| Back to Home Page | Back to Book Index
|
Psalm Thirty-three
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO Psalm 33
Though
this psalm has no title to it, it seems to be a psalm of David, from the style
and matter of it; and indeed begins with the same words with which the
preceding psalm is ended. Theodoret is of opinion it was written by David as a
prophecy concerning Hezekiah, as a song to be sung by the people after the
destruction of the Assyrian army.
Psalm 33:1 Rejoice
in the Lord,
O you righteous! For praise from the upright is beautiful.
YLT
1Sing, ye righteous, in
Jehovah, For upright ones praise [is] comely.
Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous,.... See Gill on Psalm 32:11;
for praise is comely for the
upright; it becomes them; it is their duty; they are bound unto it by the
mercies and favours they have received; should they not give praise to God, the
stones of the wall would cry out, and rebuke them for their ingratitude: it is
beautiful, and looks lovely in them; it is an ornament to them, and is, in the
sight of God, of great esteem: it is very acceptable to him, and when grace is
in exercise, and their hearts in tune, being sensibly touched and impressed
with the goodness of God, it is desirable by them, and is pleasant and
delightful to them.
Psalm 33:2 2 Praise the Lord with the harp;
Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings.
YLT
2Give ye thanks to Jehovah
with a harp, With psaltery of ten strings sing praise to Him,
Praise the Lord with harp,.... An instrument David
was well skilled in the use of, the inventor of which was Jubal, Genesis 4:21;
sing unto, him with the psaltery; the name of this
instrument is in the Hebrew language "nebel": the account which
JosephusF23Antiqu. l. 7. c. 12. s. 3. gives of this, and of the
former, is,
"the
harp is extended with ten strings, and is plucked with a quill; the
"nabla", or psaltery, has twelve sounds, and is played upon with the
fingers;'
some
make this and the next to be the same:
and an instrument of ten
strings; and read them together thus, "with the psaltery of ten
strings": and so the Targum, Septuagint, and other versionsF24Vid.
Jarchium in loc. & R. Mosem in Aben Ezra in loc. : but it seems from
Josephus that it was not a stringed instrument, but had holes, and those
twelve; and besides it is distinguished from the instrument of ten strings, Psalm 92:3; it was
in the form of a bottle, from whence it had its name.
Psalm 33:3 3 Sing to Him a new song; Play
skillfully with a shout of joy.
YLT
3Sing ye to Him a new song,
Play skilfully with shouting.
Sing unto him a new song,.... One newly composed
on account of recent mercies received; and as the mercies of God are new every
morning, there ought to be a daily song of praise to him; and so a new song is
a continual song, as Christ is called the "new and living way", Hebrews 10:20;
because he is the everliving way; or the constant and only one, which always
was, is, and will be. Or it may denote some famous and excellent song, as a new
name is an excellent name, an unknown and unspeakable one; see Revelation 2:17;
compared with Revelation 14:2; or
respect may be had to the New Testament dispensation, in which old things are
passed away, and all things become new; a new covenant is exhibited, a new and
living way opened, and new ordinances instituted, and at the end of it there
will be new heavens and a new earth; and so here is a new song made mention of,
as suited to it;
play skilfully with a loud voice: either with the quill
upon the harp, and the instrument of ten strings; or with the fingers upon the
psaltery, at the same time, vocally, and aloud, expressing the new song.
Psalm 33:4 4 For the word of the Lord is
right, And all His work is done in truth.
YLT
4For upright [is] the word
of Jehovah, And all His work [is] in faithfulness.
For the word of the Lord is right,.... The
revealed word of God: the law of God is right; its precepts are holy, just, and
good; its sanction or penalty is righteous; it is impartial unto all; it is
just in condemning the wicked, and in acquitting believers on the account of
Christ's perfect righteousness, by which it is magnified and made honourable:
the Gospel part of the word is right; it publishes right and good things; it
directs to the right way, to heaven and happiness; it makes men right when it
works effectually in them; it engages them to walk in right ways; and its
doctrines are right or plain to them that have a spiritual understanding given
them; and all this is matter of joy and praise;
and all his works are done in truth; his works of
creation are done in the truth of things, with the utmost exactness and
accuracy, and are a wonderful display of his power, wisdom, and goodness: his
works of providence are according to the counsel of his own will, and are done
in the wisest and best manner; and his work of redemption is a proof of his
veracity and faithfulness to his covenant oath and promise; and his work of
grace upon the hearts of his people is truth in the inward parts; and which, as
he has promised to carry on and finish, he is faithful and will do it; in short,
his way of acting both towards the godly and ungodly agrees with his promises
to the one and his threatenings to the other, and so is in truth; and the whole
of this is a reason why the saints should praise the Lord.
Psalm 33:5 5 He loves righteousness and
justice; The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
YLT
5Loving righteousness and
judgment, Of the kindness of Jehovah is the earth full.
He loveth righteousness and judgment,.... Or
"righteous judgment"F25צדקה ומשפט "judicium justum", Gejerus. ; he delights
in the administration of it himself, Jeremiah 9:24; and
he is well pleased with acts of righteousness done by others, when done
according to his word, from love to him, by faith in him, and with a view to
his glory; especially he loves the righteousness of his son, being satisfactory
to his law and justice, and his people, as clothed with it; and he delights in
the condemnation of sin in the flesh of Christ, and in the righteous judgment
of the world, and the prince of it, by Christ;
the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord; of the
providential goodness of God, of which all creatures partake; and of the
special goodness or grace of God manifested in Christ Jesus; it was full of it
particularly when Christ was here on earth, who is full of grace and truth; and
when the Gospel of the grace of God was preached everywhere by his apostles,
according to his order, and appeared to all men; and so it will be especially
in the latter day, when multitudes will be called by grace and converted, and
when the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord; and still more when
it will become a new earth, wherein only righteous men will dwell.
Psalm 33:6 6 By the word of the Lord the heavens
were made, And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.
YLT
6By the word of Jehovah The
heavens have been made, And by the breath of His mouth all their host.
By the word of the Lord were the heavens made,.... The
aerial and starry heavens, and the heaven of heavens, the third heaven, the
seat of the divine Majesty, and the habitation of angels and glorified saints;
these were "made" even out of nothing, not out of any pre-existent
matter, nor were they eternal; and being made are creatures, and so not to be
worshipped, neither they nor their hosts after mentioned; angels, sun, moon,
and stars; these were made by the Word of God, the essential Word of God, the
Lord Jesus Christ, who often goes by this name, John 1:1; and very
fitly agrees with him, who spoke for all his people in the council and covenant
of grace, and undertook to be their surety; is the Word spoken of by all the
holy prophets since the beginning of the world; is the interpreter of his
Father's mind and will, of which he must be capable, since he lay in his bosom;
and now he speaks for his saints in heaven, whose advocate he is; and
especially he may be so called because he so often spake on the six days of
creation, and said, let this and the other thing be, and it was so; and to him,
as the Word of God, is the creation of all things frequently ascribed, John 1:1, Hebrews 11:3, and
particularly the heavens, Hebrews 1:10. This
is a proof of the deity of Christ, and of the dignity of his person; and shows
how fit he is to be the Saviour of men; how safe the saints are in his hands;
and that he ought to be trusted in, adored, and worshipped;
and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth: by "the
host" of the heavens are meant the angels of heaven, who dwell in the
third heaven, and are the militia of it; they are called the heavenly host, Luke 2:13; these
are under Jehovah, as their Lord and King, and are the army among whom he does
according to his will, 1 Kings 22:19;
these attended him whenever he has made any remarkable appearance; and they
have been employed by him against his enemies, and in defence of his people,
about whom they encamp, 2 Kings 19:35. The
sun, moon, and stars, are the host of the next heaven, these are ranged in
their proper order by the Lord, and he keeps the muster roll of them, Isaiah 40:26; and
these are used by him as his militia; the stars in their courses fought against
Sisera, Judges 5:20; and
the winged tribe are the host of the lower heaven; and even the lower class of
these, as the locusts and grasshoppers, go forth in bands and troops, and
encamp in the hedges, and at the command of God pass through and devour whole
countries, Proverbs 30:27; and
all these are made by "the breath" or "spiritF26ברוח פיו "spiritu oris
ejus", V. L. Gejerus, Michaelis; so Ainsworth. of Jehovah's
mouth"; that is, by the Spirit of God, the third Person in the Trinity; a
name which is suitable to him who is breathed forth, and proceeds from the
Father and the Son, and to whom creation is ascribed, Genesis 1:2; and
which is no inconsiderable proof of his deity; and shows that he must be equal
to the work of sanctification, which he begins and carries on. Now though the
creation of the heavens is attributed to the Word, and the host of them to the
Spirit, yet we are not to suppose that one Person took one part, and another
Person another part of the creation; but they were all, Father, Word, and
Spirit, jointly concerned in the whole.
Psalm 33:7 7 He gathers the waters of
the sea together as a heap;[a] He lays up
the deep in storehouses.
YLT
7Gathering as a heap the
waters of the sea, Putting in treasuries the depths.
He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap,.... Which was
done on the third day of the creation, by means of which the dry land appeared,
Genesis 1:9; when
the waters of the sea were piled up as an heap, and stood higher than the
earth, as they now do; and which is a wonderful instance of the power and
providence of God, to bound them, and preserve the earth from being overflowed
by them, Job 38:9;
he layeth up the depth in storehouses; that is,
large quantities of water, for which he has his treasure houses, as for the
wind, hail and snow, Psalm 135:7; and
these are the clouds of heaven above, and the fountains of the great deep
below, which the Lord opens and stops at his pleasure; see Genesis 7:11.
Psalm 33:8 8 Let all the earth fear the
Lord; Let all the
inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.
YLT
8Afraid of Jehovah are all
the earth, Of Him are all the inhabitants of the world afraid.
Let all the earth fear the Lord,.... That is, all the men
that dwell upon the face of the earth. As it follows,
let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him; which fear
and awe design a reverence of the divine Majesty, whose divine perfections are
so manifest in the works of creation; and a carefulness not to offend him, into
whose hands it must be a fearful thing to fall; and the whole worship of him,
which is often in Scripture expressed by the fear of him: and this is to be
understood either as what is the duty of all men; for to "fear God, and
keep his commandments, is the whole duty of man", Ecclesiastes 12:13;
and which is incumbent on all men, in consideration of his being the Creator of
them; and the obligation to it is yet more increased through his providential
care of them and goodness to them; and still more should be found in them,
seeing he will be the Judge of them, and has a despotic and uncontrollable
power over them; and what is it that he cannot do, who has done all this before
related? though none can fear him aright but such who have the grace of fear
put into their hearts by the Spirit of God: or else this may be prophetically
said, as what will be in the latter day, when not only the Jews shall fear the
Lord and his goodness, Hosea 3:5, but when
the fulness of the Gentiles being brought into the church, it shall fear and be
enlarged; yea, all nations shall fear the Lord and glorify his name, and come
and worship before him, Isaiah 60:5.
Psalm 33:9 9 For He spoke, and it was done;
He commanded, and it stood fast.
YLT
9For He hath said, and it
is, He hath commanded, and it standeth.
For he spake, and it was done,.... Or
"it was"F1ויהי "et
fuit", Pagninus, Montanus, Musculus, Gejerus; so Ainsworth. , it came into
being by a word speaking, almighty power going along with it; see Genesis 1:3;
he commanded, and it stood fast; every created thing
continued in its being; not only all things were produced into being by his all
commanding word and power, "nutu Jovis", as Maximus Tyrius speaksF2Dissert.
25. ; but by the same all things are upheld and consist, Hebrews 1:3, Colossians 1:17.
The poetF3"Jussit et extendi campos", &c. Ovid.
Metamorph. l. 1. Fab. 1. v. 43. uses the same word of God in the creation of
things; and is the phrase in Genesis 1:3 admired
by LonginusF4De Sublimi. : or this may refer to the implantation of
the grace of fear in the hearts of his people; for as he speaks life into them
in regeneration, commands light to shine in their dark heart, and says to them,
when in their blood, Live; so by the mighty power of his word he commands the
fear of him in them, and it continues.
Psalm 33:10 10 The Lord brings the
counsel of the nations to nothing; He makes the plans of the peoples of no
effect.
YLT
10Jehovah made void the
counsel of nations, He disallowed the thoughts of the peoples.
Verse 10
The Lord bringeth the counsel of the Heathen to nought,.... The
psalmist having taken notice of the works of creation, in order to excite the
saints to praise, proceeds to observe the providence of God, and particularly
that branch of it which lies in disappointing the designs of wicked men; it is
wickedness which they consult and devise, and thin is against the Lord's
people, his cause and interest, and so against himself; and though their
schemes are formed and contrived with a great deal of subtlety, yet they are
commonly blasted; whether laid by particular persons, as by Ahithophel against
David; or by nations, whole bodies of men, as of the Egyptians and Assyrians
against Israel; and of Jews and Gentiles against Christ and his cause;
he maketh the devices of the people of none effect; the same
thing is expressed here as before, in different words, for the further
confirmation of it, and that it might be attended to. This is the Lord's doing,
he is omniscient, and knows all the secret plots and designs of men; and he is
omnipotent, and counteracts them, and confounds them in all their measures; and
is faithful to his people, cause, and interest.
Psalm 33:11 11 The counsel of the Lord stands
forever, The plans of His heart to all generations.
YLT
11The counsel of Jehovah to
the age standeth, The thoughts of His heart to all generations.
The counsel of the Lord standeth for ever,.... By which
are meant, not the doctrines of the Gospel, nor the ordinances of it; though
these will stand firm, and remain to the end of the world; but the purposes and
decrees of God, which are wisely formed in himself, are eternal and
unfrustrable, and relate to all things in providence and grace. The Lord does
all things according to the counsel of his will in the government of the world,
and in the salvation of men: the choice of persons to everlasting life is
according to it; and so are their redemption, effectual calling, and
glorification;
the thoughts of his heart to all generations; which, with
respect to his own people, are thoughts of peace, grace, and mercy; these are
many, and within himself, were very early, even from all eternity, and have
their sure and certain effect, Isaiah 14:24; see Proverbs 19:21.
Psalm 33:12 12 Blessed is the
nation whose God is the Lord, The people He has chosen
as His own inheritance.
YLT
12O the happiness of the
nation whose God [is] Jehovah, Of the people He did choose, For an inheritance
to Him.
Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,.... Who have
an interest in such a wonder working God, both in creation and in providence,
and especially in grace: which, though it may have a principal regard to the
nation of Israel, whose God he was in a very distinguishing manner, yet must not
be limited to them; for he is the God of the Gentiles also: this nation is the
chosen generation, the holy nation and peculiar people, both among Jews and
Gentiles; and the Lord is the God of these; not only as the God of nature and
providence, but as the God of all grace; who must be happy, since he is their
portion and exceeding great reward; nor shall they want any good thing, nor
need they fear any evil; they are on the heart of God, and cannot be separated
from his love; they are engraven on the palms of his hands, and shall be
helped, strengthened, and upheld with the right hand of his righteousness; all
things work together for their good; and this God of theirs will be their God
and guide unto death; they may expect every needful good thing now, and all
glory and happiness hereafter;
and the people whom he
hath chosen for his own inheritance; not Israel only, but the
Gentiles also; not all mankind, but a peculiar people, whom the Lord has chosen
out of the world to be his possession, and who are his jewels and peculiar
treasure; these are happy, being the Lord's portion, and the lot of his
inheritance; and he chooses an inheritance for them, adopts and begets them
unto it, and makes them meet to be partakers of it.
Psalm 33:13 13 The Lord looks from
heaven; He sees all the sons of men.
YLT
13From the heavens hath
Jehovah looked, He hath seen all the sons of men.
The Lord looketh from heaven,.... Where his throne and
temple are, upon the earth and men, and things in it, as follows;
he beholdeth all the sons of men; the evil and the good;
which is contrary to the sense of many wicked men, who imagine he takes no
notice of what is done here below; but his eye is upon all, upon all the
workers of iniquity, how secret soever they may be; and not only his eye of
Providence is upon good men, but his eye of love, grace, and mercy; and he has
a special and distinct knowledge of them: agreeably to this are some
expressions of Heathen writers; says oneF5
παντα ιδων διος οφθαλμος, &c. Hesiod. Opera & Dies, l. 1. v. 263. ,
"the
eye of God sees all things;'
says
anotherF6 εστι
μεγας εν ουρανω, &c. Sophoclis Electra, v. 174,175. ,
"there
is a great God in heaven who sees all things, and governs.'
Psalm 33:14 14 From the place of His
dwelling He looks On all the inhabitants of the earth;
YLT
14From the fixed place of His
dwelling, He looked unto all inhabitants of the earth;
From the place of his habitation,.... Which is heaven,
that is, the habitation of his holiness, and of his glory, Isaiah 63:15;
he looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth; good and bad;
and not the nation of Israel only, but the Gentile world, whom in former times
he overlooked, but under the Gospel dispensation visits in a way of mercy; by
sending his son to die for them, by spreading his Gospel among them, by calling
them by his grace, by planting churches in the midst of them, and by continuing
his word and ordinances with them.
Psalm 33:15 15 He fashions their hearts
individually; He considers all their works.
YLT
15Who is forming their hearts
together, Who is attending unto all their works.
He fashioneth their hearts alike,.... The Lord is the
former and fashioner of the heart, spirit, or soul of man, even of all hearts
and spirits; whence he is called the Father of spirits, Hebrews 12:9; see Zechariah 12:1; and
he is the former of them alike; which seems to intimate as if all seals were
alike, as they are made by the Lord; and it may be the difference there appears
to be between them afterwards, nay be owing to the make and constitution of
their bodies, to their education, and different situation, circumstances, and
advantages in life, whereby the hearts of some may be more opened and enlarged
than others. Some render it "together", or "altogether"F7יחד "simul", Musculus, Gejerus; so Ainsworth. ;
which must not be understood of time, as if they were all made at once, but of
equality; the one was made by him as well as the other; he is the fashioner of
one and all of them, every whit of them; they are wholly fashioned by him, and
all that is in them, all the powers and faculties of the soul; and by him only,
and not by the instrumentality of another; for souls are created, not
generated; they are produced out of nothing, and not out of pre-existent matter,
as bodies; parents contribute somewhat to the bodies of their children, but not
anything to their souls. God only "is the God of the spirits of all
flesh", Numbers 16:22; some
translate the word "singly"F8
καταμονας Sept. "sigillatim", V. L. ; one by one, one after
another in the several ages of time; for he continues to fashion them, and is
always doing it; see Zechariah 12:1. And
he forms the hearts of his own people anew for himself, for his own glory; he
forms Christ in them, and every grace of his Spirit; he forms them into one,
and knits and unites them together in love, and makes them like to one another;
for as face answers to face in water, so do the hearts and experiences of the
saints one to another, Proverbs 27:19; all
which he does wholly and alone; and since he fashions the hearts of all men in
every sense, he must know them, which is the design of this expression; he
knows the hearts of wicked men, and all the wickedness that is in them; he
knows the hearts of good men, the worst that is in them, and also the best,
which he himself has put there;
he considereth all their works; the works of evil men,
not only their more open ones, but their more secret ones, and will bring them
into judgment; and the works of good men, even their good works, which he will
remember and reward in a way of grace.
Psalm 33:16 16 No king is saved by
the multitude of an army; A mighty man is not delivered by great strength.
YLT
16The king is not saved by
the multitude of a force. A mighty man is not delivered, By abundance of power.
There is no king saved by the multitude of an host,.... He may be
at the head of a numerous army, and yet not get the victory over a lesser one,
nor escape safe, but be taken by it: there have been such instances; and if he
is saved, or gets the victory, it is not owing to the multitude with him, but
to the Lord, that gives salvation to kings, Psalm 144:10. Hence
it appears that even such men need salvation themselves, and cannot save
themselves, though they have ever so many at command, and therefore are not to
be trusted in; salvation is only of the Lord;
a mighty man is not delivered by much strength; as Goliath,
with his great strength, could not deliver himself out of the hands of David, a
stripling; wherefore the mighty man should not glory in his might.
Psalm 33:17 17 A horse is a vain
hope for safety; Neither shall it deliver any by its great strength.
YLT
17A false thing [is] the
horse for safety, And by the abundance of his strength He doth not deliver.
A horse is a vain thing for safety,.... Though it
is prepared for the day of battle, and is a very warlike creature, and of great
service in war, yet safety only is of the Lord, Proverbs 21:31;
this is put for all kinds of military preparations which men are apt to trust
in, but should not, for they are "a lie"F9שקר "mendacium", Pagninus, Montanus;
"fallax", V. L. , as the horse is here said to be; that is, deceives
and disappoints when trusted to; in like manner the olive is said "to
lie", Habakkuk 3:17; when
hope of fruit from it is disappointed; so "fundus mendax" in HoraceF11Epod.
l. 1. Ode 16. ver. 45. Carmin. l. 3. Ode 1. v. 30. "Spem mentita
seges", ib. Epist. l. 1. ep. 7. v. 87. ;
neither shall he deliver any by his great strength; in the time
of battle; either by fighting for him, or fleeing with him.
Psalm 33:18 18 Behold, the eye of the Lord is on
those who fear Him, On those who hope in His mercy,
YLT
18Lo, the eye of Jehovah [is]
to those fearing Him, To those waiting for His kindness,
Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him,.... Not with
dread of his wrath, or distrust of his grace, or for sinister ends and selfish
views, but with a godly fear; by which men hate evil, depart from it, are careful
not to offend God by it, but to serve and worship him; on such is not only his
eye of Providence to protect from danger, to supply with the necessaries of
life, but of love and grace; he looks upon them with delight and pleasure; his
eye is upon them to watch over them for good, to guard them from every enemy,
and from all evil, and to communicate to them every needful measure of grace;
upon them that hope in his mercy; not his absolute mercy,
but his special mercy in Christ; which appears in the provision of him as a
Saviour, in the mission of him into this world, and redemption by him; and is
displayed in regeneration, the pardon of sin, and eternal life: and such that
hope in it are they that see themselves miserable creatures, and in need of it;
and who are encouraged to hope in it from the plenty and abundance of it in the
heart of God; and from the many instances of it among men, and even some the
chief of sinners; and they do hope in it for the forgiveness of their sins, and
for salvation and eternal glory; and on these the eye of the Lord is, as
before,
Psalm 33:19 19 To deliver their soul from
death, And to keep them alive in famine.
YLT
19To deliver from death their
soul, And to keep them alive in famine.
To deliver their soul from death,.... Not a corporeal
death, for the soul dies not, and is never in any danger of death; and should
life, or the whole man, be intended here, yet those that fear the Lord, and
hope in his mercy, are not exempted and secured from a corporeal death, but die
as other men; though sometimes indeed they are remarkably preserved from death,
and even in a time of general calamity; but a spiritual death is meant, which,
while in a state of nature, they are under; but, being quickened at conversion,
they live spiritually, and are preserved from dying any more in this sense; and
also from an eternal death, which shall never harm them, nor have any power
over them;
and to keep them alive in famine; not corporeal, though
the Lord does give meat to them that fear him, and sometimes in a miraculous
way provides for them; as by sending ravens to feed them, and by increasing the
cruse of oil; see Isaiah 41:17; but
spiritual, a famine of hearing the word of the Lord; the Lord prepares a place
for his church and people in the wilderness, where they are privately nourished
with the word and ordinances, and their souls kept alive, Revelation 12:6.
Psalm 33:20 20 Our soul waits for the Lord; He is
our help and our shield.
YLT
20Our soul hath waited for
Jehovah, Our help and our shield [is] He,
Our soul waiteth for the Lord,.... This, and what
follows, are the words of the church, expressing her expectation, faith, and
joy, by reason of what is suggested in the preceding verses. She signifies her
expectation of good by waiting for the Lord; either for his coming in the
flesh, and salvation by him; for which the patriarchs, prophets, and all the
Old Testament saints, waited, Genesis 49:18; and
so the Targum paraphrases it, "our soul waiteth for the redemption of the
Lord"; or for his spiritual coming, his appearance to them, and gracious
presence with them, he having been for some time absent; and it is right and
good so to do, and in the issue proves advantageous, Isaiah 8:17; and
this being soul waiting, it denotes the heartiness, sincerity, and earnestness
of it;
he is our help and our shield; the Lord is
the help of his people in time of trouble, when none else is or can be; and he
is a present one, and helps right early, and at the best season: and he is
their shield, who encompasses them about with his love and favour, and keeps
them by his power in the greatest safety; all which encourages their waiting
upon him, and expectation of good things from him.
Psalm 33:21 21 For our heart shall
rejoice in Him, Because we have trusted in His holy name.
YLT
21For in Him doth our heart
rejoice, For in His holy name we have trusted.
For our heart shall rejoice in him,.... Not in sin, nor in
themselves and in their boastings, all such rejoicing is evil; but in the Lord,
"in his Word"; as the Targum is, in the essential Word of God, Christ
Jesus; in his person, righteousness, and salvation; and this joy is heart joy,
inward joy, real joy, joy in the Holy Ghost; and is unspeakable and full of
glory. This is what the psalmist calls upon the saints to do, in the beginning
of the psalm; and so his end in composing it is answered;
because we have trusted in his holy name; that is, in
himself, who is holy, just, and good; and so faithful to every word of promise,
to every engagement of his, and therefore to be trusted in: and hence it
appears that the joy before spoken of is the joy of faith.
Psalm 33:22 22 Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us, Just
as we hope in You.
YLT
22Let Thy kindness, O
Jehovah, be upon us, As we have waited for Thee!
Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us,.... That is, an
application of it in its effects: it is a prayer for a communication of grace
and mercy to help in a time of need; and for a discovery of pardoning grace and
mercy; and it is a prayer of faith; for the mercy of the Lord is upon his
people in great plenty, and it continues; and they have reason to believe it
ever will, Psalm 103:17;
according as we hope in thee; not according to any
merits of theirs, but according to the measure of grace, of the grace of hope
which God had bestowed on them, and encouraged them to exercise on him, in
expectation of finding grace and mercy with him.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)