# Psalms 34.1

<!-- type: passage | created: 2026-08-18 | updated: 2026-08-18 -->

**Book:** [Psalms](/codex/psalms/) · NASB95

## Immediate context (±2 verses)

**ASV** ([ASV](/codex/asv/))
> **1. <sup>A Psalm of David; when he changed his behavior before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he departed.</sup> I will bless Jehovah at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth.**
>
> 2. My soul shall make her boast in Jehovah: The meek shall hear thereof, and be glad. 3. Oh magnify Jehovah with me, And let us exalt his name together. (Psalms 34:1-3, ASV)

**WEB** ([WEB](/codex/web/))
> **1. <b>By David; when he pretended to be insane before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he departed. </b> I will bless Yahweh at all times. His praise will always be in my mouth.**
>
> 2. My soul shall boast in Yahweh. The humble shall hear of it, and be glad. 3. Oh magnify Yahweh with me. Let us exalt his name together. (Psalms 34:1-3, WEB)

**KJV** ([KJV](/codex/kjv/))
> **1. A Psalm of David, when he changed his behaviour before Abimelech; who drove him away, and he departed. I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. <sup>Abimelech: or, Achish</sup>**
>
> 2. My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. 3. O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together. (Psalms 34:1-3, KJV)

**YLT** ([YLT](/codex/ylt/))
> **1. By David, in his changing his behaviour before Abimelech, and he driveth him away, and he goeth. I do bless Jehovah at all times, Continually His praise [is] in my mouth.**
>
> 2. In Jehovah doth my soul boast herself, Hear do the humble and rejoice. 3. Ascribe ye greatness to Jehovah with me, And we exalt His name together. (Psalms 34:1-3, YLT)

## Setting

- **Speaker:** _TBD_
- **Audience:** _TBD_
- **Location:** _TBD_
- **Time period:** _TBD_

## Theological reading

_Patristic / early-church-father exegesis, to be added._

## Key words

_Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word._

- _TBD_
- _TBD_
- _TBD_
- _TBD_

## Notes

_Your annotations._

## Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the **most literal English translations available** (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the **public domain in the United States**, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

- **[ASV](/codex/asv/)** (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
- **[WEB](/codex/web/)** (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
- **[KJV](/codex/kjv/)** (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
- **[YLT](/codex/ylt/)** (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See [Bibles](/codex/bibles/) for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.