Psalms 33
Call to Joyful Praise 1–3
The Righteousness and Truth of God’s Word 4–5
God the Sovereign Creator 6–9
The Eternal Counsel of the Lord 10–11
The Lord Watches Over His People 12–19
A Final Declaration of Trust and Petition 20–22
Bible text: King James Version (1769 Blayney text) · Public domain
Study Notes for Psalm 33
Verse 1
Rejoice in the LORD, O ye righteous — The opening takes up the last verse of Ps 32: ‘rejoice’ is ranan, the ‘shout for joy’ of Ps 32:11, and ‘righteous’ and ‘upright’ are the same two words there. ‘Comely’ (na’veh) is fitting or becoming: praise suits the upright, as Ps 147:1 says, ‘praise is comely’.
Verse 3
a new song — The phrase recurs in Ps 40:3; 96:1; 98:1; 144:9; 149:1 and Isa 42:10, and the redeemed sing it in Rev 5:9. ‘Play skilfully’ joins yatav, to do well, with ‘a loud noise’, teruah, the shout or trumpet-blast of joy: the praise is to be both well made and loud.
Verse 4
the word of the LORD is right — ‘Right’ is yashar, the word rendered ‘upright’ in v.1, so the upright are those who answer a word that is itself upright. ‘Truth’ is emunah, faithfulness, the word of Deut 32:4, ‘a God of truth and without iniquity’. His ‘works’ are as dependable as his word.
Verse 5
the goodness of the LORD — This is chesed, the covenant love the KJV usually renders ‘mercy’ and does so in vv.18 and 22. The earth ‘is full’ of it, as Ps 119:64 says, ‘The earth, O LORD, is full of thy mercy’. ‘Righteousness and judgment’ are tsedaqah and mishpat, what he loves.
Verse 6
By the word of the LORD were the heavens made — The pattern of Gen 1, where God said and it was so; v.9 repeats it, ‘he spake, and it was done’. ‘Breath’ is ruach, the word that also means spirit, and Christian writers heard here the Word and the Spirit; John says of the Word that ‘All things were made by him’ (John 1:3). ‘Host’ is tsava, heaven’s army.
Verse 8
all the inhabitants of the world — ‘World’ is tebel, the habitable earth, so the call to fear goes out to the people who live on it as well as to ‘all the earth’. ‘Stand in awe’ is gur, to be afraid. Ps 96:9 sends the same summons: ‘fear before him, all the earth’.
Verse 10
the counsel of the heathen — ‘Heathen’ is goyim, the nations, the word translated ‘nation’ in v.12. The verb ‘bringeth … to nought’ is pur, to crush or break. The counsel (etsah) and devices (machashavah) of the nations are set against the ‘counsel’ and ‘thoughts’ of the LORD in the next verse.
Verse 11
The counsel of the LORD standeth — ‘Counsel’ is etsah, as in v.10, and ‘thoughts’ is machashavah, the word translated ‘devices’ there: what the nations plan comes to nothing, and what he plans ‘standeth for ever’. Prov 19:21 says the same, ‘many devices in a man’s heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand’.
Verse 12
the people whom he hath chosen — Bachar, to choose, and nachalah, a possession handed down: Moses says ‘the LORD’S portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance’ (Deut 32:9). ‘Nation’ here is goy, the same word as ‘heathen’ in v.10. Peter applies the language to the church, ‘a chosen generation… an holy nation’ (1 Pet 2:9).
Verse 15
He fashioneth their hearts alike — Yatsar is the potter’s verb, used of God forming man of the dust (Gen 2:7). ‘Alike’ is yachad, together. The Maker of every heart also ‘considereth all their works’, as Ps 94:9 asks, ‘he that formed the eye, shall he not see?’
Verse 17
An horse is a vain thing for safety — ‘Vain thing’ is sheqer, a falsehood, and ‘safety’ is teshuah, deliverance. The verse is the sharp form of Prov 21:31, ‘The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD’, and of Ps 20:7, ‘Some trust in chariots, and some in horses’.
Verse 18
the eye of the LORD — The horse’s strength fails (v.17), but his eye is upon ‘them that fear him’, the eye he fixes on the one he counsels in Ps 32:8, ‘I will guide thee with mine eye’. Peter cites the like words of Ps 34:15, ‘The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous’, in 1 Pet 3:12. ‘Mercy’ is chesed again, and ‘hope’ is yachal.
Verse 20
our help and our shield — Ezer and magen are the pair repeated three times of Israel, the house of Aaron and those who fear the LORD in Ps 115:9–11, ‘he is their help and their shield’. ‘Waiteth’ (chakah) is to wait with expectation: the soul (nephesh) itself waits.
Verse 22
Let thy mercy, O LORD, be upon us — The psalm ends with chesed, the word of vv.5 and 18: the earth is full of it, and the prayer is that it rest upon those who ‘hope’ (yachal, as in v.18). The measure asked for is ‘according as we hope in thee’.