Psalms 34:12 (DBY)

Passage

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

Nearby Context

Psalms 34:10 The young lions are in need and suffer hunger; but they that seek Jehovah shall not want any good.

Psalms 34:11 Come, ye sons, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of Jehovah.

Psalms 34:12 What man is he that desireth life, [and] loveth days, that he may see good?

Psalms 34:13 Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile;

Psalms 34:14 Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "desireth", "life", "loveth", "days", and "good". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "desireth" and "life", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 11's "Come ye sons hearken unto me I..." into verse 13's "Keep thy tongue from evil and thy...", so "desireth" and "life" 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 "desireth" and "life" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.