Psalm 33 Participant Analysis
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Psalm 33/Participant Analysis
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YHWH's Plan Stands Forever
Psalm 33
Please note: Resources for Psalm 33 are in the process of being reformatted for visual consistency and improved functionality.
Participant Analysis
Participant Analysis focuses on the characters in the psalm and asks, “Who are the main participants (or characters) in this psalm, and what are they saying or doing? It is often helpful for understanding literary structure, speaker identification, etc.
For a detailed explanation of our method, see the Participant Analysis Creator Guidelines.
There are 5 participants/characters in Psalm 33:
| Israel / Righteous |
| "Righteous people" (v. 1) |
| "Upright people" (v. 1) |
| "the nation" (v. 12) |
| "the people (who are) his permanent possession" (v. 12) |
| "those who fear him" (v. 18) |
| Chorus Leader |
| Israel / Righteous + Chorus Leader |
| "we ourselves" (v. 20) |
| "our hearts" (v. 21) |
| YHWH |
| "The one who gathered the sea waters" (v. 7) |
| "The one who placed the deeps" (v. 7) |
| "The one who forms hearts" (v. 15) |
| "The one who discerns works" (v. 15) |
| Attributes of YHWH |
| "the eye of YHWH" (v. 18) |
| "your loyal-love" (v. 22) |
| All people |
| "All the earth" (v. 8) |
| "All the dwellers of the inhabited world" (v. 8) |
| "All humanity" (v. 13) |
| "All the dwellers of the earth" (v. 14) |
| Enemies |
| "the nations" (v. 10) |
| "the peoples" (v. 10) |
| Agents of War |
| "a king" (v. 16) |
| "a warrior" (v. 16) |
| "a horse" (v. 17) |
| Hebrew | Line | English |
|---|---|---|
| רַנְּנ֣וּ צַ֭דִּיקִים בַּֽיהוָ֑ה | 1a | Shout for joy in YHWH, righteous people! |
| לַ֝יְשָׁרִ֗ים נָאוָ֥ה תְהִלָּֽה׃ | 1b | Praise is fitting for upright people. |
| הוֹד֣וּ לַיהוָ֣ה בְּכִנּ֑וֹר | 2a | Give YHWH praise with a lyre! |
| בְּנֵ֥בֶל עָ֝שׂ֗וֹר זַמְּרוּ־לֽוֹ׃ | 2b | Make a song for him with a ten-string harp! |
| שִֽׁירוּ־ל֭וֹשִׁ֣יר חָדָ֑שׁ | 3a | Sing a new song to him! |
| הֵיטִ֥יבוּ נַ֝גֵּ֗ן בִּתְרוּעָֽה׃ | 3b | Play skillfully with a blast! |
| כִּֽי־יָשָׁ֥ר דְּבַר־יְהוָ֑ה | 4a | Because YHWH’s word is upright, |
| וְכָל־מַ֝עֲשֵׂ֗הוּ בֶּאֱמוּנָֽה׃ | 4b | and all of his work is [done] in faithfulness. |
| אֹ֭הֵב צְדָקָ֣ה וּמִשְׁפָּ֑ט | 5a | He loves righteousness and justice; |
| חֶ֥סֶד יְ֝הוָ֗ה מָלְאָ֥ה הָאָֽרֶץ׃ | 5b | the earth is full of YHWH’s loyal-love. |
| בִּדְבַ֣ר יְ֭הוָה שָׁמַ֣יִם נַעֲשׂ֑וּ | 6a | The heavens were made by YHWH’s word, |
| וּבְר֥וּחַ פִּ֝֗יו כָּל־צְבָאָֽם׃ | 6b | and all their hosts [were made] by the breath of his mouth. |
| כֹּנֵ֣ס כַּ֭נֵּד מֵ֣י הַיָּ֑ם | 7a | the one who gathers the sea water as a heap! |
| נֹתֵ֖ן בְּאֹצָר֣וֹת תְּהוֹמֽוֹת׃ | 7b | the one who places the deep oceans into storehouses! |
| יִֽירְא֣וּ מֵ֭יְהוָה כָּל־הָאָ֑רֶץ | 8a | All the earth should be afraid of YHWH! |
| מִמֶּ֥נּוּ יָ֝ג֗וּרוּ כָּל־יֹשְׁבֵ֥י תֵבֵֽל׃ | 8b | All the dwellers of the inhabited world should be in dread because of him! |
| כִּ֤י ה֣וּא אָמַ֣ר וַיֶּ֑הִי | 9a | For he spoke, and it was; |
| הֽוּא־צִ֝וָּ֗ה וַֽיַּעֲמֹֽד׃ | 9b | he commanded, and it came about. |
| יְֽהוָ֗ה הֵפִ֥יר עֲצַת־גּוֹיִ֑ם | 10a | YHWH has thwarted the nations’ plan; |
| הֵ֝נִ֗יא מַחְשְׁב֥וֹת עַמִּֽים׃ | 10b | he has blocked the peoples’ intentions. |
| עֲצַ֣ת יְ֭הוָה לְעוֹלָ֣ם תַּעֲמֹ֑ד | 11a | YHWH’s plan stands forever; |
| מַחְשְׁב֥וֹת לִ֝בּ֗וֹ לְדֹ֣ר וָדֹֽר׃ | 11b | the intentions of his heart [stand] forever and ever. |
| אַשְׁרֵ֣י הַ֭גּוֹי אֲשֶׁר־יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהָ֑יו | 12a | Happy is the nation whose god is YHWH, |
| הָעָ֓ם ׀ בָּחַ֖ר לְנַחֲלָ֣ה לֽוֹ׃ | 12b | the people [whom YHWH] chose as a permanent possession for himself. |
| מִ֭שָּׁמַיִם הִבִּ֣יט יְהוָ֑ה | 13a | YHWH looked from heaven: |
| רָ֝אָ֗ה אֶֽת־כָּל־בְּנֵ֥י הָאָדָֽם׃ | 13b | he saw all of humanity, |
| מִֽמְּכוֹן־שִׁבְתּ֥וֹ הִשְׁגִּ֑יחַ | 14a | he gazed from his dwelling place, |
| אֶ֖ל כָּל־יֹשְׁבֵ֣י הָאָֽרֶץ׃ | 14b | at all the dwellers of the earth, |
| הַיֹּצֵ֣ר יַ֣חַד לִבָּ֑ם | 15a | the one who forms all their hearts, |
| הַ֝מֵּבִ֗ין אֶל־כָּל־מַעֲשֵׂיהֶֽם׃ | 15b | the one who discerns all their works. |
| אֵֽין־הַ֭מֶּלֶךְ נוֹשָׁ֣ע בְּרָב־חָ֑יִל | 16a | king is not saved by a great force; |
| גִּ֝בּ֗וֹר לֹֽא־יִנָּצֵ֥ל בְּרָב־כֹּֽחַ׃ | 16b | warrior is not delivered by great might. |
| שֶׁ֣קֶר הַ֭סּוּס לִתְשׁוּעָ֑ה | 17a | horse is a deceptive means for victory, |
| וּבְרֹ֥ב חֵ֝יל֗וֹ לֹ֣א יְמַלֵּֽט׃ | 17b | and it will not rescue by its great force. |
| הִנֵּ֤ה עֵ֣ין יְ֭הוָה אֶל־יְרֵאָ֑יו | 18a | Consider: YHWH’s eye is upon those who fear him; |
| לַֽמְיַחֲלִ֥ים לְחַסְדּֽוֹ׃ | 18b | upon those who wait for his loyal-love, |
| לְהַצִּ֣יל מִמָּ֣וֶת נַפְשָׁ֑ם | 19a | to deliver their lives from death, |
| וּ֝לְחַיּוֹתָ֗ם בָּרָעָֽב׃ | 19b | and to keep them alive during famine. |
| נַ֭פְשֵׁנוּ חִכְּתָ֣ה לַֽיהוָ֑ה | 20a | We ourselves wait longingly for YHWH |
| עֶזְרֵ֖נוּ וּמָגִנֵּ֣נוּ הֽוּא׃ | 20b | he is our help and our shield– |
| כִּי־ב֭וֹ יִשְׂמַ֣ח לִבֵּ֑נוּ | 21a | because our hearts rejoice in him; |
| כִּ֤י בְשֵׁ֖ם קָדְשׁ֣וֹ בָטָֽחְנוּ׃ | 21b | because we have come to trust in his holy name. |
| יְהִֽי־חַסְדְּךָ֣ יְהוָ֣ה עָלֵ֑ינוּ | 22a | YHWH, may your loyal-love be upon us, |
| כַּ֝אֲשֶׁ֗ר יִחַ֥לְנוּ לָֽךְ׃ | 22b | just as we have been waiting for you! |
Participant Relations Diagram
The relationships among the participants may be abstracted and summarized as follows:
Participant Analysis Summary Distribution
This resource is forthcoming.