Psalms 33

General context

The psalm calls the righteous to rejoice in the Lord, since praise is comely for the upright, to praise him with harp, psaltery and an instrument of ten strings, and to sing a new song, playing skilfully with a loud noise. The reasons follow: the word of the Lord is right and all his works are done in truth; he loves righteousness and judgment, and the earth is full of his goodness. By the word of the Lord the heavens were made and all their host by the breath of his mouth; he gathers the waters of the sea as a heap and lays up the depth in storehouses. All the earth should fear him, for he spoke and it was done, he commanded and it stood fast. He brings the counsel of the heathen to nought and the devices of the people to no effect, while his own counsel stands for ever. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he has chosen for his inheritance. The Lord looks from heaven on all the sons of men and all the inhabitants of the earth; he fashions their hearts alike and considers all their works. No king is saved by the multitude of a host, no mighty man delivered by much strength, and a horse is a vain thing for safety. The eye of the Lord is on those who fear him and hope in his mercy, to deliver their soul from death and keep them alive in famine. Our soul waits for the Lord, our help and shield; our heart will rejoice because we have trusted his holy name. The close asks that the Lord's mercy be upon us, according as we hope in him.

Cited passages: Psalms 33:1, Psalms 33:2, Psalms 33:3, Psalms 33:4, Psalms 33:5, Psalms 33:6, Psalms 33:7, Psalms 33:8, Psalms 33:9, Psalms 33:10, Psalms 33:11, Psalms 33:12, Psalms 33:13, Psalms 33:15, Psalms 33:16, Psalms 33:17, Psalms 33:18, Psalms 33:19, Psalms 33:20, Psalms 33:22

Psalms 33 (KJV)

This page shows the King James Version. In the app, reading opens in the Berean Standard Bible unless you have chosen another translation. The reader includes five translations: the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), the King James Version (KJV), the World English Bible (WEB), the Bible in Basic English (BBE), and the American Standard Version (ASV). Search covers three of them: Berean Standard, King James, and World English. Basic English and American Standard readers search the King James words.

Historical context

The text as printed carries no heading, so no author, occasion or instrument is stated in this source. No "I" speaks; the psalm speaks of the Lord in the third person until the last verse addresses him, and "our" appears only in verses 20-22 without identifying the group. Three instruments are named, harp, psaltery and "an instrument of ten strings", and "a new song" is called for without its words being given. "The nation whose God is the Lord" and "the people whom he hath chosen" are not named. The heathen, the people, the king, the mighty man and the horse are types, and no battle or event is narrated; famine is named as a danger from which the Lord keeps alive. Verse 9 states that creation happened by speech, "he spake, and it was done". There is no Selah.

Cited passages: Psalms 33:20, Psalms 33:2, Psalms 33:3, Psalms 33:12, Psalms 33:16, Psalms 33:19, Psalms 33:9, Psalms 33:22

Literary context

The psalm opens with a call to praise (verses 1-3) and then gives its reasons in three panels: the word that made and rules (4-9), the counsel that stands while the nations' counsel fails (10-12), and the eye that watches and delivers (13-19), before a closing response in the first person plural (20-22). Speech is the first theme, "the word of the Lord is right", "By the word of the Lord were the heavens made", "the breath of his mouth", "he spake, and it was done". Seeing is the second, "looketh from heaven", "beholdeth", "looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth", "the eye of the Lord". Counsel is set against counsel in verses 10-11, and three vain sources of safety, a host, strength and a horse, are set against "our help and our shield". Hope and mercy close the poem: the eye is on those who "hope in his mercy", and the last line asks for mercy "according as we hope in thee". The opening line takes up the last verse of Psalm 32, "Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous", so the two psalms are joined by the same call.

Cited passages: Psalms 33:3, Psalms 33:4, Psalms 33:6, Psalms 33:9, Psalms 33:13, Psalms 33:14, Psalms 33:10, Psalms 33:11, Psalms 33:17, Psalms 33:20, Psalms 33:18, Psalms 33:22, Psalms 32:11

Key moments

1. A new song (Psalms 33:3). The righteous are told to sing a new song and play skilfully with a loud noise.
2. Heavens made by the word (Psalms 33:6). By the word of the Lord the heavens were made and their host by the breath of his mouth.
3. He spake, and it was done (Psalms 33:9). All the earth is told to fear the Lord because he spoke and it was done.
4. Counsel that stands for ever (Psalms 33:11). The Lord's counsel stands for ever while the heathen's counsel comes to nought.
5. The blessed nation (Psalms 33:12). Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, chosen for his inheritance.
6. A horse a vain thing (Psalms 33:17). No king, mighty man or horse gives safety.
7. Our help and shield (Psalms 33:20). The plural voice waits for the Lord as its help and shield.

For reflection

The psalm says the Lord fashions the hearts of all men alike and considers all their works, then narrows to those who fear him and hope in his mercy; what does the poem suggest sets apart the ones the eye of the Lord is said to be upon?