Psalm 34 (33 in the Septuagint and Vulgate numbering) is a wisdom psalm of thanksgiving and praise, presented as an acrostic poem in Hebrew (each verse beginning with successive letters of the alphabet). It is traditionally attributed to David, with the superscription linking it to the episode in 1 Samuel 21 where David feigned madness before the Philistine king Abimelech to escape danger. Scholars generally date its final form to the post-exilic period (5th–4th century BC), though it draws on earlier traditions. The psalm reflects the experience of the faithful who cry out in distress and experience God’s deliverance, making it ideal for both personal devotion and communal instruction in the “fear of the Lord.”
The selected verses (2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9) with the response “From all my terrors the Lord set me free” form a joyful testimony of deliverance. The psalmist vows to bless the Lord at all times, boasting in Him so that the humble may hear and rejoice. He invites others to “Glorify the Lord with me” and recounts his own experience: he sought the Lord, who answered and rescued him from all terrors. The psalmist encourages the lowly to look to God and be radiant, declaring that “This lowly one called; the Lord heard, and rescued him from all his distress.” It culminates in the assurance that “The angel of the Lord is encamped around those who fear him, to rescue them,” and the invitation to “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” This creates a movement from personal praise to communal encouragement and confident trust.
In the Lectionary, these verses are appointed as the Responsorial Psalm for the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles (29 June). The feast honours the two foundational apostles whose lives dramatically illustrate the psalm’s themes. The First Reading (Acts 12:1-11) recounts Peter’s miraculous rescue from prison by an angel of the Lord; the Second Reading (2 Timothy 4:6-8, 17-18) presents Paul’s reflection on his completed mission and God’s faithfulness in rescuing him from every evil; and the Gospel (Matthew 16:13-19) records Peter’s confession of Christ and the promise of the keys of the Kingdom.
The psalm illuminates these readings powerfully. Peter’s angelic deliverance directly echoes the psalmist’s testimony, while Paul’s trust in God’s rescue mirrors the same confidence. For the assembly, the psalm celebrates the apostles as models of those who fear the Lord and experience His protection amid persecution. On this solemnity, it invites the Church to bless God continually, to taste His goodness (especially in the Eucharist), and to find courage in the knowledge that the angel of the Lord continues to guard His people. The response becomes a song of gratitude for the apostolic foundation of the Church and for God’s ongoing deliverance of those who call upon Him.