Psalm 33
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.
Introduction
Psalms 33
This is a psalm of praise; it is probable that David was the penman of it, but we are not told so, because God would have us look above the penmen of sacred writ, to that blessed Spirit that moved and guided them. The psalmist, in this psalm, I. Calls upon the righteous to praise God (Psa 33:1-3). II. Furnishes us with matter for praise. We must praise God, 1. For his justice, goodness, and truth, appearing in his word, and in all his works (Psa 33:4, Psa 33:5). 2. For his power appearing in the work of creation (Psa 33:6-9). 3. For the sovereignty of his providence in the government of the world (Psa 33:10, Psa 33:11) and again (Psa 33:13-17). 4. For the peculiar favour which he bears to his own chosen people, which encourages them to trust in him (Psa 33:12) and again (Psa 33:18-22). We need not be at a loss for proper thoughts in singing this psalm, which so naturally expresses the pious affections of a devout soul towards God.
Cross-references: Ps 33:1 · Ps 33:4 · Ps 33:5 · Ps 33:6 · Ps 33:10 · Ps 33:11 · Ps 33:13 · Ps 33:12 · Ps 33:18