John Calvin Commentary Psalms 34:14

"Depart from evil, and do good; Seek peace, and pursue it." — Psalms 34:14 (ASV)

Turn away from evil, and do good. Here the Psalmist commands the children of God to abstain from all evil and to devote themselves to the work of doing good to their neighbors. This verse is generally quoted as if David here addressed the two parts of repentance.

The first step in the work of repentance is that the sinner forsake the vices to which he is addicted and renounce his former way of life; and the second, that he shape his behavior according to righteousness. But here we are more especially taught how we ought to deal with our neighbors.

As it often happens that the person who is not only liberal but also prodigal towards some, or at least helps many by acts of kindness, wrongs others by defrauding and injuring them, David, very appropriately, begins by saying that those who desire to have their life approved before God ought to abstain from doing evil.

On the other hand, since many think that provided they have neither defrauded, nor wronged, nor injured anyone, they have discharged the duty which God requires from them, he has added, equally appropriately, the other precept concerning doing good to our neighbors. It is not the will of God that his servants should be idle, but rather that they should aid one another, desiring each other’s welfare and prosperity, and promoting it as far as they are able.

David next teaches the duty of maintaining peace: Seek peace, and pursue it. We know that peace is maintained by gentleness and forbearance. However, we often have to deal with people who have a fretful, factious, or stubborn spirit, or with those who are always ready to stir up strife on the slightest occasion. Many wicked persons also irritate us. Others, by their own wickedness, alienate good people from them as much as they can, and still others diligently strive to find grounds for contention. Therefore, he teaches us not only that we ought to seek peace; but if at any time it seems to flee from us, he instructs us to make every unceasing effort to pursue it.

This, however, must be understood with some limitation. It will often happen that when good and humble people have done everything in their power to secure peace, far from softening the hearts of the wicked or inclining them to uprightness, they instead excite their malice.

Their impiety also often compels us to separate from them and to avoid them. Indeed, when they defy God by proclaiming, as it were, open war against Him, it would be disloyalty and treason on our part not to oppose and resist them. But David here means only that in our own personal affairs, we should be meek and condescending, and endeavor, as far as we are able, to maintain peace, even if its maintenance causes us much trouble and inconvenience.