When the Strong Go Hungry: A Reflection on Psalm 34:10

“Young lions have lacked and been hunger, but seekers of the LORD will not lack any good.” — Psalm 34:10

At first glance, Psalm 34:10 is a simple comparison. But beneath the surface lies a profound truth about strength, need, and the true source of goodness.

The Strength of the Lion and the Search for Good

Young lions are symbols of power, agility, and self-sufficiency. In the wild, they are hunters; beings that go out and take what they need. They stalk, chase, and overpower their prey. In this verse, David draws attention to their natural strength and initiative. And yet, despite their advantages, even they sometimes go hungry.

It’s a humbling image: those who rely on their own strength and ability can still fail to find even one good thing—like food.

Now contrast that with the second half of the verse:

“those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.”

Notice the shift. These people aren’t described as strong. They aren’t hunting. They aren’t achieving. They are seeking. The Hebrew word for “seek” (דֹּרְשֵׁי) implies an active, ongoing pursuit—not of prey, but of a person: Yahweh. These are not conquerors of the world’s goods; they are humble pursuers of the God who is good.

And here’s the stunning promise: not only will they not lack food—they will not lack any good thing (כָּל־טוֹב). While the young lions go hungry despite their strength, the seekers of the LORD find themselves full. Not by their own power, but by the One who is the source of all goodness.

A Subtle Shift in Tense

There’s a quiet grammatical cue in the Hebrew that deepens the message. David uses past tense to describe the lions: “have lacked and have been hungry.” Their failure is a matter of historical fact. But when he describes those who seek the Lord, he uses the present participle: “those who are seeking…”—an ongoing action in the present. And the promise that follows is in the imperfect tense, implying a continuous or future reality: “they will not lack…”

In other words, even though the strong have already failed, those who are now seeking the Lord will not lack.

A Final Thought

The world often tells us to be like the lion. Be strong. Be self-sufficient. Go out and take what you need.

But Psalm 34:10 tells a different story. It invites us to be seekers; dependent, humble, and persistent in our pursuit of God. Not only does that kind of life find Him, it finds all good things through Him.

Don’t strive to be the lion who hunts his prey and still goes hungry. Be the one who seeks his God and lacks nothing.