Bible Commentary - Psalms 33

Psalm 33, as the first verse tells us, is a psalm of thanksgiving.

First, note that this is an untitled psalm.  It seems like almost all of the last 20 or 30 psalms have all been psalms “of David”.  Although the title “of David” does not necessarily imply Davidic authorship (scholars debate this point), it does clearly indicate a common grouping of psalms, perhaps coming from a particular collection with a common origin or thematic ties.  The fact that this is not a Davidic psalm therefore indicates that it may have structural differences with the Davidic psalms we have read so far.

This psalm is defined by several ideas.  I’m going to say a few words that I see in this psalm: praise, the word of the LORD, the eyes of the LORD, and creation.  We praise God because he created, by the power of his word, and that he is constantly watching the earth with a special focus on the righteous ones whom he watches for their protection and blessing.

In verses 1-5, we praise.  The praise is centered on verse 4 which declares the goodness of the LORD in both word and action.  This is a common pair of ideas in the bible; when combined, words and actions represent the entirety of one’s behavior and activity.  In this context it means that everything about the LORD is good.

In verses 6-9 the psalmist zooms in on God’s creation of the world.  Since the overall theme is praise and thanksgiving, we are still thinking about the LORD in a mindset of thankfulness.  By describing the creation of the world, our praise is directed and focused on God’s creative nature, authority and supremacy over the world, which he expressed through creation.  This passage repeatedly describes creation as the result of God’s spoken word.  Talking about creation as the result of God’s word highlights God’s authority and power.  There is one extra thing worth pointing out here.  The power of words is implicitly a royal characteristic.

This connection may not be obvious, so let me make a hypothetical example.  Imagine you are living in an absolute monarchy, where the king is the ultimate authority who can issue any law or decision he wants without any checks and balances.  In this situation, the king rarely “does” anything; if he wants somebody killed, he doesn’t grab a sword and go chase that person.  Instead, he will issue a declaration or edict, simply ordering that the person should be killed, and his soldiers or administrators will carry out the command.  The power of a king is in his authority, and his authority is expressed through his words.

Let’s take this analogy back to the creation story.  In this story, God issued a “command” that the world should exist.  Because the LORD is the great king who rules over the whole world, his command was carried out and the world was created as a result.

These verses echo the creation narrative of Genesis 1, which also described creation as a product of God’s word.  It is likely that the psalmist was aware of the Genesis narrative and indirectly referencing it.

In verses 10-12, it continues emphasizing the power of God’s word but instead of directing it towards creation, it stands in opposition of the words and plans of “the nations”.  In verse 10 we see “the plans of the peoples” are frustrated, and verse 11 tells us that it is “the plans” of God that override them.  The nations have “plans”, but the LORD is greater and stronger, and the LORD’s plans are imposed upon the nations against their will.  Verse 12 calls the nation of Israel “blessed” because the LORD’s plans is to bless them.

Now that the psalmist has described God’s authority and power to impose his will upon the world, verses 13-19 show us how God watches all the people in the world to enforce his will.  The reason God is watching is to ensure that his “plans” are fulfilled in every person’s life.  God’s diligence in observing everyone means that God is always ready to act.  He is always aware of exactly what is happening in every person’s life, and he will intercede to bring about his will every moment that it is necessary.

Verses 16-17 point out that we cannot be saved by strength or might of any kind.  It might not be obvious, but this is intentionally contrasted with verses 18-19.  The contrast is that earthly strength cannot save, but the strength and power of God can save us.  This contrast follows from the previous sections.  Because God has “plans” for everyone, because God has ultimate authority and because he is watching everyone, he is the sole power that is capable of delivering anyone because there is no earthly power that can resist his will.  The reason why God is the only one who can save is because his decisions about your life cannot be overruled by anyone else.

Finally, in verses 20-22, we are reminded to “wait”, “trust” and “hope” in the LORD.  This is a logical conclusion of the preceding sections.  Because God is the only one who can deliver, we should trust in him for our deliverance.  Even though it might feel like a circuitous path, this actually follows from the previous thoughts in this psalm, from verse 6-19.  Beginning from the creation of the world, we understand that God has authority over all things, and therefore he is the only source of deliverance and salvation from trouble, because his will and his plans are enacted in every person’s life by his power.

In conclusion, I hope my readers understand that while this psalm is meant to praise God, it also contains a latent theology; a theology of God’s power and goodness, our relationship to him and dependence upon him, and the immutability of God’s will and plans for our lives no matter what the “mighty armies” of the world seek to do.  There is no power that can overrule the LORD, and this is a great blessing because ultimately God desires to “deliver” the righteous “from death”.