Psalm 34:20
New International Version
he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken.

New Living Translation
For the LORD protects the bones of the righteous; not one of them is broken!

English Standard Version
He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken.

Berean Standard Bible
He protects all his bones; not one of them will be broken.

King James Bible
He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.

New King James Version
He guards all his bones; Not one of them is broken.

New American Standard Bible
He protects all his bones, Not one of them is broken.

NASB 1995
He keeps all his bones, Not one of them is broken.

NASB 1977
He keeps all his bones; Not one of them is broken.

Legacy Standard Bible
He keeps all his bones, Not one of them is broken.

Amplified Bible
He keeps all his bones; Not one of them is broken.

Christian Standard Bible
He protects all his bones; not one of them is broken.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
He protects all his bones; not one of them is broken.

American Standard Version
He keepeth all his bones: Not one of them is broken.

Contemporary English Version
Not one of their bones will ever be broken.

English Revised Version
He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The LORD guards all of his bones. Not one of them is broken.

Good News Translation
the LORD preserves them completely; not one of their bones is broken.

International Standard Version
God protects all his bones; not one of them will be broken.

NET Bible
He protects all his bones; not one of them is broken.

New Heart English Bible
He protects all of his bones. Not one of them is broken.

Webster's Bible Translation
He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.
Majority Text Translations
Majority Standard Bible
He protects all his bones; not one of them will be broken.

World English Bible
He protects all of his bones. Not one of them is broken.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
He is keeping all his bones, "" Not one of them has been broken.

Young's Literal Translation
He is keeping all his bones, One of them hath not been broken.

Smith's Literal Translation
He watched all his bones: one of them was not broken.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
The Lord keepeth all their bones, not one of them shall be broken.

Catholic Public Domain Version
The Lord preserves all of their bones, not one of them shall be broken.

New American Bible
He watches over all his bones; not one of them shall be broken.

New Revised Standard Version
He keeps all their bones; not one of them will be broken.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
He keeps all his bones, not one of them is broken.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And he will keep all his bones that not one of them will be broken.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
He keepeth all his bones; Not one of them is broken.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
He keeps all their bones: not one of them shall be broken.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Taste and See that the LORD is Good
19Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him from them all. 20He protects all his bones; not one of them will be broken. 21Evil will slay the wicked, and the haters of the righteous will be condemned.…

Cross References
John 19:36
Now these things happened so that the Scripture would be fulfilled: “Not one of His bones will be broken.”

Exodus 12:46
It must be eaten inside one house. You are not to take any of the meat outside the house, and you may not break any of the bones.

Numbers 9:12
they may not leave any of it until morning or break any of its bones. They must observe the Passover according to all its statutes.

Zechariah 12:10
Then I will pour out on the house of David and on the people of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and prayer, and they will look on Me, the One they have pierced. They will mourn for Him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for Him as one grieves for a firstborn son.

Matthew 27:35
When they had crucified Him, they divided up His garments by casting lots.

John 19:33-34
But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. / Instead, one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water flowed out.

1 Corinthians 5:7
Get rid of the old leaven, that you may be a new unleavened batch, as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.

1 Peter 1:19
but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or spot.

Isaiah 53:5
But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.

John 1:29
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

Revelation 5:6
Then I saw a Lamb who appeared to have been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which represent the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.

Hebrews 10:5
Therefore, when Christ came into the world, He said: “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body You prepared for Me.

Luke 23:33
When they came to the place called The Skull, they crucified Him there, along with the criminals, one on His right and the other on His left.

Acts 2:23
He was delivered up by God’s set plan and foreknowledge, and you, by the hands of the lawless, put Him to death by nailing Him to the cross.

Romans 5:6-8
For at just the right time, while we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. / Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. / But God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.


Treasury of Scripture

He keeps all his bones: not one of them is broken.

Psalm 35:10
All my bones shall say, LORD, who is like unto thee, which deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him, yea, the poor and the needy from him that spoileth him?

Psalm 91:12
They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

Daniel 6:22-24
My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt…

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Psalm 34
1. David praises God, and exhorts others thereto by his experience
8. They are blessed who trust in God
11. He exhorts to the fear of God
15. The privileges of the righteous














He protects all his bones;
This phrase emphasizes divine protection and care. In the context of Psalm 34, David is expressing gratitude for God's deliverance from his enemies. The imagery of bones being protected suggests a comprehensive safeguarding of the individual's physical and spiritual well-being. In ancient Near Eastern culture, bones were often seen as the essence of a person's strength and vitality. This protection can be seen as a metaphor for God's overall preservation of the righteous. The idea of God as a protector is a recurring theme throughout the Psalms and the Old Testament, reflecting the covenant relationship between God and His people.

not one of them will be broken.
This phrase is often seen as prophetic, pointing to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. In the New Testament, John 19:36 cites this verse in the context of Jesus' crucifixion, where it is noted that none of His bones were broken, fulfilling this scripture. This connection underscores the typology of Jesus as the sacrificial Lamb, as the Passover lamb was required to be without broken bones (Exodus 12:46). The unbroken bones symbolize the completeness and perfection of Christ's sacrifice. Historically, breaking the legs of those crucified was a common practice to hasten death, but in Jesus' case, it was unnecessary, further affirming the fulfillment of this prophecy. This phrase highlights the divine orchestration of events in the life and death of Jesus, reinforcing the belief in God's sovereign plan and the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy in the New Testament narrative.

Persons / Places / Events
1. David
The author of Psalm 34, who wrote this psalm as a song of thanksgiving and praise to God for His deliverance and protection.

2. God
The protector and deliverer, who is the central figure in this verse, ensuring the safety and integrity of the righteous.

3. The Righteous
Those who are under God's protection, often seen as those who follow His ways and trust in Him.

4. Jesus Christ
In the New Testament, this verse is seen as a prophetic reference to Jesus, whose bones were not broken during His crucifixion.

5. The Crucifixion
The event where Jesus' fulfillment of this prophecy is highlighted, as His bones were not broken, unlike the common practice during crucifixions.
Teaching Points
Divine Protection
God is a protector of His people, ensuring their safety and well-being. This verse reassures believers of God's attentive care.

Prophetic Fulfillment
The verse serves as a prophecy fulfilled in Jesus Christ, highlighting the reliability and divine inspiration of Scripture.

Typology of Christ
The connection to the Passover lamb underscores the sacrificial nature of Christ's mission and His role as the Lamb of God.

Trust in God's Sovereignty
Believers are encouraged to trust in God's sovereign plan, knowing that He is in control and His promises are true.

Spiritual Integrity
Just as God protects the physical integrity of the righteous, He also guards their spiritual integrity, keeping them whole in Him.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1. What is the meaning of Psalm 34:20?

2. How does Psalm 34:20 demonstrate God's protection over the righteous?

3. What does "He protects all his bones" reveal about God's care for us?

4. How can believers trust God's protection in light of Psalm 34:20?

5. Connect Psalm 34:20 with John 19:36 regarding prophecy fulfillment.

6. How can Psalm 34:20 encourage you during times of physical or spiritual harm?

7. How does Psalm 34:20 relate to the prophecy of Jesus' crucifixion?

8. Why does Psalm 34:20 emphasize protection of bones?

9. What historical context influenced the writing of Psalm 34:20?

10. What are the top 10 Lessons from Psalm 34?

11. How does Psalm 34 claim God protects the righteous (Psalm 34:19–20) if historical records show many righteous individuals still suffer or die?

12. What scientific explanation could account for both “blood and water” flowing from Jesus’ side in John 19:34?

13. Why did Jesus' side release blood and water?

14. Why is Pilate surprised that Jesus died so quickly (Mark 15:44–45), when crucifixion typically lasted longer?
What Does Psalm 34:20 Mean
He protects

Psalm 34:20 opens with, “He protects….” The sentence begins by putting the spotlight squarely on the Lord as the active guardian.

• David is celebrating the hands-on care he has already tasted (see Psalm 34:4 ““I sought the Lord, and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears,”).

• Protection is never passive. Psalm 121:7-8 echoes the same verb: “The Lord will guard you from all evil; He will preserve your soul. The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore”.

• Peter later assures suffering believers with the identical thought: “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous… But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil” (1 Peter 3:12).

The verse therefore begins by declaring that safety flows from God’s personal involvement, not from chance or human strength.


all his bones

The next phrase widens the scope: “…all his bones….”

• “Bones” are the body’s framework, the most basic, unreplaceable parts. By naming them, David stresses total coverage—nothing is overlooked.

Proverbs 3:8 promises God-given “refreshment to your bones,” and Psalm 35:10 exclaims, “All my bones will say, ‘Lord, who is like You?’”. Together they highlight how God’s care reaches to the deepest, hardest places—right down to the skeleton.

• This is also a vivid way of saying that God’s protection is thorough: every detail, every corner, every moment of the believer’s life is under His watchful eye.


not one of them will be broken

Finally, the verse concludes, “…not one of them will be broken.”

• David had literally come through life-threatening situations (1 Samuel 21–22). Looking back, he could say, “Not even a bone was broken.”

• Yet the Spirit was simultaneously pointing forward. At the first Passover, the lamb’s bones were to remain intact (Exodus 12:46). That rule foreshadowed Christ, the perfect Passover Lamb.

John 19:33-36 records the soldiers discovering that Jesus was already dead, “so they did not break His legs,” fulfilling this very promise: “Not one of His bones will be broken”.

• The verse therefore operates on two levels—David’s personal testimony and a messianic prophecy—both literally fulfilled.


summary

Psalm 34:20 assures us that the Lord personally guards His people, covers every part of them, and can keep them entirely intact. David experienced it, and Jesus embodied it. Because the promise proved true for the Son, believers can rest confident that nothing—down to the very bones—escapes God’s preserving care.

(20) Broken.--See John 19:36, N. Test. Commentary.

Verse 20. - He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken. The "bones" are put for the entire frame, or body, of a man (comp. Psalm 6:2; Psalm 31:10; Psalm 32:3; Psalm 38:3; Psalm 42:10; Psalm 102:3). God "keepeth," i.e. watches over, keeps from harm, the entire persons of the righteous, letting no hurt touch them, but such as he permits and sees to be needful. In using the phrase, "not one of them is broken," the psalmist probably alludes to Exodus 12:46 and Numbers 9:12, taking the Paschal lamb as a type of innocence, and so of godliness.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
He protects
שֹׁמֵ֥ר (šō·mêr)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 8104: To hedge about, guard, to protect, attend to

all
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

his bones;
עַצְמוֹתָ֑יו (‘aṣ·mō·w·ṯāw)
Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 6106: A bone, the body, the substance, selfsame

not
לֹ֣א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

one
אַחַ֥ת (’a·ḥaṯ)
Number - feminine singular
Strong's 259: United, one, first

of them
מֵ֝הֵ֗נָּה (mê·hên·nāh)
Preposition-m | Pronoun - third person feminine plural
Strong's 2007: Themselves

will be broken.
נִשְׁבָּֽרָה׃ (niš·bā·rāh)
Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 7665: To break, break in pieces


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OT Poetry: Psalm 34:20 He protects all of his bones (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 34:19
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