Psalm 33/Overview/Structure
From Psalms: Layer by Layer
| v. 1 Shout for joy in YHWH, righteous people! Praise is fitting for upright people. | We Praise | Praise YHWH as his people should! |  |
enthusiasm |
| v. 2 Give YHWH praise with a lyre! Make a song for him with a ten-string harp! | ||||
| v. 3 Sing a new song to him! Play skillfully with a blast! | ||||
| v. 4 Because YHWH’s word is upright, and all of his work is [done] in faithfulness. | We Recall | YHWH works in creation according to loyal love. All people should fear him! |
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awe |
| v. 5 He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of YHWH’s loyal-love. | ||||
| v. 6 The heavens were made by YHWH’s word, and all their hosts [were made] by the breath of his mouth. | ||||
| v. 7 He is the one who gathers the sea water as a heap! He is the one who places the deep oceans into storehouses! | ||||
| v. 8 All the earth should be afraid of YHWH! All the dwellers of the inhabited world should be in dread because of him! | ||||
| v. 9 For he spoke, and it was; he commanded, and it came about. | ||||
| v. 10 YHWH has thwarted the nations’ plan; he has blocked the peoples’ intentions. | YHWH’s plan thwarts the nations’ plan. YHWH sees all people’s works. |
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humility | |
| v. 11 YHWH’s plan stands forever; the intentions of his heart [stand] forever and ever. | ||||
| v. 12 Happy is the nation whose god is YHWH, [happy are] the people [whom YHWH] chose as a permanent possession for himself. | ||||
| v. 13 YHWH looked from heaven: he saw all of humanity, | ||||
| v. 14 he gazed from his dwelling place, at all the dwellers of the earth, | ||||
| v. 15 the one who forms all their hearts, the one who discerns all their works. | ||||
| v. 16 A king is not saved by a great force; a warrior is not delivered by great might. | Military strength cannot rescue. YHWH sees those who fear him and wait for his loyal love! |
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reassurance | |
| v. 17 A horse is a deceptive means for victory, and it will not rescue by its great force. | ||||
| v. 18 Consider: YHWH’s eye is upon those who fear him; upon those who wait for his loyal-love, | ||||
| v. 19 to deliver their lives from death, and to keep them alive during famine. | ||||
| v. 20 We ourselves wait longingly for YHWH –he is our help and our shield– | We wait | It’s we who wait, YHWH our shield, for your loyal love! |
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confidence |
| v. 21 because our hearts rejoice in him; because we have come to trust in his holy name. | ||||
| v. 22 YHWH, may your loyal-love be upon us, just as we have been waiting for you! |