--- title: "Psalm 34:18 | Bible Nudge" description: "Read Psalm 34:18 in the World English Bible and King James Version, with what surrounds the passage and a question to sit with." url: "https://biblenudge.com/context/psalm-34-18" lang: "en" image: "https://biblenudge.com/og/default.jpg" alternates: es: "https://biblenudge.com/es/contexto/salmo-34-18.md" --- [Your nudge](https://biblenudge.com/nudge) Read the passage # Psalm 34:18 World English Bible Yahweh is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves those who have a crushed spirit. In the King James Version The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. King James Version (Public Domain) ## What surrounds this passage Psalm 34 is a song of praise formed in hardship. It holds suffering and God’s attentive presence together. The verses on either side Psalm 34:15-21, World English Bible 1. Yahweh’s eyes are toward the righteous. His ears listen to their cry. 2. Yahweh’s face is against those who do evil, to cut off their memory from the earth. 3. The righteous cry, and Yahweh hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles. 4. Yahweh is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves those who have a crushed spirit. 5. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but Yahweh delivers him out of them all. 6. He protects all of his bones. Not one of them is broken. 7. Evil shall kill the wicked. Those who hate the righteous shall be condemned. A question to sit with What would it mean to let nearness, rather than explanation, be enough today? Why this one, and not these 3 passages were considered for this and turned down, each for a reason written at the time. Romans 8:28 "All things work together for good" is the verse most often said at a funeral and most often resented afterwards. Offered to somebody days into a loss it asks them to find the good in it, which is not a thing anybody can be asked to do on request. Revelation 21:4 A promise that every tear will be wiped away. It is about a future state, and offered in the present it can read as an instruction to skip ahead. 1 Thessalonians 4:13 "Do not grieve as others who have no hope" can be heard as a rule about how to grieve correctly, which adds a second burden to the first. Written about this passage - [Bible Verses After a Mass Shooting: Psalm 34:18 for the First Nights, Words for Children, and a Prayer for KwaMakhutha](https://biblenudge.com/blog/bible-verses-after-a-mass-shooting) Psalm 34:18 for the first nights after a mass shooting, where to call, words for children, and prayers for KwaMakhutha. - [Bible Verses for a Broken Heart: After a Breakup, a Divorce or a Betrayal](https://biblenudge.com/blog/bible-verses-for-a-broken-heart) Heartbroken after a breakup, a divorce or a betrayal? Psalm 34:18 for tonight, Psalm 55 on a trusted friend, Leah's story, and words to pray while it still hurts. - [Bible Verses for a Funeral: What the Service Books List, and How to Choose](https://biblenudge.com/blog/bible-verses-for-a-funeral) Choosing a Bible reading for a funeral? Ten often chosen, each with its setting, what Catholic and Anglican service books list, and how to get through reading aloud. - [Bible Verses for the Death of a Father: Where Joseph Wept](https://biblenudge.com/blog/bible-verses-for-death-of-a-father) Your father has died. Genesis 50 sets down a son's grief for his father at length, with Psalm 34:18, readings for his funeral, and help if he was hard to love. - [Bible Verses for the Death of a Mother: Comforted After His Mother's Death](https://biblenudge.com/blog/bible-verses-for-death-of-a-mother) Your mother has died. Genesis records Isaac still needing comfort for his mother, with Psalm 34:18, John 19, Proverbs 31 in its setting, and readings for her funeral. - [Bible Verses for Estranged Family: Grief for Someone Still Living, What “Honor” Meant, and the Families Who Parted](https://biblenudge.com/blog/bible-verses-for-estranged-family) Estranged from a parent, a grown child, a brother or a sister? Psalm 34:18 for the dates that used to be family days, what honor meant, and families in Scripture who parted. - [Bible Verses for Grief and Healing: What the Word Healing Means Here](https://biblenudge.com/blog/bible-verses-for-grief-and-healing) Months into a loss and wondering if grief heals? What Cruse and the NHS say, Psalm 147:3 in its setting, Psalm 34:18 for tonight, and grief Scripture never hurries. - [Bible Verses for Healing After Divorce: The Long Aftermath, Malachi 2 in Its Setting, and a Church to Go Back To](https://biblenudge.com/blog/bible-verses-for-healing-after-divorce) Months or years after a divorce: Psalm 34:18 for the hard days, Isaiah 54, Malachi 2 in its setting, and a gentle way back to church. - [Bible Verses for Sudden Death: When the News Comes Without Warning](https://biblenudge.com/blog/bible-verses-for-sudden-death) Someone you love died without warning. Psalm 34:18 for the first hours, the Bible's scenes of news arriving suddenly, and what Luke 13 says about blame. - [Bible Verses for Sympathy Cards, and What to Write Under Them](https://biblenudge.com/blog/bible-verses-for-sympathy-cards) Psalm 34:18 in the WEB and King James for a sympathy card, the line to write under it, and what to write when their faith is unknown. - [Bible Verses for the Anniversary of a Death: For the Day and the Weeks Before It](https://biblenudge.com/blog/bible-verses-for-the-anniversary-of-a-death) A death anniversary coming, or here today? Psalm 34:18 to read the night before, two laments Israel kept returning to, words for a card, and how to mark the day. - [Bible Verses for the Loss of a Brother: What Martha and Mary Said](https://biblenudge.com/blog/bible-verses-for-the-loss-of-a-brother) Your brother has died. John 11 gives two sisters grieving their brother Lazarus, with Psalm 34:18 for tonight, readings for his funeral, and help for siblings. - [Bible verses for the loss of a child](https://biblenudge.com/blog/bible-verses-for-the-loss-of-a-child) One passage that does not try to account for anything, the two verses most often brought to bereaved parents, and where the angel phrase came from. - [Bible Verses for the Loss of a Friend: I Am Distressed for You, My Brother Jonathan](https://biblenudge.com/blog/bible-verses-for-the-loss-of-a-friend) A close friend has died. David's lament for Jonathan in 2 Samuel 1 grieves a friend out loud, with Psalm 34:18, Jesus at Lazarus's tomb, and help that names its country. - [Bible Verses for the Loss of a Grandfather: Jacob's Blessing, Barzillai and the Man Who Taught You](https://biblenudge.com/blog/bible-verses-for-the-loss-of-a-grandfather) After a grandfather dies: Psalm 34:18 for tonight, Jacob blessing his grandsons, Barzillai at eighty, and readings for his funeral. - [Bible Verses for the Loss of a Grandmother: Lois, Naomi and a Long Life That Was Not Long Enough](https://biblenudge.com/blog/bible-verses-for-the-loss-of-a-grandmother) After a grandmother dies: Psalm 34:18 for tonight, Lois and Naomi, readings for her service, and words for a parent or a child. - [Bible verses for the loss of a parent](https://biblenudge.com/blog/bible-verses-for-the-loss-of-a-parent) One passage for the death of a mother or father, the part of the psalm it belongs to, why Romans 8:28 lands badly this early, and what the bereaved say. - [Bible verses for the loss of a pet](https://biblenudge.com/blog/bible-verses-for-the-loss-of-a-pet) One passage with no clause about what was lost, four passages on animals read with what surrounds them, and the guilt that comes with having chosen the day. - [Bible Verses for the Loss of a Sister: Miriam, Martha and Mary, and the Person Who Shared Your Childhood](https://biblenudge.com/blog/bible-verses-for-the-loss-of-a-sister) Your sister has died. Psalm 34:18 for tonight, Miriam and the sisters of Bethany, words for twins and younger siblings, and readings for her funeral. - [Bible Verses for Tragedy: When a Whole Town Is Grieving, the Laments of a City, and Words for the Gathering](https://biblenudge.com/blog/bible-verses-for-tragedy) After a tragedy that struck many at once: Psalm 34:17-19 for tonight, Lamentations for a grieving town, and readings for a vigil. - [Church Hurt: What It Means, What People Do Next, and Psalm 34:18 for a Broken Heart](https://biblenudge.com/blog/church-hurt) If people you trusted at church hurt you, here is what the words mean, what others do next, and Psalm 34:18 with its setting. - [How Long Should You Grieve, According to the Bible? The Days It Records, the Days Families Keep, and Your Own](https://biblenudge.com/blog/how-long-should-you-grieve-according-to-the-bible) Still grieving months or years on? Where the Bible's seven, thirty and seventy days come from, the days families keep, and Psalm 34:18. - [How to Forgive Someone Who Hurt You: What the Bible Says, What Psychologists Separate, and Psalm 34:18 for the Hurt](https://biblenudge.com/blog/how-to-forgive-someone-who-hurt-you) Forgiving, trusting and going back are separate decisions. What psychologists and traditions say, and Psalm 34:18 for a night the hurt returns. - [Rachel Name Meaning in the Bible: Who Rachel Was, What Her Name Means, Raquel in Spanish, and the Mother Who Weeps](https://biblenudge.com/blog/rachel-name-meaning-bible) Rachel is Hebrew for ewe. Who Rachel was in the Bible, how to say it, Raquel in Spanish, the mother who weeps in Jeremiah, and where to follow the storm. - [Short Bible verses for grief](https://biblenudge.com/blog/short-bible-verses-for-grief) Six short passages, each one whole rather than trimmed, with what is around it. Includes the two that are usually cut in a way that changes what they say. - [What Does the Bible Say About Grief? The Mourners, the Words and the Whole of 1 Thessalonians 4:13](https://biblenudge.com/blog/what-does-the-bible-say-about-grief) What the Bible says about grief: the people it shows mourning, Psalm 34:18 to read tonight, the whole of 1 Thessalonians 4:13, and whether deep grief means weak faith. - [What to Say to Someone Who Had a Miscarriage: Words to Send, the Partner, the Due Date, and the Prayers Churches Keep](https://biblenudge.com/blog/what-to-say-to-someone-who-had-a-miscarriage) Words to send after a miscarriage, a message for the partner, Psalm 34:18 with the verses around it, the due date, and the prayers churches keep. - [What to Say to Someone Who Lost a Child: Their Child's Name, the Years After, and the People Who Came](https://biblenudge.com/blog/what-to-say-to-someone-who-lost-a-child) Messages to send today, a verse for the card, what bereaved parents say helped and hurt, and saying their child's name for years to come. - [What to say to someone who lost a loved one](https://biblenudge.com/blog/what-to-say-to-someone-who-lost-a-loved-one) Plain words you can send today, what to say for a mother, a husband, a child or a pet, what to avoid, and why an imperfect message beats silence. - [What to say to someone whose parent died](https://biblenudge.com/blog/what-to-say-to-someone-whose-parent-died) What to send when a friend loses a mother or father, what not to mention, and the harder versions: a long illness, dementia, estrangement, a colleague. - [When Your Teenager Was at a Shooting: What to Do in the First Days, What to Say, and Psalm 34:18 for a Broken Heart](https://biblenudge.com/blog/when-your-teenager-was-at-a-shooting) A teenager who was at the birthday party in a Macon, Georgia park, or who knows someone who was? What to do in the first days, where to call, and Psalm 34:18 to read. - [Who in the Bible Grieved: David, Jacob, Naomi, Rizpah, Jesus at the Tomb, and the Others, Person by Person](https://biblenudge.com/blog/who-in-the-bible-grieved) The people in Scripture who grieved, grouped by whom they lost, with the passage to read for each and Psalm 34:18 to read beside it. [Return to nudge](https://biblenudge.com/nudge)