Psalms 34:18 (ASV)

Passage

Jehovah is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart, And saveth such as are of a contrite spirit.

Nearby Context

Psalms 34:16 The face of Jehovah is against them that do evil, To cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.

Psalms 34:17 [The righteous] cried, and Jehovah heard, And delivered them out of all their troubles.

Psalms 34:18 Jehovah is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart, And saveth such as are of a contrite spirit.

Psalms 34:19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous; But Jehovah delivereth him out of them all.

Psalms 34:20 He keepeth all his bones: Not one of them is broken.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "Spirit", "jehovah", "nigh", "broken", "heart", "saveth", "such", and "contrite". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "Spirit" and "jehovah", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 17's "The righteous cried and Jehovah heard And..." into verse 19's "Many are the afflictions of the righteous...", so "Spirit" and "jehovah" belong inside that flow. In Psalms context, the local focus is worship, trust, the LORD's kingship, and covenant mercy.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "Spirit" and "jehovah" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.