What Does Psalm 34:15 Mean in the King James?
The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The verse’s hidden force is direction: the LORD’s attention is turned toward the aligned and toward their cry for help.
THE MEANING
The LORD’s gaze is on those living in alignment with what is right, and his ear is turned toward their cry. Your distress is not outside the reach of that attention; the verse presents it as heard.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
The belief that your cry disappears unheard is undone: the verse pictures the LORD’s attention already turned toward it.
THE ROOT
צַדִּיקִים
tsaddiqim
GROWS FROM
צדק
Rightness and justice; being aligned with what is right.
English “righteous” can sound like a status label, but צדק also names what is right and just. Its branches make righteousness a lived alignment, not merely a badge.
ALSO GROWS
tsedeq: Justice; what is right.
צֶדֶק
The same root links the righteous with justice and rightness.
tsedaqah: Righteousness; just action.
צְדָקָה
This branch carries the root into action, showing alignment expressed in how life is lived.
שַׁוְעָתָם
shav'atam
GROWS FROM
שוע
To cry out for help; a cry for help.
“cry” in this verse is shav'atam. The word names a plea for aid, not just any sound of grief. Joined to the ears turned toward it, the verse pictures distress met by attention.
ALSO GROWS
shava: To cry out for help.
שָׁוַע
The verb names the urgent call beneath the cry in this verse.
shav'ah: A cry for help; supplication.
שַׁוְעָה
This is the noun form behind “their cry,” specifying a plea for aid.
THE PATTERN
The LORD’s attention is active and directional: it rests on those aligned with him and answers their call.
Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy;And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.THE THREAD
In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.The Hebrew root שוע (shavah), “to cry out for help,” underlies the cry in both verses. Psalm 18:6 makes the image explicit: the cry comes before the LORD, even into his ears.
Read the SDV Bible.
Every verse has a Deep Dive in the app.
The iPhone Bible app with the Selah Decoded Version.
Does something in this reading look wrong? Tell us