The Nugget:
Psa 34:4 I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. (KJV)
Psa 34:4 Did I not look to the Lord, and find a hearing; did he not deliver me from all my terrors? (Knox translation)
Psa 34:4 I sought Jehovah, and He answered me, And from all my fears did deliver me. (YLT, Young’s Literal Translation)
Psa 34:4 I prayed to the LORD, and he answered me; he freed me from all my fears. (GNB, Good News Bible)
Psa 34:4 I went to the LORD for help. He answered me and rescued me from all my fears. (GW, God’s Word translation)
Psa 34:4 I was searching for the Lord, and he gave ear to my voice, and made me free from all my fears. (BBE, Bible in Basic English)
Psa 34:4 I sought the Lord diligently, and he hearkened to me, and delivered me from all my sojournings. (LXX., Brenton translation)
Psa 34:4 I went to the LORD for help, and he listened. He saved me from all that I fear. (ERV, Easy to Read Version)
Psa 34:4 I asked the LORD for help, and he saved me from all my fears. (CEV, Contemporary English Version)
My Comment:
Scripture must be understood in its historical context. Sometimes this means that a promise or experience related in the Bible may not always apply to us. Nevertheless, the Bible was written “for our learning, that through patience and through comfort of the scriptures we might have hope” (Romans 15:4, ASV). The ERV (Easy to Read Version) reads: “Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us. Those things were written so that we could have hope. That hope comes from the patience and encouragement that the Scriptures give us.”
There is a factor I have rarely seen addressed called “The Silence of God.” Sir Robert Anderson more than a century ago wrote a book with that title. I have included notes and cross references on that subject in the Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury (see the notes at Psalm 50:3, Isaiah 8:17, and Isaiah 61:2). The factor of the silence of God can be very disturbing when we learn about it. It shows that many of our hymns and Gospel songs do not actually express the truth as we normally experience it ourselves. I may have a book with the title, Remarkable Answers to Prayer. But that is the point: such answers are remarkable because they are rare.
It may be that the great promises Jesus gave to His disciples (see +**Matthew 17:20, the cross references given for the keyword faith) were fully valid for that time while the promise (%Matthew 21:43. Acts 3:19, 20, 21) was proclaimed by the original Apostles. Miracles still do happen today in our time in answer to prayer, but experience bears out that such answers do not always take place. Even in the Bible miracles took place much less often across the historical time span it covers: they took place under Elijah and Elisha, and of course during the ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ, and are also recorded in the book of Acts under the ministry of Peter and Paul.
Despite all these cautionary factors, don’t miss out on the encouraging themes present in the newly expanded cross references for Psalm 34:4 as given below, expanded beyond what is currently in the Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury:
Psalms 34:4
sought. +**Psa 9:10 note. Psa 18:6; *Psa 22:24; Psa 31:22; Psa 63:1; Psa 66:17; *Psa 77:1; Psa 77:2; Psa 116:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6; +*Psa 119:10; *Psa 119:94, Gen 32:9, 1Sa 30:6, +*1Ch 16:11 note. *2Ch 20:3, Ezr 6:21, Job 5:8, *Isa 26:9, Jon 2:2, *Mat 7:7, +*Luk 11:9, *2Co 12:8; *2Co 12:9, *Heb 5:7 **Heb 11:6, Rev 8:3.
he heard. Psa 3:4; **Psa 4:3; Psa 18:6; Psa 22:24; +*Psa 27:7 (T1434). Psa 31:22; Psa 86:7; +**Psa 99:6; Psa 116:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6; Psa 138:3, +*Exo 3:7, Pro 10:24, +*Dan 10:12, Jon 2:2, *Heb 5:7, +*1Jn 3:22.
delivered. Psa 34:17; Psa 34:19, Psa 4:8; Psa 18:2; Psa 30:1; Psa 32:6; Psa 41:1; *Psa 50:15; Psa 64:1; Psa 91:15; *Psa 103:14; Psa 107:19; Psa 119:153, Gen 33:4; Gen 48:16, Exo 18:4, +*1Co 10:13, 2Co 7:6, 2Ti 3:11.
me. +**Psa 40:17.
from. Psa 27:1, 2; Psa 46:2; *Psa 56:3; +Psa 118:6; +*Psa 119:82; Psa 119:117, %+Gen 19:30, 1Sa 27:1, +2Ch 20:3 (T1336). +*Job 3:25, +**Pro 22:3, Song 3:8, +*Isa 8:12; +*Isa 12:2 (T814). Isa 66:4, +*Jer 10:5; Jer 41:18, Zep 3:13, Mat 8:26; Mat 14:27, Mrk 4:40, Luk 1:74; Luk 8:25; +*Luk 12:4; +*Luk 12:7, John 14:27, Rom 8:31; Rom 12:21; +*Rom 15:4, *2Co 7:5; *2Co 7:6, Php 1:20, +**2Ti 1:7, 1Jn 3:21, Rev 2:10.
my fears. Psa 23:4; +Psa 27:1; Psa 56:3, 4; Psa 64:1; Psa 112:7, +Gen 15:1; Gen 26:24, %Deut 28:66, 1Sa 21:12; 1Sa 27:1, Pro 3:25, Isa 14:3; Isa 41:10; Isa 51:12, Lam 3:57, Dan 10:12, +*2Co 1:4, *Php 4:6, Col 3:15, Heb 13:6, 1Pe 5:7, 1Jn 4:18.