Psalms 34:20

“He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken.”

Psalms 34:20 · direct translation from the Hebrew
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With the Hebrew beneath

20

Quotation · John 19:36

Go to John 19:36

John does not say which passage he quotes. Psalm 34:20 says it of the righteous one, and in the passive, as John does: “not one of them is broken.”

Formula: ἵνα ἡ γραφὴ πληρωθῇ “so that the Scripture might be fulfilled” (John 19:36)

See the original texts

Greek of the New Testament: ἐγένετο γὰρ ταῦτα ἵνα ἡ γραφὴ πληρωθῇ Ὀστοῦν οὐ συντριβήσεται αὐτοῦ

Hebrew (Masoretic text): שֹׁמֵר כָּל עַצְמוֹתָיו אַחַת מֵהֵנָּה לֹא נִשְׁבָּרָה

Septuagint (Psalms 33:21 in the Septuagint numbering): Κύριος φυλάσσει πάντα τὰ ὀστᾶ αὐτῶν, ἐν ἐξ αὐτῶν οὐ συντριβήσεται.

In the Septuagint verse that most resembles it, at most 2 consecutive words match the Greek of the NT. The transcription has reading errors, so a match may not show.

Septuagint, Swete’s text, First1KGreek transcription (with reading errors), CC BY-SA 4.0

Psalms 34:20, word by word

He keepsשֹׁמֵרshomer

guard

To watch over, protect from all harm.

Where else “shomer” appears
his bonesעַצְמוֹתָיatsmotay

bone

Each hard piece of the skeleton; also the body itself, of the dead or the living.

Where else “atsmotay” appears
not oneאַחַתachat

one

The number one; just one and no more.

Where else “achat” appears
is brokenנִשְׁבָּרָהnishbara

break

To break something to pieces.

Where else “nishbara” appears

Translation note

John 19:36 applies this verse to Jesus on the cross.

Parallel passages

Other books that tell the same thing or quote these words.

Quotation · John 19:36

John does not say which passage he quotes. Psalm 34:20 says it of the righteous one, and in the passive, as John does: “not one of them is broken.”

See them side by side

Psalms 34:20

20He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken.

John 19:36

36For these things happened so that the Scripture might be fulfilled, “Not a bone of his will be broken.”

The context

19Many are the evils of the righteous, but from all of them YHWH delivers him.

20 · This verse (above)

21Evil will bring death to the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be guilty.

Read all of Psalms 34

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