Psalms 34:12 (GNV)

Passage

What man is he, that desireth life, and loueth long dayes for to see good?

Nearby Context

Psalms 34:10 The lyons doe lacke and suffer hunger, but they, which seeke the Lord, shall want nothing that is good.

Psalms 34:11 Come children, hearken vnto me: I will teache you the feare of the Lord.

Psalms 34:12 What man is he, that desireth life, and loueth long dayes for to see good?

Psalms 34:13 Keepe thy tongue from euill, and thy lips, that they speake no guile.

Psalms 34:14 Eschewe euill and doe good: seeke peace and follow after it.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "desireth", "life", "loueth", "long", "dayes", 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 children hearken vnto me I will..." into verse 13's "Keepe thy tongue from euill 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.