivers, and beating out, are metaphorical expressions: so are the hammer and the rock. What the large hammer struck on a rock by a powerful hand would do, so does the word of the Lord when struck on the sinner's heart by the power of the Holy Spirit. The broken heart, and the contrite spirit, are two essential characteristics of true repentance.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Psalms 34:11-22

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…

Read the full comment on Psalms 34:11-22 →

Psalms 34:18 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

קָר֣וֹבka.Rov[is] nearH7138
יְ֭הוָהYah.wehYahwehH3068
לְנִשְׁבְּרֵי\־le.nish.be.rei-to [people] broken ofH7665
לֵ֑בLevheartH3820
וְֽאֶת\־ve.'Etand <obj.>H853
דַּכְּאֵי\־da.ke.'ei-[people] crushed ofH1793
ר֥וּחַRu.achspiritH7307
יוֹשִֽׁיעַ\׃yo.Shi.a'he deliversH3467

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Psalms 34:18

  • Psalms 147:3

    He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.

  • Psalms 145:18

    The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.

  • Isaiah 57:15

    For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

  • Isaiah 61:1

    The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

  • Psalms 51:17

    The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

  • Ezekiel 36:26

    A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

  • Isaiah 66:2

    For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the Lord: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.

  • Psalms 85:9

    Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him; that glory may dwell in our land.

  • Luke 4:18

    The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

  • Isaiah 55:6

    Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:

  • Psalms 119:151

    Thou art near, O Lord; and all thy commandments are truth.

  • 2 Kings 22:19

    Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the Lord, when thou heardest what I spake against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before me; I also have heard thee, saith the Lord.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
is nigh.
75:1; 85:9; 119:151; 145:18; Isa 55:6
unto them, etc. Heb. to the broken of heart.
51:17; 147:3; Isa 61:1; Lu 4:18
such as, etc. Heb. the contrite of spirit.
2Ki 22:19; Isa 57:15; 66:2; Eze 36:26,31

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Psalms 34:17

    The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.

  • Psalms 34:18

    The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.

  • Psalms 34:19

    Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.

Read all of Psalms 34

Psalms 34:18 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Cercano está Jehová á los quebrantados de corazón; y salvará á los contritos de espíritu.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Les justes crient, et l’ Éternel entend, et il les délivre de toutes leurs détresses.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Nahe ist Jehova denen, die zerbrochenen Herzens sind, und die zerschlagenen Geistes sind, rettet er.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Confitebor tibi in ecclesia magna; in populo gravi laudabo te.