Ye Children, Hearken Unto Me
David, fresh from another close encounter with Saul’s men, shares his advice for living a charmed life.
?1012 BC
Saul, King of Israel ?1030-?1010 BC
David, fresh from another close encounter with Saul’s men, shares his advice for living a charmed life.
?1012 BC
Saul, King of Israel ?1030-?1010 BC
Psalm 34 is said to have been written as a thanksgiving by David, when he was on the run from the madness of King Saul. He took refuge with Achish (Achimelech or Abimelech) the King of Gath, and to ensure that news of him did not get about, passed himself off as a harmless lunatic. This extract comes from the elegant translation made in 1535 by Yorkshireman Myles Coverdale.
Come, ye children, and hearken unto me : I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
What man is he that lusteth to live : and would fain see good days?
Keep thy tongue from evil : and thy lips, that they speak no guile.
Eschew evil, and do good : seek peace, and ensue it.
The eyes of the Lord are over the righteous : and his ears are open unto their prayers.
The countenance of the Lord is against them that do evil : to root out the remembrance of them from the earth.
The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth them : and delivereth them out of all their troubles.
The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a contrite heart : and will save such as be of an humble spirit.
Great are the troubles of the righteous : but the Lord delivereth him out of all.
He keepeth all his bones : so that not one of them is broken.
But misfortune shall slay the ungodly : and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate.
The Lord delivereth the souls of his servants : and all they that put their trust in him shall not be destitute.
From Psalm 34:11-22, in the translation by Myles Coverdale that was included in successive editions of the Book of Common Prayer from 1549 to 1662.
1. What is the author aiming to achieve in writing this?
2. Note any words, devices or turns of phrase that strike you. How do they help the author communicate his ideas more effectively?
3. What impression does this passage make on you? How might you put that impression into words?
Based on The English Critic (1939) by NL Clay, drawing on The New Criticism: A Lecture Delivered at Columbia University, March 9, 1910, by J. E. Spingarn, Professor of Comparative Literature in Columbia University, USA.
Suggest answers to this question. See if you can limit one answer to exactly seven words.
What does David promise to those who put their trust in God?
A long life, deliverance and good days.
Express the ideas below in a single sentence, using different words as much as possible. Do not be satisfied with the first answer you think of; think of several, and choose the best.
Would anyone like a long and happy life? He should avoid lying.
See if you can include one or more of these words in your answer.
IAge. IIHonest. IIIIf.