Psalms 34:18 (DRB)

Passage

I will give thanks to thee in a great church; I will praise thee in a strong people.

Nearby Context

Psalms 34:16 They were separated, and repented not: they tempted me, they scoffed at me with scorn: they gnashed upon me with their teeth.

Psalms 34:17 Lord, when wilt thou look upon me? rescue thou my soul from their malice: my only one from the lions.

Psalms 34:18 I will give thanks to thee in a great church; I will praise thee in a strong people.

Psalms 34:19 Let not them that are my enemies wrongfully rejoice over me: who have hated me without cause, and wink with the eyes.

Psalms 34:20 For they spoke indeed peaceably to me; and speaking in the anger of the earth they devised guile.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "give", "thanks", "thee", "great", "church", "praise", and "strong". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "give" and "thanks", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 17's "Lord when wilt thou look upon me..." into verse 19's "Let not them that are my enemies...", so "give" and "thanks" 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 "give" and "thanks" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.