What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good?
Parallel translations
- WEB Who is someone who desires life, and loves 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 that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:
- Deut 30:20That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.
- Deut 6:2That thou mightest fear the LORD thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged.
- Ps 91:16With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.
- Eccl 3:13And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.
- Ps 4:6There be many that say, Who will shew us any good? LORD, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.
- Eccl 12:13Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
- Ps 21:4He asked life of thee, and thou gavest it him, even length of days for ever and ever.
- Job 7:7O remember that my life is wind: mine eye shall no more see good.
- Eccl 2:3I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life.
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.