34:1-3 David exulted in the Lord and called on his people to praise God with him.
34:4-7 The psalmist's recent experience of God's answering his prayer for help and delivering him (vv. 4, 6) was only one example to him. Those who trust in the Lord never experience disappointment (vv. 5, 7).
"If the sequence in verses 2 and 3 was in essence I have reason to praise Him; join me', here [in verses 4 and 5] it is This was my experience; it can be yours'."85
The Angel of the Lord (v. 7) is undoubtedly the Lord Himself (cf. Gen. 16:13; 22:11-12; 31:11, 13; 48:16; Judg. 6:11, 16, 22; 13:22-23; Zech. 3:1-2). He is specifically the preincarnate Christ (cf. Gen. 18:1-2; 19:1; 24:7; 2 Sam. 24:16; Zech. 1:12). David saw Him with the eyes of faith surrounding and protecting His trusting people.
34:8-10 David called on the people to experience the Lord's goodness personally by relying on Him in their times of distress. He assured them that if they did He would not disappoint them. Young self-reliant lions occasionally cannot provide for their own needs adequately, but people who trust in the Lord never suffer such a fate.
"It is not an empty promise of affluence but an assurance of His responsible care . . . [cf. Deut. 6:24; 8:3; Rom. 8:28, 37]. This theme is now pursued in the next section, especially verses 12-14."86
