Psalms 34:20 — Word Study
WLCשֹׁמֵ֥ר כָּל־ עַצְמוֹתָ֑יו אַחַ֥ת מֵ֝הֵ֗נָּה לֹ֣א נִשְׁבָּֽרָה׃
BSAallkôl [every one of]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| שֹׁמֵ֥ר | [he is] keeping | Verb, Qal, participle (active) masculine singular |
| כָּל־ | all | Noun common, masculine singular construct |
| עַצְמוֹתָ֑יו | bones his | Noun common feminine plural construct, suffix |
| אַחַ֥ת | one | Noun common, feminine singular absolute |
| מֵ֝הֵ֗נָּה | from them | Preposition, pronoun |
| לֹ֣א | not | Particle |
| נִשְׁבָּֽרָה׃ | it is broken | Verb, Niphal, perfect third person feminine singular |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | He protects all his bones; not one of them will be broken. |
| KJV | He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken. |
| ASV | He keepeth all his bones: Not one of them is broken. |
| YLT | He is keeping all his bones, One of them hath not been broken. |
| WEB | He protects all of his bones. Not one of them is broken. |
| BBE | He keeps all his bones: not one of them is broken. |
Where they part company is שֹׁמֵר — see How Translations Differ.
The structure features a main clause followed by a negation, emphasizing the certainty of God's protection.







8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbרַב
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Psalms 34:20
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Assurance of God's Protectiongenerated
Psalm 34:20 emphasizes God's protective nature over the righteous, assuring that all parts of their being are safe. This verse follows a declaration of the Lord's deliverance from afflictions, illustrating the comprehensive nature of His care. The surrounding verses contrast the fate of the righteous with that of the wicked, highlighting the security found in God.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 35:10 | All my bones will exclaim, “Who is like You, O LORD, who delivers the afflicted from the aggressor, the poor and needy from the robber?” |
| 2 | Psalm 91:12 | They will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. |
| 3 | Daniel 6:22–24 | My God sent His angel and shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, for I was found innocent in His sight, and I have done no wrong against you, O king.” |
| 4 | John 19:36 | Now these things happened so that the Scripture would be fulfilled: “Not one of His bones will be broken.” |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 4 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — שֹׁמֵ֥ר, sho.Mergenerated
The verb שֹׁמֵר (*sho.Mer*) is a participle form of שָׁמַר (*shamar*), meaning to keep, guard, or protect. This word conveys a sense of active vigilance, suggesting that God is constantly watching over and safeguarding His people.
In this verse, it emphasizes that God's protection extends to every aspect of the righteous person's life, ensuring their well-being and security.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb שֹׁמֵר, He protects, governs the sentence, with the object כָּל־עַצְמוֹתָיו (all his bones) following it. The structure emphasizes the comprehensive nature of God's protection.
The clause לֹא נִשְׁבָּֽרָה (not one will be broken) serves as a negation, reinforcing the assurance that none of the righteous will suffer harm.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
In the Septuagint, the Hebrew verb שֹׁמֵר is rendered as ῥύσεται, which means 'will rescue' or 'will save.' This choice emphasizes not just protection but also the act of delivering from danger.
The translation reflects a broader understanding of God's role, indicating that His protection includes active intervention in the lives of the righteous.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalm 34:20 tells us that God protects every part of the righteous person's being, ensuring that not a single bone will be broken. This assurance follows a statement about the Lord's deliverance from troubles, emphasizing His care and security for those who trust in Him.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
This phrase signifies that God watches over every aspect of a person's life, ensuring their complete well-being.
This emphasizes the totality of God's protection, indicating that nothing essential to the righteous will suffer harm.
Psalm 34 contrasts the experiences of the righteous and the wicked, assuring that God delivers and protects those who seek refuge in Him.
This verse reveals God's faithfulness and commitment to safeguarding His people, demonstrating that He is a reliable protector.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what areas of my life do I need to trust in God's protection?
- How can I remind myself of God's faithfulness during difficult times?
- What does it mean for me to seek refuge in the Lord?
- How can I share the assurance of God's protection with others?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early Church Fathers referenced this verse to discuss God's protection and the spiritual significance of bones in the faithful's lives.
There should also be certain bones of the inner person in which the bond of union and harmony of spiritual powers is collected.Early Church Fathers on Psalms 34 →
"The Lord keeps all their bones: not one of them shall be broken" [Psalms 34:20]: this also, Brethren, let us not receive carnally. Bones are the firm supports of the faithful.Early Church Fathers on Psalms 34 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 34:20 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleHe keepeth all his bones; not one of them is broken. This is literally true of Christ, in whom the type of the passover lamb had its accomplishment, and this passage also; see Exodus 12:46; and seems
Read John Gill on Psalms 34 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryHe keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken. He keepeth ... is broken. God, even if He permits calamity to befall the godly, will overrule the seeming evil to everlasting good.
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 34 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleAll his bones, i.e. all the parts and members of their bodies, which are synecdochically expressed by the bones, which are the stay and strength of the rest. God will not suffer any mischief to befall him; though he may be oft afflicted, yet he shall not be destroyed. But these words, though they are here spoken of the righteous men in general, of whom they are true in a metaphorical sense; yet they had a further meaning in them, being designed by the Spirit of God (which dictated to David, not only the matter, but the very words and expressions) to signify a great mystery, that none of Christ’ s bones should be broken; to which purpose they are alleged, .
Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 34 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 34:20 He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.Ver. 20. He keepeth all his bones] Which are very many. Perhaps, saith Aben Ezra here, David had been scourged by the Philistines, but his bones were not broken, nor were our Saviour’ s, John 19:36.
Read John Trapp on Psalms 34 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(20) Broken.—See John 19:36, N. Test. Commentary.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 34 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 20. He keepeth all his bones] He takes care of his life; and if he have scars, they are honourable ones.
Read AdamClarke on Psalms 34 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges20. As breaking the bones is a forcible metaphor for the torture of pain that racks the bodily framework (Psalms 51:8; Isaiah 38:13), or for cruel oppression (Micah 3:3), so keeping them denotes the safe preservation of the man’s whole being. See note on Psalms 6:2. This passage as well as Exodus 12:46 may have been present to the Evangelist’s mind as fulfilled in Christ (John 19:36). The promise to the righteous man found an unexpectedly literal realisation in the passion of the perfectly Righteous One.
Read Cambridge on Psalms 34 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleHe keepeth all his bones - That is, he preserves or guards the righteous. Not one of them is broken - Perhaps there is a direct and immediate allusion here to what the psalmist had himself experienced.
Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 34 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
He protects all his bones; not one of them will be broken.
He protects all of his bones. Not one of them is broken.
He protects all his bones; not one of them will be broken.
He protects all his bones; not one of them is broken.
Tyndale line
He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.
He keepeth all his bones: Not one of them is broken.
He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.
He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.
He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.
Strictly literal
He keepeth all his bones; not one of them is broken.
He is keeping all his bones, One of them hath not been broken.
He is keeping all his bones, || Not one of them has been broken.
(34:21) He watcheth all his bones: not one of them is broken.
He keeps all his bones, not one of them will be broken.
From the Latin
For they spoke indeed peaceably to me; and speaking in the anger of the earth they devised guile.
Simplified
He keeps them safe—not a single one of their bones will be broken.
He keeps all his bones: not one of them is broken.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text of Psalms 34:20 states, "He protects all his bones; not one of them will be broken," which is preserved in the Septuagint with six out of seven words matching, although the word order and articles differ due to the nature of the Greek translation. The Samaritan Pentateuch and the Dead Sea Scrolls do not provide alternative readings for this verse, so there is no significant variation noted in those witnesses, confirming the integrity of the Masoretic Text in this instance.
שֹׁמֵ֥ר כָּל־ עַצְמוֹתָ֑יו אַחַ֥ת מֵ֝הֵ֗נָּה לֹ֣א נִשְׁבָּֽרָה׃
6 of the 7 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Psalms 34:20
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
The Hebrew word שָׁמַר (*shamar*) is a primitive root meaning to keep, guard, or observe. It encompasses a wide range of actions including protecting, waiting for, and celebrating obligations like the Sabbath. The verb appears in various forms, indicating nuances such as being on guard or refraining from certain actions. It is used extensively in the Old Testament, reflecting both physical and moral vigilance.
שָׁמַר 465 vb. keep, watch, preserve
Qal 425
keep, have charge of
keep, guard, captives
hence, watch for, wait for
watch, observe
keep, retain, of storing up (food)
keep within bounds, restrain
observe, celebrate
keep sabbath
of other obligations
observe = follow dictates of (prudence, justice, kindness, wisdom)
sts. י׳ subj.
keep, reserve, weeks of harvest
Niph.
36be on one's guard
keep oneself, refrain, abstain
be kept, guarded
Pi. those paying regard to false vanities
Hithp. I kept myself from
base
H8104 שָׁמַר keep, watch, preserve .. . keep, have charge of
. keep, guard, captives
. hence, watch for, wait for
. watch, observe
. . keep, retain, of storing up (food)
. keep within bounds, restrain
. . observe, celebrate
. keep sabbath
. of other obligations
. observe = follow dictates of (prudence, justice, kindness, wisdom)
. sts. י׳ subj.
. keep, reserve, weeks of harvest
. . be on one's guard
. keep oneself, refrain, abstain
. be kept, guarded
. those paying regard to false vanities
. I kept myself from
8104 shamar shaw-mar'
a primitive root; properly, to hedge about (as with thorns),
i.e. guard; generally, to protect, attend to, etc.:--beward,
be circumspect, take heed (to self), keep(-er, self), mark,
look narrowly, observe, preserve, regard, reserve, save
(self), sure, (that lay) wait (for), watch(-man).
שָׁמַר (sha.mar) — to keep: obey.
: obey/observe
1) to keep, guard, observe, give heed
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to keep, have charge of
1a2) to keep, guard, keep watch and ward, protect, save life
1a2a) watch, watchman (participle)
1a3) to watch for, wait for
1a4) to watch, observe
1a5) to keep, retain, treasure up (in memory)
1a6) to keep (within bounds), restrain
1a7) to observe, celebrate, keep (sabbath or covenant or commands), perform (vow)
1a8) to keep, preserve, protect
1a9) to keep, reserve
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be on one's guard, take heed, take care, beware
1b2) to keep oneself, refrain, abstain
1b3) to be kept, be guarded
1c) (Piel) to keep, pay heed
1d) (Hithpael) to keep oneself from
שָׁמַר (sha.mar) — to keep: guard.
: guard
1) to keep, guard, observe, give heed
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to keep, have charge of
1a2) to keep, guard, keep watch and ward, protect, save life
1a2a) watch, watchman (participle)
HVqrmsa — Verb · Qal · participle (active) masculine singularHVqrmsa
כֹּל (kol) means 'all' or 'the whole.' It can refer to totality, including every person or thing, and is often used with a following genitive to specify what is included. The term can also denote a broader sense of everything in existence or all circumstances of life. The lexicons do not show significant disagreement on its meanings.
כֹּל once כּוֹל n.m. the whole, all
with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every
Absolutely:
without the art., all things, all
with the art. הַכֹּל
where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned
in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)
base
H3605 כֹּל once כּוֹל the whole, all . with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every
. Absolutely: . without the art., all things, all
. with the art. הַכֹּל . where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned
. in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)
3605 kol kole
or (Jer. 33:8) kowl {kole}; from 3634; properly, the whole;
hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a
plural sense):--(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any
(manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as
many as, (no-)thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole,
whoso(-ever).
see HEBREW for 03634
כֹּל (kol) — all.
1) all, the whole
1a) all, the whole of
1b) any, each, every, anything
1c) totality, everything
Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)
Conj | Prep | N-ms | Suff — Noun common · masculine singular constructHNcmsc
ol: Used in various combinations, and with different meanings.
(1) All along, "Weeping all along as he went" (Jer 41:6), i.e. throughout the whole way he went, feigning equal concern with the men from Shiloh, etc., for the destruction of the Temple, so as to put them off their guard.
(2) All in all, "That God may be all in all" (1Co 15:28, Greek: panta en pasin, "all things in all (persons and) things"). "The universe, with all it comprises, will wholly answer to God's will and reflect His mind" (Dummelow).
עֶ֫צֶם (etsem) primarily means 'bone' but extends to concepts of substance and self. It can refer to the physical body, limbs, or essence. The word is derived from a root related to strength, indicating a connection between physicality and identity.
עֶ֫צֶם 125 n.f. bone, substance, self
base
H6106 עֶ֫צֶם bone, substance, self
6106 `etsem eh'tsem
from 6105; a bone (as strong); by extension, the body;
figuratively, the substance, i.e. (as pron.) selfsame:--body,
bone, X life, (self-)same, strength, X very.
see HEBREW for 06105
עֶ֫צֶם (e.tsem) — bone.
: bone/limb
1) bone, essence, substance
1a) bone
1a1) body, limbs, members, external body
1b) bone (of animal)
1c) substance, self
עֶ֫צֶם (e.tsem) — bone: same.
: same/very
1) bone, essence, substance
1a) bone
1a1) body, limbs, members, external body
1b) bone (of animal)
1c) substance, self
עֶ֫צֶם (e.tsem) — bone: body.
: body
1) bone, essence, substance
1a) bone
1a1) body, limbs, members, external body
1b) bone (of animal)
1c) substance, self
HNcfpc/Sp3ms — Noun common feminine plural construct · suffixHNcfpc/Sp3ms
אֶחָד (echad) means 'one' and is derived from a numeral. It encompasses meanings such as each, every, a certain, and can serve as an indefinite article. It is also used as an ordinal to denote 'first' and appears in various combinations, including eleven. The entries consistently emphasize its numerical and qualitative aspects.
אֶחָד 972 adj.num. one
one
= each, every
= a certain
= indef. art.
only, & (fem.) once
one … another, one … the other
as ordinal first
in combin.
base
H259 אֶחָד one . one
. = each, every
. = a certain
. = indef. art.
. only, & (fem.) once
. one … another, one … the other
. as ordinal first
. in combin.
259 'echad ekh-awd'
a numeral from 258; properly, united, i.e. one; or (as an
ordinal) first:--a, alike, alone, altogether, and,
any(-thing), apiece, a certain, (dai-)ly, each (one), +
eleven, every, few, first, + highway, a man, once, one, only,
other, some, together,
see HEBREW for 0258
אֶחָד (e.chad) — one.
1) one (number)
1a) one (number)
1b) each, every
1c) a certain
1d) an (indefinite article)
1e) only, once, once for all
1f) one...another, the one...the other, one after another, one by one
1g) first
1h) eleven (in combination), eleventh (ordinal)
HNcfsa — Noun common · feminine singular absoluteHNcfsa
wun.
See NUMBER.
הֶן (hen) — them.
Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 3rd person feminine plural
HR/Pp3fp — Preposition · pronounHR/Pp3fp
לֹא (lo') is a Hebrew word meaning 'not' or 'no.' It serves as a simple negation and can imply absence or prohibition. The word can also be used in various contexts, often combined with other particles for emphasis or clarification. Its Aramaic equivalent is לָא (la), which also means 'not.'
לֹא or לוֹא adv. not
base
H3808 לֹא or לוֹא not
3808 lo' lo
or lowi {lo}; or loh (Deut. 3:11) {lo}; a primitive particle;
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often
used with other particles (as follows):--X before, + or else,
ere, + except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never,
no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), (X as though...,(can-), for) not (out
of), of nought, otherwise, out of, + surely, + as truly as, +
of a truth, + verily, for want, + whether, without.
לֹא (lo) — not.
1) not, no
1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition)
1b) not (with modifier-negation)
1c) nothing (subst)
1d) without (with particle)
1e) before (of time)
Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)
HTn — ParticleHTn
שָׁבַר (shabar) means to break or shatter, with various nuances including breaking in pieces, causing to break out (like bringing to birth), and being broken or crushed. It appears in different forms, such as Qal, Niphal, Piel, Hiphil, and Hophal, indicating active and passive meanings. The lexicons do not present any significant disagreements.
שָׁבַר 148 vb. break, break in pieces
Qal 53 break, lit.
Niph. 57 be broken
Pi. 26 shatter, break
Hiph. cause to break out, i.e. bring to the birth
Hoph. be broken, shattered (in heart)
base
H7665 שָׁבַר break, break in pieces .break, lit.
. be broken
. shatter, break
. cause to break out, i.e. bring to the birth
. be broken, shattered (in heart)
7665 shabar shaw-bar'
a primitive root; to burst (literally or
figuratively):--break (down, off, in pieces, up),
broken((-hearted)), bring to the birth, crush, destroy, hurt,
quench, X quite, tear, view (by mistake for 7663).
see HEBREW for 07663
שָׁבַר (sha.var) — to break.
1) to break, break in pieces
1a) (Qal)
1a1) break, break in or down, rend violently, wreck, crush, quench
1a2) to break, rupture (fig)
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be broken, be maimed, be crippled, be wrecked
1b2) to be broken, be crushed (fig)
1c) (Piel) to shatter, break
1d) (Hiphil) to cause to break out, bring to the birth
1e) (Hophal) to be broken, be shattered
Aramaic equivalent: te.var (תְּבַר "to break" H8406)
HVNp3fs — Verb · Niphal · perfect third person feminine singularHVNp3fs
bro'-k'-n: Occurs both as past participle of the verb translated "to break" and as an adjective, the former use will be dealt with here only so far as verbs occur which are thus translated but do not present the non-participial forms. Such are: meroach = "bruised," "emasculated" (Le 21:20); chathath = "to frustrate," hence, "to break down" either by violence or by confusion and fear (1Sa 2:10; Jer 48:20,39); dakhah = "to collapse" (Ps 44:19; 51:8); ratsats = "to crack in pieces" "crush" (Ec 12:6); kathath = "to bruise or violently strike," "break in pieces" (Isa…
