Who is someone who desires life, and loves many days, that he may see good?
Parallel translations
- KJV What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good?
- BSB Who is the man who delights in life, who desires to see good days?
- NKJV Who is the man who desires life, And loves many days, that he may see good?
- NASB Who is the person who desires life And loves length of days, that he may see good?
- NLT Does anyone want to live a life that is long and prosperous?
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
David asks who desires a long and good life, introducing the path to true blessing.
Overview
By posing this question, David engages all who long for a full and good life, preparing to show the way. The desire for life and good is universal and rightly directed toward God's ways. The New Testament cites these verses (1 Peter 3:10-12), applying the call to a holy life in Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- 1 Pet 3:10–12For, “He who would love life, and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking deceit.
- Deut 30:20to love Yahweh your God, to obey his voice, and to cling to him; for he is your life, and the length of your days; that you may dwell in the land which Yahweh swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.
- Deut 6:2that you might fear Yahweh your God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you; you, and your son, and your son’s son, all the days of your life; and that your days may be prolonged.
- Ps 91:16I will satisfy him with long life, and show him my salvation.”
- Eccl 3:13Also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy good in all his labor, is the gift of God.
- Ps 4:6Many say, “Who will show us any good?” Yahweh, let the light of your face shine on us.
- Eccl 12:13This is the end of the matter. All has been heard. Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man.
- Ps 21:4He asked life of you, you gave it to him, even length of days forever and ever.
- Job 7:7Oh remember that my life is a breath. My eye shall no more see good.
- Eccl 2:3I searched in my heart how to cheer my flesh with wine, my heart yet guiding me with wisdom, and how to lay hold of folly, until I might see what it was good for the sons of men that they should do under heaven all the days of their lives.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
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Christ at the center
The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.
How Psalms 34:12 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.