"The righteous person may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all."
— Psalm 34:19 (NIV)
Psalm 34:19 is the "many are the afflictions of the righteous" verse, an honest promise that faithful people still face trouble and that God brings them through it. This page gives the verse, what the key words mean, where it sits in Psalm 34, and a plain reading. For more on the theme, see Bible verses about suffering, Bible verses for hard times, and Bible verses about comfort.
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The verse
The King James reads: "Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all."
"Many" is rab (H7227). "Troubles" (KJV "afflictions") is ra' (H7451), harm, distress, or evil. "Righteous" is tsaddiq (H6662), one who is just or in right standing with God. "Delivers" is natsal (H5337), to snatch away, rescue, or save.
Where it sits in Psalm 34
The heading ties the psalm to David's escape from Abimelek, when he "pretended to be insane" to get away. David writes as someone who has just been rescued: "I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears" (Psalm 34:4), and "Taste and see that the LORD is good" (Psalm 34:8).
The verses right before build to this one. "The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles" (Psalm 34:17). "The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit" (Psalm 34:18). Verse 20 follows: "he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken," a line John connects to Jesus at the cross (John 19:36).
What the verse is saying
The psalm does not promise a life without trouble. It says the opposite: the righteous may have many troubles. What it promises is that trouble does not get the last word, because the LORD delivers from all of them.
Deliverance in the Psalms can come quickly or slowly, in this life or beyond it. The steady point is who is doing the delivering. That is why verse 18 can say God is close to the brokenhearted while they are still broken.
Questions people ask
What does Psalm 34:19 say?
In the NIV it says, "The righteous person may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all." The KJV reads, "Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all."
What does "many are the afflictions of the righteous" mean?
It means that being faithful to God does not exempt anyone from hardship. The same verse promises that God delivers the righteous from all of their troubles.
Who wrote Psalm 34?
The heading attributes it to David, written after he escaped from Abimelek by pretending to be insane (see 1 Samuel 21:10-15, where the king is called Achish).
What comes before Psalm 34:19?
Verse 18 says, "The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." Verse 17 says God hears the righteous when they cry out.
What verses go with Psalm 34:19?
Psalm 34:18 (close to the brokenhearted), Isaiah 41:10 (I will strengthen you and help you), and Psalm 46:1 (an ever-present help in trouble) are close companions.
