Psalm 34:18
ESV
The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.
NIV
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
NASB
The Lord is near to the brokenhearted And saves those who are crushed in spirit.
CSB
The Lord is near the brokenhearted; he saves those crushed in spirit.
NLT
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.
KJV
The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
NKJV
The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit.
What does Psalm 34:18 mean?
In this verse David writes how God understands our feelings and helps us bear the burden of sorrow. In contrast to pagan deities, or the unfeeling universe of atheism, the biblical God deeply cares for our pain. When Jesus knew His friend Lazarus had died, He went to the home of Lazarus's grieving sisters and comforted them. When He saw Mary's tears, "he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled" (John 11:33). When He approached Lazarus's tomb, He wept (John 11:35) and was "deeply moved again" (John 11:38). Jesus experienced all of this, though He knew all along He would raise His friend from death (John 11:11).Hebrews 4:15 assures us that Jesus, our Great High Priest, sympathizes with our weaknesses. That includes both the meaning of human suffering and the struggle against sin. He was tempted like any other man but remained sinless. Knowing that He understands and cares, we can "draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:16).
It has been quipped that "prayer is the place burdens change shoulders." Our Lord's shoulders can bear our burdens when we are brokenhearted and our spirits are crushed (Matthew 11:28–30; 1 Peter 5:7).
Psalm 34:15–22 contrasts what the Lord does for those who fear Him against what happens to the wicked. God watches over the righteous and answers their cry for help. He delivers the righteous from their troubles and draws near to them. He protects the righteous and redeems them. On the other hand, He opposes the wicked and condemns them. While David certainly experienced victories in his life, he also understood that God's love and provision have an eternal perspective (Romans 8:28–30). Verse 20 includes a reference which the Gospel of John ties to Jesus' role as Messiah.
David praises the Lord for delivering him from the Philistines, and he invites others to join him in singing joyfully to the Lord. He extols the virtue of fearing the Lord and remembering His goodness. He encourages the Lord's people to respect God and offers wisdom leading to a long and blessed life. At the end of this psalm David emphasizes the distinction the Lord draws between the wicked and the righteous. He cares for the righteous and will not condemn them, but He condemns the wicked.
