Psalm 33 Text

From Psalms: Layer by Layer
Psalm 33/Text
Jump to: navigation, search
Choose a PsalmNavigate Psalm 33

Listen & Read: Psalm 33

Read along and listen to our audio recordings for Psalm 33. Choose between simple, unaffected audio recordings (in Hebrew or English), or a dramatized reading that takes into account our emotional and discourse analyses. You can also choose between a text-only view, or a view overlaid with our summary At-a-Glance, Expanded Paraphrase, or Participant Analysis tracking.

Text Only (Hebrew and English) The text below is divided according to the psalm's poetic lines. For additional information, see our Poetic Structure layer.

Text (Hebrew) Verse Text (CBC)
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־ל֭וֹ שִׁ֣יר 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 He is the one who gathers the sea water as a heap!
נֹתֵ֖ן בְּאֹצָר֣וֹת תְּהוֹמֽוֹת׃ 7b He is 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 [happy are] 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,
הַ֫מֵּבִ֗ין אֶל־כָּל־מַעֲשֵׂיהֶֽם׃ 15b the one who discerns all their works.
אֵֽין־הַ֭מֶּלֶךְ נוֹשָׁ֣ע בְּרָב־חָ֑יִל 16a A king is not saved by a great force;
גִּ֝בּ֗וֹר לֹֽא־יִנָּצֵ֥ל בְּרָב־כֹּֽחַ׃ 16b a warrior is not delivered by great might.
שֶׁ֣קֶר הַ֭סּוּס לִתְשׁוּעָ֑ה 17a A 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!

Structure Overlay Below, the text has been overlaid with our summary structural analysis. For details on the structure, see the Structure At-a-Glance here.

Text (Hebrew) Verse Text (CBC)
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־ל֭וֹ שִׁ֣יר 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 He is the one who gathers the sea water as a heap!
נֹתֵ֖ן בְּאֹצָר֣וֹת תְּהוֹמֽוֹת׃ 7b He is 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 [happy are] 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,
הַ֫מֵּבִ֗ין אֶל־כָּל־מַעֲשֵׂיהֶֽם׃ 15b the one who discerns all their works.
אֵֽין־הַ֭מֶּלֶךְ נוֹשָׁ֣ע בְּרָב־חָ֑יִל 16a A king is not saved by a great force;
גִּ֝בּ֗וֹר לֹֽא־יִנָּצֵ֥ל בְּרָב־כֹּֽחַ׃ 16b a warrior is not delivered by great might.
שֶׁ֣קֶר הַ֭סּוּס לִתְשׁוּעָ֑ה 17a A 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!

Expanded paraphrase The expanded paraphrase seeks to capture the implicit information within the text and make it explicit for readers today. It is based on the CBC translation and uses italic text to provide the most salient background information, presuppositions, entailments, and inferences.

Text (Hebrew) Verse Expanded Paraphrase
רַנְּנ֣וּ צַ֭דִּיקִים בַּֽיהוָ֑ה לַ֝יְשָׁרִ֗ים נָאוָ֥ה תְהִלָּֽה׃ 1 YHWH established his covenant with Abraham's offspring, and YHWH's covenantal word is upright. YHWH's people keep the covenant, so they become righteous and upright. They assemble for worship, and the leaders say: Shout for joy in YHWH, righteous people who have kept YHWH's covenant ! Praise to YHWH, who keeps his covenant, is fitting for upright people like you.
הוֹד֣וּ לַיהוָ֣ה בְּכִנּ֑וֹר בְּנֵ֥בֶל עָ֝שׂ֗וֹר זַמְּרוּ־לֽוֹ׃ 2 As the people gather to worship, the leaders say to the musicians: Give YHWH praise with a lyre! Make a song for him with a ten-string harp!
שִֽׁירוּ־ל֭וֹ שִׁ֣יר חָדָ֑שׁ הֵיטִ֥יבוּ נַ֝גֵּ֗ן בִּתְרוּעָֽה׃ 3 Sing a new song to him! Play skillfully with a blast!
כִּֽי־יָשָׁ֥ר דְּבַר־יְהוָ֑ה 4 Here is a summary of the reasons we should praise him: Because YHWH’s word is morally upright, and all of his work in creation and in history is [done] in faithfulness for the benefit of his covenant people .
אֹ֭הֵב צְדָקָ֣ה וּמִשְׁפָּ֑ט חֶ֥סֶד יְ֝הוָ֗ה מָלְאָ֥ה הָאָֽרֶץ׃ 5 Because he loves righteousness and justice, he ensures that this is what fills the earth. When sin fills the earth with violence, he responds with judgment and cleansing, so that, in the end, it’s always true that the earth is full of YHWH’s loyal-love not just in loyal-love to his own but also faithfulness to judge the wicked .
בִּדְבַ֣ר יְ֭הוָה שָׁמַ֣יִם נַעֲשׂ֑וּ וּבְר֥וּחַ פִּ֝֗יו כָּל־צְבָאָֽם׃ 6 Here is what we mean in more detail: YHWH has power over all of creation. On the first day of creation, the heavens were made by YHWH’s word, and on the fourth day, all their hosts meaning the sun, moon, and stars[were made] by the breath of his mouth.
כֹּנֵ֣ס כַּ֭נֵּד מֵ֣י הַיָּ֑ם 7 At creation, YHWH separated the waters above from the waters below, and he separated the water from dry land. Therefore, he is the one who gathers the sea water as a heap! Not only did this show his power to create, but the separation of water from dry land was a preview of YHWH's later saving acts for his people: At the Exodus, YHWH piled the water as a heap so that his people could walk through on dry land; and the same thing happened at the crossing of the Jordan. At the crossing of the Red Sea, the enemy Egyptians were destroyed by the collapse of the waters upon them. Therefore, the one who gathers the sea water as a heap is powerful and compassionate to save his people from military threats.YHWH caused the Flood by allowing the spring of the deep oceans to burst forth along with opening the windows of heaven, then stopped the Flood by shutting the deep oceans and the windows of heaven. So, we say that He is the one who places the deep oceans into storehouses! His control of the deep oceans saves righteous people like Noah but destroys YHWH's enemies, like the Egyptians.
יִֽירְא֣וּ מֵ֭יְהוָה כָּל־הָאָ֑רֶץ מִמֶּ֥נּוּ יָ֝ג֗וּרוּ כָּל־יֹשְׁבֵ֥י תֵבֵֽל׃ 8 YHWH's power over creation and history to save and destroy means that all the earth should be afraid of YHWH! All the dwellers of the inhabited world should be in dread because of him!
כִּ֤י ה֣וּא אָמַ֣ר וַיֶּ֑הִי הֽוּא־צִ֝וָּ֗ה וַֽיַּעֲמֹֽד׃ 9 For we should remember that he spoke saying, "let there be..." on the seven days of creation , and it was; he commanded both in creation and in history, such as at the Flood and crossing of the Red Sea , and it came about.
יְֽהוָ֗ה הֵפִ֥יר עֲצַת־גּוֹיִ֑ם 10 Even though the nations have a plan to destroy YHWH's people and dishonor YHWH, YHWH has thwarted the nations’ plan; he has blocked the peoples’ intentions which have been evil from the time of the Flood.
עֲצַ֣ת יְ֭הוָה לְעוֹלָ֣ם תַּעֲמֹ֑ד מַחְשְׁב֥וֹת לִ֝בּ֗וֹ לְדֹ֣ר וָדֹֽר׃ 11 In contrast, YHWH’s plan to bless his people so that they may bless the earth stands forever; the intentions of his heart [stand] forever and ever.
אַשְׁרֵ֣י הַ֭גּוֹי אֲשֶׁר־יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהָ֑יו הָעָ֓ם ׀ בָּחַ֖ר לְנַחֲלָ֣ה לֽוֹ׃ 12 YHWH chose us as a covenant people so that he "will be our god" and we will be his "people" or "treasured possession," and we will benefit from his blessing. So the people of YHWH can say: Happy is the nation whose god is YHWH, [happy are] the people [whom YHWH] chose as a permanent possession for himself.
מִ֭שָּׁמַיִם הִבִּ֣יט יְהוָ֑ה 13 YHWH looked from heaven which is an elevated place, implying his power and authority over everyone on earth: from there he saw all of humanity much like he did before the Flood, as an act of discernment that leads to acts of saving the righteous and punishing the wicked. So, YHWH is not blind to wickedness, but is actively discerning people right now to judge,
אֶ֖ל כָּל־יֹשְׁבֵ֣י הָאָֽרֶץ׃ 14 He gazed from his dwelling place which is also his kingly throne at all the dwellers of the earth.
הַיֹּצֵ֣ר יַ֣חַד לִבָּ֑ם הַ֫מֵּבִ֗ין אֶל־כָּל־מַעֲשֵׂיהֶֽם׃ 15 and just as David said to Solomon that "YHWH searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought" [1 Chr 28:9], YHWH is the one who forms all their hearts no matter whether they acknowledge him or not, and the one who discerns all their works as good or evil, no matter whether they believe in his rules or not .
אֵֽין־הַ֭מֶּלֶךְ נוֹשָׁ֣ע בְּרָב־חָ֑יִל גִּ֝בּ֗וֹר לֹֽא־יִנָּצֵ֥ל בְּרָב־כֹּֽחַ׃ 16 The nations believe that military might is what gives victory and salvation. Having a king is a sign of reliance upon military might and not YHWH, but A king is not saved by a great force; a warrior is not delivered by great might because YHWH has proven that he can crush a great army without help .
שֶׁ֣קֶר הַ֭סּוּס לִתְשׁוּעָ֑ה 17 The surrounding nations rely on horses, but the people of YHWH should not. At the Exodus, the horse and its rider were thrown into the sea, so: A horse is a deceptive means for victory, and it will not rescue by its great force.
לַֽמְיַחֲלִ֥ים לְחַסְדּֽוֹ׃ 18 Instead of relying on military strength like the nations do, Consider: YHWH’s eye of concern and protection is upon those who fear him as we do, who remember his previous acts ; upon those who wait for his loyal-love as we do, who are waiting for him to rescue us from our enemies .
לְהַצִּ֣יל מִמָּ֣וֶת נַפְשָׁ֑ם וּ֝לְחַיּוֹתָ֗ם בָּרָעָֽב׃ 19 When YHWH's people suffer, as we are now, he will soon act to deliver their lives from death, and to keep them alive during famine as he has many times before, especially when he fed his people with manna after the parting of the Red Sea .
נַ֭פְשֵׁנוּ חִכְּתָ֣ה לַֽיהוָ֑ה עֶזְרֵ֖נוּ וּמָגִנֵּ֣נוּ הֽוּא׃ 20 We ourselves wait longingly for YHWH—he is our help to rescue us and our shield to protect us from military threats —
כִּי־ב֭וֹ יִשְׂמַ֣ח לִבֵּ֑נוּ 21 therefore our hearts delight in him since we are so happy that he is our god ; because we trust in his holy name since he is powerful to rescue us from military threats, as he has shown before in the Exodus .
יְהִֽי־חַסְדְּךָ֣ יְהוָ֣ה עָלֵ֑ינוּ כַּ֝אֲשֶׁ֗ר יִחַ֥לְנוּ לָֽךְ׃ 22 So now, YHWH, may your loyal-love in other words, your acts of loyal-love be upon us to rescue us and judge our enemies , just as we have been waiting for you to save us from threats !

Participant Tracking Text 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? Our full analysis can be found in the Participant Analysis layer.

  Participant Color-Coding

Psalm 033 - Text Table.jpg