The Meaning of Psalms 34:12 Explained

Psalms 34:12

KJV: What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good?

YLT: Who is the man that is desiring life? Loving days to see good?

Darby: What man is he that desireth life, and loveth days, that he may see good?

ASV: What man is he that desireth life, And loveth many days, that he may see good?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

What man  [is he that] desireth  life,  [and] loveth  [many] days,  that he may see  good? 

What does Psalms 34:12 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalms 34:11-22 - The Salvation Of The Contrite
Psalms 34:11-14 : The gist of this exhortation is quoted by Peter in his first Epistle. See 1 Peter 3:10. We need not fret to defend ourselves or to answer false accusations. Let us refrain our lips, hold our peace, as Jesus did, and go on doing what is right and good. God will see to it that our needs are supplied, that our enemies are silenced, and that our soul is redeemed.
Psalms 34:15 : Do you feel unable to claim the designation of righteous? Remember that Paul was glad to reject his own, that he might be clad in Another's righteousness. That still avails for us. See Philippians 3:9.
Psalms 34:17 : We are not kept from trouble, but delivered out of it.
Psalms 34:20 : You do not recognize Him, but the Great Gardener passes by the plants that have braved the wind and storm to bend over you who are beaten to the earth. See the literal fulfillment of this in John 19:36. How much we owe to God's continuous care!
Psalms 34:22 : Observe the present tenses in which the psalmist records God's redeeming love. It never grows old. [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalms 34

1  David praises God, and exhorts others thereto by his experience
8  They are blessed who trust in God
11  He exhorts to the fear of God
15  The privileges of the righteous

What do the individual words in Psalms 34:12 mean?

Who [is] the man [who] desires life and loves [many] days that he may see good
מִֽי־ הָ֭אִישׁ הֶחָפֵ֣ץ חַיִּ֑ים אֹהֵ֥ב יָ֝מִ֗ים לִרְא֥וֹת ؟ טֽוֹב

מִֽי־  Who  [is] 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: מִי  
Sense: who?, whose?, whom?, would that, whoever, whosoever.
הָ֭אִישׁ  the  man 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
הֶחָפֵ֣ץ  [who]  desires 
Parse: Article, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: חָפֵץ  
Sense: desiring, delighting in, having pleasure in.
חַיִּ֑ים  life 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: חַי 
Sense: living, alive.
אֹהֵ֥ב  and  loves 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: אָהַב  
Sense: to love.
יָ֝מִ֗ים  [many]  days 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
לִרְא֥וֹת  that  he  may  see 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
؟ טֽוֹב  good 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: טָבַב 
Sense: good, pleasant, agreeable.