Psalms 34:15
in Psalms 34The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are inclined to their cry.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
The eyes of Jehovah are toward the righteous, And his ears are open unto their cry.
KJV
The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.
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This verse in Psalms 34
Commentary
9 notes on this verseThe eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous. He observes them with approval and tender consideration; they are so dear to him that he cannot take his eyes off them; he watches each one of them as carefully and intently as if there were only that one creature in the universe. His ears are open unto their cry. His eyes and ears are thus both turned by the Lord towards his saints; his whole mind is occupied about them: if slighted by all others they are not neglected by him.
This site's exposition
His ears are inclined
on Psalms 34:15-18
Eyes, ears and face divide the LORD's attention, on the righteous and against those who do evil. Verse 17 makes the cry of verse 6 a standing rule, heard whenever the righteous cry out. Verse 18 puts Him nearest the brokenhearted.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
"The Eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous:" fear not then; labour; the eyes of the Lord are upon you. "And His Ears are open unto their prayers" [Psalm 34:15]. What would you more? If an householder in a great house should not hearken to a servant murmuring, he would complain, and say, What hardship do we here suffer, and none hears us. Can you say this of God, What hardships I suffer, and none hears me? If He heard me, haply, do you say, He would take away my tribulation: I cry unto Him, and yet have tribulation. Only do thou hold fast His ways, and when you are in tribulation, He hears you. But He is a Physician, and still have you something of putrefaction; you cry out, but still He cuts, and takes not away His Hand, until He has cut as much as pleases Him. For that Physician is cruel who hears a man, and spares his wound and putrefaction. How do mothers rub their children in the baths for their health. Do not the little ones cry out in their hands? Are they then cruel because they spare not, nor hearken unto their tears? Are they not full of affection? And yet the children cry out, and are not spared. So our God also is full of charity, but therefore seems He not to hear, that He may spare and heal us for everlasting.
God takes care of the righteous (by "eyes" referring not simply to sight but also to what is done by God in beneficence and providence).… He also accepts their requests.… But he has an eye also for the wicked, though not in the same way …
The Medieval Church1 voice
Then when he says, "The eyes of the Lord are upon the just," he instructs about divine providence. And concerning this he does two things. First, he sets forth divine providence. Second, he shows the effect of divine providence, at "The just cried out." Concerning …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
), to direct and guide them, to protect and keep them. Parents that are very fond of a child will not let it be out of their sight; none of God's children are ever from under his eye, but on them he looks with a singular complacency, as well as with a watchful and tender concern. (2.) They are sure of an answer of peace to their prayers.
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The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous,....
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous. He observes them with approval and tender consideration; they are so dear to him that he cannot take his eyes off them; he watches each one of them as carefully and intently as if there were only that one creature in the universe. His ears are open unto their cry. His eyes and ears are thus both turned by the Lord towards his saints; his whole mind is occupied about them: if slighted by all others they are not neglected by him. Their cry he hears at once, even as a mother is sure to hear her sick babe; the cry may be broken, plaintive, unhappy, feeble, unbelieving, yet the Father's quick ear catches each note of lament or appeal, and he is not slow to answer his children's voice.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous - This is another of the ways in which the psalmist says that life will be lengthened out, or that those who desire life may find it. The Lord will be the protector of the righteous; he will watch over and defend them. See the notes at Job 36:7. And his ears are open unto their cry - That is, when in trouble and in danger. He will hear them, and will deliver them. All this seems to be stated as the result of the experience of the psalmist himself; He had found that the eyes of God had been upon him in his dangers, and that His ears had been open when he called upon Him Psa 34:6; and now, from his own experience, he assures others that the way to secure life and to find prosperity is to pursue such a course as will ensure the favor and protection of God. The general thought is, that virtue and religion - the love of truth, and the love of peace - the favor and friendship of God, will tend to lengthen out life, and to make it prosperous and happy. All the statements in the Bible concur in this, and all the experience of man goes to confirm it.
The words behind it
7 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| עֵינֵ֣י | ʾeinei | [the] eyes of | H5869 → | 887 times |
| יְ֭הוָה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | [are] to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| צַדִּיקִ֑ים | tzadikim | righteous [people] | H6662 → | 206 times |
| וְ֝אָזְנָ֗יו | veazenav | and ears his | H241 → | 187 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | [are] to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| שַׁוְעָתָֽם׃ | shavatam | cry for help their | H7775 → | 11 times |
עֵינֵ֣י[the] eyes of
ʾeineiH5869 →887 times
יְ֭הוָהYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֶל־[are] to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
צַדִּיקִ֑יםrighteous [people]
tzadikimH6662 →206 times
וְ֝אָזְנָ֗יוand ears his
veazenavH241 →187 times
אֶל־[are] to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
שַׁוְעָתָֽם׃cry for help their
shavatamH7775 →11 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 Peter 3:12For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are inclined to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”
it leads to
- Psalms 34:15–16
The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are inclined to their cry.
- John 9:31
We know that God does not listen to sinners, but He does listen to the one who worships Him and does His will.
- Proverbs 15:29
The LORD is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous.
- Psalms 34:15–16
Through
Psalms 34:17The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears; He delivers them from all their troubles.
it leads to
- Psalms 145:18–20
The LORD is near to all who call on Him, to all who call out to Him in truth.
- Isaiah 65:24
Even before they call, I will answer, and while they are still speaking, I will hear.
- Psalms 34:19
Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him from them all.
- Psalms 34:6
This poor man called out, and the LORD heard him; He saved him from all his troubles.
- Psalms 91:15
When he calls out to Me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble. I will deliver him and honor him.
- Psalms 145:18–20
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Psalms
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, Exposition on Psalm 34; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Vol. 2; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David; Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Psalms; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Theodore of Mopsuestia, COMMENTARY ON PSALMS 34:16A-17B and Thomas Aquinas, Exposition on the Psalms of David.