Psalms — Chapter 33

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1Rejoice in the LORD, O righteous ones; it is fitting for the upright to praise Him.

2Praise the LORD with the harp; make music to Him with ten strings.

3Sing to Him a new song; play skillfully with a shout of joy.

4For the word of the LORD is upright, and all His work is trustworthy.

5The LORD loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of His loving devotion.

6By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and all the stars by the breath of His mouth.

7He piles up the waters of the sea; He puts the depths into storehouses.

8Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the people of the world revere Him.

9For He spoke, and it came to be; He commanded, and it stood firm.

10The LORD frustrates the plans of the nations; He thwarts the devices of the peoples.

11The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the purposes of His heart to all generations.

12Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people He has chosen as His inheritance!

13The LORD looks down from heaven; He sees all the sons of men.

14From His dwelling place He gazes on all who inhabit the earth.

15He shapes the hearts of each; He considers all their works.

16No king is saved by his vast army; no warrior is delivered by his great strength.

17A horse is a vain hope for salvation; even its great strength cannot save.

18Surely the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear Him, on those whose hope is in His loving devotion

19to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine.

20Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our help and our shield.

21For our hearts rejoice in Him, since we trust in His holy name.

22May Your loving devotion rest on us, O LORD, as we put our hope in You.

1Rejoice in the LORD, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright.

2Praise the LORD with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings.

3Sing unto him a new song; play skilfully with a loud noise.

4For the word of the LORD is right; and all his works are done in truth.

5He loveth righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of the LORD.

6By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.

7He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: he layeth up the depth in storehouses.

8Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.

9For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.

10The LORD bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: he maketh the devices of the people of none effect.

11The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.

12Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD: and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.

13The LORD looketh from heaven; he beholdeth all the sons of men.

14From the place of his habitation he looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth.

15He fashioneth their hearts alike; he considereth all their works.

16There is no king saved by the multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength.

17An horse is a vain thing for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength.

18Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy;

19To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.

20Our soul waiteth for the LORD: he is our help and our shield.

21For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name.

22Let thy mercy, O LORD, be upon us, according as we hope in thee.

1Rejoice in Jehovah, O ye righteous: Praise is comely for the upright.

2Give thanks unto Jehovah with the harp: Sing praises unto him with the psaltery of ten strings.

3Sing unto him a new song; Play skilfully with a loud noise.

4For the word of Jehovah is right; And all his work is [done] in faithfulness.

5He loveth righteousness and justice: The earth is full of the lovingkindness of Jehovah.

6By the word of Jehovah were the heavens made, And all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.

7He gathereth the waters of the sea together as a heap: He layeth up the deeps in store-houses.

8Let all the earth fear Jehovah: Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.

9For he spake, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.

10Jehovah bringeth the counsel of the nations to nought; He maketh the thoughts of the peoples to be of no effect.

11The counsel of Jehovah standeth fast for ever, The thoughts of his heart to all generations.

12Blessed is the nation whose God is Jehovah, The people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.

13Jehovah looketh from heaven; He beholdeth all the sons of men;

14From the place of his habitation he looketh forth Upon all the inhabitants of the earth,

15He that fashioneth the hearts of them all, That considereth all their works.

16There is no king saved by the multitude of a host: A mighty man is not delivered by great strength.

17A horse is a vain thing for safety; Neither doth he deliver any by his great power.

18Behold, the eye of Jehovah is upon them that fear him, Upon them that hope in his lovingkindness;

19To deliver their soul from death, And to keep them alive in famine.

20Our soul hath waited for Jehovah: He is our help and our shield.

21For our heart shall rejoice in him, Because we have trusted in his holy name.

22Let thy lovingkindness, O Jehovah, be upon us, According as we have hoped in thee. Psalm 34 A Psalm of David; when he changed his behavior before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he departed.

1You godly ones, shout for joy because of the Lord! It is appropriate for the morally upright to offer him praise.

2Give thanks to the Lord with the harp. Sing to him to the accompaniment of a ten-stringed instrument.

3Sing to him a new song. Play skillfully as you shout out your praises to him.

4For the Lord’s decrees are just, and everything he does is fair.

5He promotes equity and justice; the Lord’s faithfulness extends throughout the earth.

6By the Lord’s decree the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all the starry hosts.

7He piles up the water of the sea; he puts the oceans in storehouses.

8Let the whole earth fear the Lord. Let all who live in the world stand in awe of him.

9For he spoke, and it came into existence. He issued the decree, and it stood firm.

10The Lord frustrates the decisions of the nations; he nullifies the plans of the peoples.

11The Lord’s decisions stand forever; his plans abide throughout the ages.

12How blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom he has chosen to be his special possession.

13The Lord watches from heaven; he sees all people.

14From the place where he lives he looks carefully at all the earth’s inhabitants.

15He is the one who forms every human heart, and takes note of all their actions.

16No king is delivered by his vast army; a warrior is not saved by his great might.

17A horse disappoints those who trust in it for victory; despite its great strength, it cannot deliver.

18Look, the Lord takes notice of his loyal followers, those who wait for him to demonstrate his faithfulness

19by saving their lives from death and sustaining them during times of famine.

20We wait for the Lord; he is our deliverer and shield.

21For our hearts rejoice in him, for we trust in his holy name.

22May we experience your faithfulness, O Lord, for we wait for you.

1Rejoice in Yahweh, you righteous! Praise is fitting for the upright.

2Give thanks to Yahweh with the lyre. Sing praises to him with the harp of ten strings.

3Sing to him a new song. Play skillfully with a shout of joy!

4For Yahweh’s word is right. All his work is done in faithfulness.

5He loves righteousness and justice. The earth is full of the loving kindness of Yahweh.

6By Yahweh’s word, the heavens were made; all their army by the breath of his mouth.

7He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap. He lays up the deeps in storehouses.

8Let all the earth fear Yahweh. Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.

9For he spoke, and it was done. He commanded, and it stood firm.

10Yahweh brings the counsel of the nations to nothing. He makes the thoughts of the peoples to be of no effect.

11The counsel of Yahweh stands fast forever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.

12Blessed is the nation whose God is Yahweh, the people whom he has chosen for his own inheritance.

13Yahweh looks from heaven. He sees all the sons of men.

14From the place of his habitation he looks out on all the inhabitants of the earth,

15he who fashions all of their hearts; and he considers all of their works.

16There is no king saved by the multitude of an army. A mighty man is not delivered by great strength.

17A horse is a vain thing for safety, neither does he deliver any by his great power.

18Behold, Yahweh’s eye is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his loving kindness;

19to deliver their soul from death, to keep them alive in famine.

20Our soul has waited for Yahweh. He is our help and our shield.

21For our heart rejoices in him, because we have trusted in his holy name.

22Let your loving kindness be on us, Yahweh, since we have hoped in you.

Summary
Authorship & Background
Commentary
Videos
Articles
Reflection

Summary

A hymn of praise calling the righteous to sing joyfully to the LORD with instruments and a new song (vv. 1-3), praising his word as right and all his work as faithful, since he loves righteousness and justice and the earth is full of his steadfast love (vv. 4-5). By his word the heavens were made and the waters gathered, so all the earth is called to stand in awe of him (vv. 6-9). The LORD frustrates the plans of nations, but his own purposes stand firm forever, and he watches all humanity from heaven, understanding every heart and deed (vv. 10-15). No king is saved by the size of his army, and a warhorse offers no guarantee of victory, but the LORD's eye watches over those who fear him and hope in his steadfast love, delivering them from death and keeping them alive in famine (vv. 16-19). The psalm closes with a request that God's steadfast love rest on the worshipers as they put their hope in him (vv. 20-22).

Authorship & Background

Author: Multiple authors — primarily David (73 psalms attributed), plus Asaph (12), Sons of Korah (11), Solomon (2), Moses (1), Heman (1), Ethan (1), and anonymous. The Psalter was compiled over approximately 1000 years and served as Israel's hymnal and prayer book. The book is divided into five 'books' (1-41, 42-72, 73-89, 90-106, 107-150), paralleling the five books of Moses.
Classification: Hymn of Praise / Creation Psalm
Attributed Author: Anonymous (no superscription — one of the few in Book I without a Davidic attribution)
Key Themes: Singing a new song to God, creation by God's word, God's sovereign plan over nations, trust in God rather than military might, hope in God's steadfast love
Historical Context: Psalm 33 is one of the few psalms in Book I (Psalms 1-41) that lacks a superscription attributing it to David. The Septuagint (Greek Old Testament) does assign it to David, and many scholars believe it was composed as a companion piece to Psalm 32, since Psalm 32 ends with a call to "shout for joy" (v.11) and Psalm 33 opens with that same call fulfilled.
Sing unto Him a New Song (vv.1-3): Rejoice in the LORD, O ye righteous, for praise is comely for the upright. The instruction is musical and specific, praise the LORD with harp, sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings. And the last clause asks for competence as well as enthusiasm, play skilfully with a loud noise, which is a rare thing for a hymn to specify.
He Loveth Righteousness and Judgment (vv.4-5): For the word of the LORD is right, and all his works are done in truth. Two verses that set the psalm's subject, and the last clause is a claim about quantity that the rest of the poem will argue for, the earth is full of the goodness of the LORD.
By the Word of the LORD Were the Heavens Made (vv.6-9): By the word of the LORD were the heavens made, and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. The creation is described as speech rather than labour, which follows Genesis 1 closely, and the sea is handled without a struggle, he gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap. Then the conclusion drawn is a demand for attention from everybody, let all the earth fear the LORD, and the reason is put in two clauses that leave no interval, for he spake, and it was done, he commanded, and it stood fast.
The Counsel of the LORD Standeth for Ever (vv.10-12): The LORD bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nothing, he maketh the devices of the people of none effect. Against that, the counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations. The contrast is between plans that expire and one that does not. And the beatitude that closes the section is national, blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD.
He Fashioneth Their Hearts Alike (vv.13-15): The LORD looketh from heaven, he beholdeth all the sons of men. The observation is described as comprehensive and the reason given for its accuracy is unusual, he fashioneth their hearts alike, he considereth all their works. The maker of the instrument is the one reading it.
There Is No King Saved by the Multitude of an Host (vv.16-17): There is no king saved by the multitude of an host, a mighty man is not delivered by much strength. Two verses of military scepticism, and the second names the most expensive asset of the age, an horse is a vain thing for safety, neither shall he deliver any by his great strength. This is the same argument as Psalm 20:7 and Isaiah 31:1.
The Eye of the LORD Is upon Them That Fear Him (vv.18-19): Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy. The general observation of verses 13 to 15 is here narrowed to a particular attention, and what it is for is stated in two plain outcomes, to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.
Our Soul Waiteth for the LORD (vv.20-22): Our soul waiteth for the LORD, he is our help and our shield. The psalm ends in the first person plural and in the posture the psalter recommends most often. And the last verse is a petition rather than a declaration, which is a modest ending for a poem about creation and empires, let thy mercy, O LORD, be upon us, according as we hope in thee.

Commentary

  • Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Verse-by-verse commentary on this chapter, written for the everyday reader and freely available online.
  • Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871): blueletterbible.org A critical and explanatory commentary on the whole Bible, more concise than Matthew Henry and closer to the Hebrew and Greek, with attention to historical and geographical detail. Public domain.
  • Matthew Henry's Exposition (1710): blueletterbible.org A devotional verse-by-verse commentary in the Puritan tradition, still among the most widely read three centuries on. Public domain.

Videos

Psalm 33 | Sing a New Song | Bible Study
Spoken Gospel

Psalm 33 - The Great and Awesome God
David Guzik

Articles

  • GotQuestions.org: gotquestions.org On the whole book: an overview of Psalms -- who wrote it, when, why, and how it fits the rest of Scripture.

Links open on the publisher's own site. Nothing here is reproduced on this page.

Reflection

  • A New Song of Praise (vv.1-3) — The psalm opens with a call to sing a fresh song, not stale repetition. Has your worship grown routine, and what recent evidence of God's goodness deserves a new expression of praise?
  • Creation by His Word (vv.6-9) — The heavens were made simply by God speaking, and what He commands stands firm. Does the same confidence you would place in a God who spoke galaxies into being show up in how you trust His word over your circumstances?
  • The Futility of Human Strength (vv.16-17) — No king is saved by the size of his army, and no warrior by his strength alone. What horses and chariots — money, status, ability — do you quietly lean on instead of God?
  • Watched Over by a Faithful God (vv.18-19) — God's eye rests on those who fear Him and hope in His steadfast love, ready to preserve their lives. Does knowing you are watched over change how you face present dangers or scarcity?
  • Waiting as an Act of Faith (vv.20-22) — The psalm closes with a soul that waits for the Lord as its help and shield. Are you willing to wait on God's timing rather than forcing your own solution?