Psalms 33:1-5

Psalm 33 ¹ 

33:1 You godly ones, shout for joy because of the Lord!

It is appropriate for the morally upright to offer him praise.

33:2 Give thanks to the Lord with the harp!

Sing to him to the accompaniment of a ten-stringed instrument!

33:3 Sing to him a new song! ² 

Play skillfully as you shout out your praises to him! ³ 

33:4 For ⁴  the Lord’s decrees ⁵  are just, ⁶ 

and everything he does is fair. ⁷ 

33:5 The Lord promotes ⁸  equity and justice;

the Lord’s faithfulness extends throughout the earth. ⁹ 

[33:1]  ¹ sn Psalm 33. In this hymn the psalmist praises the Lord as the sovereign creator and just ruler of the world who protects and vindicates those who fear him.

[33:3]  ² sn A new song is appropriate because the Lord is constantly intervening in the lives of his people in fresh and exciting ways.

[33:3]  ³ tn Heb “play skillfully with a loud shout.”

[33:4]  ⁴ sn For the Lord’s decrees are just… After the call to praise (vv. 1-3), the psalmist now gives a series of reasons why the Lord is worthy of praise.

[33:4]  ⁵ tn Heb “word.” In this context, which depicts the Lord as the sovereign creator and ruler of the world, the Lord’s “word” refers to the decrees whereby he governs his dominion.

[33:4]  ⁶ tn Or “upright.”

[33:4]  ⁷ tn Heb “and all his work [is] in faithfulness.”

[33:5]  ⁸ tn Heb “loves.” The verb “loves” is here metonymic; the Lord’s commitment to principles of equity and justice causes him to actively promote these principles as he governs the world.

[33:5]  ⁹ tn Heb “fills the earth.”