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Read the Bible

Contemporary English Version

Psalms 34:5

Keep your eyes on the Lord ! You will shine like the sun and never blush with shame.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Faith;   Prayer;   Thompson Chain Reference - Blindness-Vision;   Heavenward, Looking;   Light-Darkness;   Looking Heavenward;   Radiancy;   Radiant Lives;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Letters;   Psalms, the Book of;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Abimelech;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Achish;   Acrostic;   David;   English Versions;   Greek Versions of Ot;   Psalms;   Sin;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Abimelech;   Achish;   Lamentations of jeremiah;   Psalms the book of;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Ashamed;   Radiant;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Those who look to him are radiant with joy;their faces will never be ashamed.
Hebrew Names Version
They looked to him, and were radiant. Their faces shall never be covered with shame.
King James Version
They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.
English Standard Version
Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed.
New Century Version
Those who go to him for help are happy, and they are never disgraced.
New English Translation
Those who look to him for help are happy; their faces are not ashamed.
Amplified Bible
They looked to Him and were radiant; Their faces will never blush in shame or confusion.
New American Standard Bible
They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces will never be ashamed.
World English Bible
They looked to him, and were radiant. Their faces shall never be covered with shame.
Geneva Bible (1587)
They shall looke vnto him, and runne to him: and their faces shall not be ashamed, saying,
Legacy Standard Bible
They looked to Him and were radiant,And their faces will never be humiliated.
Berean Standard Bible
Those who look to Him are radiant with joy; their faces shall never be ashamed.
Complete Jewish Bible
I sought Adonai , and he answered me; he rescued me from everything I feared.
Darby Translation
They looked unto him, and were enlightened, and their faces were not confounded.
Easy-to-Read Version
If you look to him for help, he will put a smile on your face. You will have no need to be ashamed.
George Lamsa Translation
Look towards him and trust in him, and you shall not be disappointed.
Good News Translation
The oppressed look to him and are glad; they will never be disappointed.
Lexham English Bible
They looked to him and were radiant, and their faces shall not be ashamed.
Literal Translation
They looked to Him and were filled with light; and their faces were not ashamed.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
They that haue an eye vnto him, shalbe lightened, & their faces shall not be ashamed.
American Standard Version
They looked unto him, and were radiant; And their faces shall never be confounded.
Bible in Basic English
Let your eyes be turned to him and you will have light, and your faces will not be shamed.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
I sought the LORD, and He answered me, and delivered me from all my fears.
King James Version (1611)
They looked vnto him, and were lightned: and their faces were not ashamed.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Let them turne their eyes on him, and make speede to come vnto hym: and their faces shall not be ashamed.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Draw near to him, and be enlightened: and your faces shall not by any means be ashamed.
English Revised Version
They looked unto him, and were lightened:
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Neiye ye to him, and be ye liytned; and youre faces schulen not be schent.
Update Bible Version
They looked to him, and were radiant; And their faces shall never be confounded.
Webster's Bible Translation
They looked to him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.
New King James Version
They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces were not ashamed.
New Living Translation
Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces.
New Life Bible
They looked to Him and their faces shined with joy. Their faces will never be ashamed.
New Revised Standard
Look to him, and be radiant; so your faces shall never be ashamed.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
They looked unto him and were radiant, And, as for their faces, let them not be abashed.
Douay-Rheims Bible
(33-6) Come ye to him and be enlightened: and your faces shall not be confounded.
Revised Standard Version
Look to him, and be radiant; so your faces shall never be ashamed.
Young's Literal Translation
They looked expectingly unto Him, And they became bright, And their faces are not ashamed.
THE MESSAGE
Look at him; give him your warmest smile. Never hide your feelings from him.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces will never be ashamed.

Contextual Overview

1

(Written by David when he pretended to be crazy in front of Abimelech, so that Abimelech would send him away, and David could leave.)

I will always praise the Lord . 2 With all my heart, I will praise the Lord . Let all who are helpless, listen and be glad. 3 Honor the Lord with me! Celebrate his great name. 4 I asked the Lord for help, and he saved me from all my fears. 5 Keep your eyes on the Lord ! You will shine like the sun and never blush with shame. 6 I was a nobody, but I prayed, and the Lord saved me from all my troubles. 7 If you honor the Lord , his angel will protect you. 8 Discover for yourself that the Lord is kind. Come to him for protection, and you will be glad. 9 Honor the Lord ! You are his special people. No one who honors the Lord will ever be in need. 10 Young lions may go hungry or even starve, but if you trust the Lord , you will never miss out on anything good.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

They: Psalms 123:1, Psalms 123:2, Isaiah 45:22, Hebrews 12:2

and were: Psalms 13:3, Psalms 18:28, Psalms 97:11, Esther 8:16

lightened: or, flowed unto him

their: Psalms 83:16, 2 Samuel 19:5

Reciprocal: 2 Chronicles 20:4 - ask help of the Lord Ezra 9:8 - lighten Psalms 31:17 - Let me Isaiah 38:5 - I have heard Micah 7:7 - I will look Philippians 4:6 - in

Cross-References

Genesis 30:35
Before the end of the day, Laban had separated his spotted and speckled animals and the black lambs from the others and had put his sons in charge of them.
Genesis 34:13
Jacob's sons wanted to get even with Shechem and his father because of what had happened to their sister.
Genesis 34:14
So they tricked them by saying: You're not circumcised! It would be a disgrace for us to let you marry Dinah now.
Leviticus 10:3
Then Moses told Aaron that this was exactly what the Lord had meant when he said: "I demand respect from my priests, and I will be praised by everyone!" Aaron was speechless.
1 Samuel 10:27
But some worthless fools said, "How can someone like Saul rescue us from our enemies?" They did not want Saul to be their king, and so they didn't bring him any gifts. But Saul kept calm.
1 Samuel 16:11
Do you have any more sons?" "Yes," Jesse answered. "My youngest son David is out taking care of the sheep." "Send for him!" Samuel said. "We won't start the ceremony until he gets here."
1 Samuel 17:15
He took care of his father's sheep, and he went back and forth between Bethlehem and Saul's camp.
2 Samuel 13:22
Absalom treated Amnon as though nothing had happened, but he hated Amnon for what he had done to his sister Tamar.
Psalms 39:9
You treated me like this, and I kept silent, not saying a word.
Luke 15:25
The older son had been out in the field. But when he came near the house, he heard the music and dancing.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

They looked to him, and were lightened,.... That is, "the humble" ones, Psalms 34:2; and so this is a reason why they should join in praising and magnifying the Lord; these "looked" up to God in prayer and by faith, when in distressed and uncomfortable circumstances, for help and deliverance, and a supply of every needful good thing; and they were "enlightened"; so the Targum renders it, "their faces were enlightened"; as Jarchi and Aben Ezra interpret it, in opposition to what follows: they must have been enlightened before they could look, but by looking to the Lord more light was gained: this chiefly designs the light of joy, peace, and comfort, which is had in a way of believing: some render the word "and flowed" l, as a river does, that is, to the Lord, as in Jeremiah 31:12. So Kimchi and Ben Melech explain the word; and it denotes both the numbers of them that looked up to the Lord in their distress, and the swiftness of their motion to him, and their earnestness and fervour of mind; so faith is not only a looking to Christ, but a going forth unto him;

and their faces were not ashamed; having what they prayed and looked for, and what they hoped and believed they should have; namely, deliverance and salvation, and so peace and pleasure.

l ונהדו "et confluunt", Junius Tremellius, Michaelis "et instar fluvii irruerint", Piscator, Amama; "et confluxerunt", Gejerus.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

They looked unto him - That is, they who were with the psalmist. He was not alone when he fled to Abimelech; and the meaning here is, that each one of those who were with him looked to God, and found light and comfort in Him. The psalmist seems to have had his thoughts here suddenly turned from himself to those who were with him, and to have called to his remembrance how they “all” looked to God in their troubles, and how they all found relief.

And were lightened - Or, “enlightened.” They found light. Their faces, as we should say, “brightened up,” or they became cheerful. Their minds were made calm, for they felt assured that God would protect them. Nothing could better express what often occurs in the time of trouble, when the heart is sad, and when the countenance is sorrowful - a dark cloud apparently having come over all things - if one thus looks to God. The burden is removed from the heart, and the countenance becomes radiant with hope and joy. The margin here, however, is, “They flowed unto him.” The Hebrew word, נהר nâhar, means sometimes “to flow, to flow together,” Isaiah 2:2; Jeremiah 31:12; Jeremiah 51:44; but it also means “to shine, to be bright;” and thence, “to be cheered, to rejoice,” Isaiah 60:5. This is probably the idea here, for this interpretation is better suited to the connection in which the word occurs.

And their faces were not ashamed - That is, they were not ashamed of having put their trust in God, or they were not disappointed. They had not occasion to confess that it was a vain reliance, or that they had been foolish in thus trusting him. Compare Job 6:20, note; Psalms 22:5, note; Romans 9:33, note; 1 John 2:28, note. The idea here is, that they found God to be all that they expected or hoped that he would be. They had no cause to repent of what they had done. What was true of them will be true of all who put their trust in God.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Psalms 34:5. They looked unto him — Instead of הביטו hibbitu, they looked, several of Dr. Kennicott's and De Rossi's MSS. have הביטו habbitu, with the point pathach, "Look ye."

And their faces were not ashamed. — Some MSS., and the Complutensian Polyglot, make this clause the beginning of a new verse and as it begins with a vau, ופניהם upheneyhem, "and their faces," they make it supply the place of the verse which appears to be lost; but see what is said in the introduction before the first verse.


 
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