Psalm 34:3

O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Benson Commentary

Psalm 34:3. O magnify the Lord with me — Join your praises with mine, O ye humble ones. And let us exalt his name together — If not in one place, yet in affection and work: let our souls meet, and let our praises meet in the ears of the all-hearing God. Or the word יחדו, jachdav, may be rendered, alike; that is, with equal zeal and fervency; let none be willing to be outstripped by another. To magnify, or exalt, and the like expressions, “do not mean that we can add any thing to the glory of the name or nature of God; but that we should show forth, and publicly celebrate his majesty and greatness, when we experience the interpositions of his providence in our deliverance from any threatening evil. We should then, with the psalmist, ascribe our safety, not to our own contrivance, subtlety, or power, but to the care of God, who watches over us.”

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

34:1-10 If we hope to spend eternity in praising God, it is fit that we should spend much of our time here in this work. He never said to any one, Seek ye me in vain. David's prayers helped to silence his fears; many besides him have looked unto the Lord by faith and prayer, and it has wonderfully revived and comforted them. When we look to the world, we are perplexed, and at a loss. But on looking to Christ depends our whole salvation, and all things needful thereunto do so also. This poor man, whom no man looked upon with any respect, or looked after with any concern, was yet welcome to the throne of grace; the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. The holy angels minister to the saints, and stand for them against the powers of darkness. All the glory be to the Lord of the angels. By taste and sight we both make discoveries, and have enjoyment; Taste and see God's goodness; take notice of it, and take the comfort of it. He makes all truly blessed that trust in him. As to the things of the other world, they shall have grace sufficient for the support of spiritual life. And as to this life, they shall have what is necessary from the hand of God. Paul had all, and abounded, because he was content, Php 4:11-18. Those who trust to themselves, and think their own efforts sufficient for them, shall want; but they shall be fed who trust in the Lord. Those shall not want, who with quietness work, and mind their own business.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

O magnify the Lord with me - This seems to be addressed primarily to the "humble," those referred to in the previous verse. As they could appreciate what he would say, as they could understand the nature of his feelings in view of his deliverance, he calls upon them especially to exult with him in the goodness of God. As he and they had common calamities and trials, so might they have common joys; as they were united in danger and sorrow, so it was proper that they should be united in joy and in praise. The word "magnify' means literally "to make great," and then, to make great in the view of the mind, or to regard and treat as great. The idea is, that he wished all, in circumstances similar to those in which he had been placed, to have a just sense of the greatness of God, and of his claims to love and praise. Compare Psalm 35:27; Psalm 40:17; Psalm 69:30; Psalm 70:4; Luke 1:46.

And let us exalt his name together - Let us unite in "lifting up" his name; that is, in raising it above all other things in our own estimation, and in the view of our fellow-men; in so making it known that it shall rise above every other object, that all may see and adore.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

3. magnify the Lord—ascribe greatness to Him, an act of praise.

together—"alike" (Ps 33:15), or, equally, without exception.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Join your praises with mine, O all ye humble ones.

Together; not in place, for David was now banished from the place of God’s public worship, but in affection and work: let our souls meet, and let our praises meet in the ears of the all-hearing God. Or, alike, i.e. with equal zeal and fervency; let none be willing to be outstripped by another.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

O magnify the Lord with me,.... The psalmist invites the humble ones, who he knew would rejoice at the goodness of God to him, to join with him in ascribing greatness to the Lord, which is meant by magnifying him; for he cannot be made great by men, only declared how great he is, and that can only be done in an imperfect manner;

and let us exalt his name together: by proclaiming him to be the most High; by making mention of his glorious perfections and works, that he be exalted; and by praising him in the highest strains; or by having the high praises of him in their mouths; and there is more pleasure as well as more glory brought to God by doing this in a social way, or by a number of saints joining together in such service.

Geneva Study Bible

O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

3. magnify] Man makes God great by acknowledging and celebrating His greatness (Deuteronomy 32:3), and exalts His Name by confessing that He is supreme above all. See note on Psalm 30:1.

3, 4. Addressing the humble, he invites them to join in thanksgiving for his deliverance.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 3. - O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his Name together. Not content with praising God in his own person, the psalmist calls on Israel generally to praise the Lord with him. He then proceeds to assign reasons why God should be praised (vers. 4-10). Psalm 34:3

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

(Heb.: 34:2-4) The poet begins with the praise of Jahve, and calls upon all the pious to unite with him in praising Him. The substantival clause Psalm 34:2, is intended to have just as much the force of a cohortative as the verbal clause Psalm 34:2. אברכה, like ויגרשׁהו, is to be written with Chateph-Pathach in the middle syllable. In distinction from עניּים, afflicti, ענוים signifies submissi, those who have learnt endurance or patience in the school of affliction. The praise of the psalmist will greatly help to strengthen and encourage such; for it applies to the Deliverer of the oppressed. But in order that this praise may sound forth with strength and fulness of tone, he courts the assistance of companions in Psalm 34:4. To acknowledge the divine greatness with the utterance of praise is expressed by גּדּל with an accusative in Psalm 69:31; in this instance with ל: to offer גּדלּה unto Him, cf. Psalm 29:2. Even רומם has this subjective meaning: with the heart and in word and deed, to place the exalted Name of God as high as it really is in itself. In accordance with the rule, that when in any word two of the same letters follow one another and the first has a Sheb, this Sheb must be an audible one, and in fact Chateph Pathach preceded by Gaja (Metheg), we must write וּנרוממה.