Psalm 33/Translation/Notes

Verses 1-3: We Sing (with a Blast)!

• Verses 1-3 are a call to praise. These verses are characterized by plural imperatives, meaning that the speaker addresses an entire group. Some languages will need to provide the plural pronoun you to make the audience of the imperative clear. Furthermore, the sense of the imperatives here is that they form an invitation (that is, telling people to do something that they likely want to do) more than a command (that is, telling people to do something that they might not want to do).
• The main emotion in this section is enthusiasm! The emotions are happy as the people are called to sing and make a new song with a blast.

v. 1

1.1	רַנְּנ֣וּ צַ֭דִּיקִים בַּֽיהוָ֑ה	Shout for joy in YHWH, righteous people!
1.2	לַ֝יְשָׁרִ֗ים נָאוָ֥ה תְהִלָּֽה׃	Praise is fitting for upright people.

Diagrams Expanded Paraphrase

Expanded Paraphrase The words in <i>italics</i> provide a fuller sense of the psalm; the text itself is in <b>bold</b>.

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.

Notes

• Shout for joy is a single word in Hebrew (רנן) that is important to the emotional exegesis of the psalm. Joy is part of the meaning of the Hebrew word and should be included in translation. The NIV translates the verb as sing joyfully and the NLT has sing for joy, but the word is closer to shout for joy (ESV, NET).
• The root for righteous (צַדִּיק) refers to "a pattern of behavior by humans or deities that is in accordance with the requirements of the divine law." It is a key term in this psalm. Here the adjective functions as a noun (that is, substantivally), referring to righteous people. 'Righteous people' (צַ֭דִּיקִים) are the ones to whom the speaker is addressing his statement (using the vocative). Thus, some languages will need to provide you (plural) to make it clear that it is the 'righteous people' who are being addressed (see NIV).
• The prepositional phrase in YHWH (בַּֽיהוָ֑ה) is a figure of speech that means the people are to shout for joy because of YHWH. Translators should attempt to make it clear that YHWH is the reason for the praise.
  • The word YHWH is the proper name for Israel's deity; it is not as generic as the term god. The term is important in terms of placement and the number of appearances of the word in the psalm. See the section on Prominence and the notes on verses 10-12 and 16 for more detail.
• The root of the Hebrew word upright is repeated in this psalm; it also appears in verse 5. Here it is an adjective (functioning as a noun) meaning upright people, that is, people "whose behavior is morally and ethically right." 'Upright people' (לַ֝יְשָׁרִ֗ים) is a synonym for the righteous people who have just been mentioned in the previous clause. Languages that do not have words for each term may use the same word for both. The adjectives righteous (צַדִּיק) and upright (יָשָׁר) occur together frequently in the Bible. Try to retain the same renderings for these words as they are found elsewhere.
• The phrase here rendered fitting for (נָאוֶהלַ֝) is a figure of speech that means that the act of praising matches well with people who are upright. Praise is fitting for upright people does not mean that upright people should receive praise, but rather that they should give it, as they are called to do throughout verses 1-3. Some strategies for making this clear include rendering the praise as a verbal idea, such as it is fitting for the upright to praise him (NIV), or making the source of the praise clear, such as praise from the upright is beautiful (CSB).
  • Unlike the surrounding phrases, which are all direct commands (with imperative verbs), this phrase is a declaration that functions as an indirect exhortation, that is, an indirect way to encourage a certain kind of behavior. The people are meant to identify themselves as upright people and to respond with the appropriate behavior for such people (specifically, by praising YHWH).
• The English word praise is very close to the Hebrew term (תְּהִלָּה). See the diagram below for a more detailed look at the Hebrew understanding of the root word (green circle on the right), our modern English understanding of the idea (yellow circle on the left), and what the two understandings have in common (the middle section where the two circles intersect):

---

v. 2

2.1	הוֹד֣וּ לַיהוָ֣ה בְּכִנּ֑וֹר	Give YHWH praise with a lyre!
2.2	בְּנֵ֥בֶל עָ֝שׂ֗וֹר זַמְּרוּ־לֽוֹ׃	Make a song for him with a ten-string harp!

Diagrams Expanded Paraphrase

Expanded Paraphrase The words in <i>italics</i> provide a fuller sense of the psalm; the text itself is in <b>bold</b>.

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!

Notes

• The words for the instruments in this verse could be challenging:

• • The lyre (kinnor, כִנֹּור; for a video of a lyre in use click here) is "a musical instrument consisting of a sound box made of wood, out the ends or sides of which projected two arms; the arms supported by a crosspiece; strings descended from the crosspiece over the sound box and the number of strings could vary." This is the instrument that David played, and is traditionally rendered in English as harp. So, translators should use the same term here as in 1 Sam 16:15, 23, where David plays a kinnor.

• • The wordharp (nebel, נֵ֫בֶל) is uncertain. Some propose that it was a soundbox made of wood with animal intestines stretched over the top. In Ps 32:2 the word ten refers to the number of strings.
  • It may not be possible to find exact matches in the local culture for these instruments, but translators can keep a few guidelines in mind.
    • Stringed instruments should be preferred, if they are available in the local culture, but any instrument used in celebration may be used.
    • The kinnor was more common than the nebel. So, if possible, translators may choose a more common instrument in the local culture to translate the first word, and a rarer instrument to translate the second.
    • If more than one instrument is not available, then translators may simply repeat the same instrument.
  • The combination of lyre (כִנּ֑וֹר) and harp (נֵ֫בֶל) was common in worship. For example, they appear together in Ps 150:3-5 and 1 Chr 16 and 25:1-8. Translators should strive to match the translation of these words in Ps 33 with those passages.
• The prepositional phrases with a lyre and with a harp mean by playing a lyre/harp. Some languages may require making clear that these are instruments being played, and that the playing is what brings about the praise: “praise the Lord by playing music on the lyre.”
• In Hebrew, the phrase with a ten-stringed harp is out of the typical word order. It is fronted within its clause. The result is that the whole verse is poetically arranged (in a tail-head linkage) so that the center emphasizes both of the phrases about instruments. It looks like this:

---

v. 3

3.1	שִֽׁירוּ־ל֭וֹ שִׁ֣יר חָדָ֑שׁ	Sing a new song to him!
3.2	הֵיטִ֥יבוּ נַ֝גֵּ֗ן בִּתְרוּעָֽה׃	Play skillfully with a blast!

Diagrams Expanded Paraphrase

Expanded Paraphrase The words in <i>italics</i> provide a fuller sense of the psalm; the text itself is in <b>bold</b>.

Sing a new song to him! Play skillfully with a blast!

Notes

• The phrase a new song (שִׁיר חָדָשׁ) is a common phrase found "in calls to praise with renewed enthusiasm resulting from a new experience of deliverance or a new appreciation of the Lord's presence."שִׁ֣יר חָדָ֑שׁ) could be sung in anticipation of the "new things" that YHWH was about to do for his people (Isa 42:9-10), in response to being rescued from the pit (Ps 40:2-3), so that all the earth would know the greatness of YHWH and that his judgment is coming soon (Pss 96), as a response to YHWH's saving act in battle (Ps 98), or as a battle cry before the people execute judgment on the nations with swords (Ps 149). For a detailed discussion of the usage of new song in Psalm 98, see the Exegetical Issue "What Prompts the “New Song” of Psalm 98:1?" ​​The call "to sing a new song was a way of calling people to enjoy God's presence and his benefits, so that they would have something new to sing about in the sanctuary." So, what is in focus is not the content of the new composition, but the feeling that caused the new composition to be sung.
• The pronoun him refers to YHWH.
• Some languages cannot use the verb play without naming the instrument; in this case, translators should supply the lyre (and possibly the harp) or a generic term like instruments.
• Words that communicate playing well or beautifully could replace skillfully here. The word skillfully means to do well.
• The meaning of the challenging word blast (תְרוּעָֽה) indicates that its most important feature is not who or what is making the sound, but how loud the sound is. So the common English translation shout may not be the best choice. The focus on instruments in verses 1-3 suggest that it is the instruments making the loud sound - so, loud sound is another translation possibility. The heightened volume expresses joy, and it often occurs in warfare as a call to arms. The Hebrew word does not necessarily connote that the sound is sudden, though, as the English word 'blast' might.

---

Verses 4-19: We Recall (YHWH is powerful)

• The middle section (verses 4-19) provides the reasons for the praise in the first section (verses 1-3) "by elaborating certain representative acts of God in creation and history."
• The verse lines in verses 4–19 appear in pairs that display parallelism.

Verses 4-5: Summary of Reasons

• Verses 4-5 contain a summary statement of YHWH's character and work.
• These verses contain a parallelism of adherence to a standard and adherence to a relationship:
  • adherence to a standard appears as uprightness (verse 4a) and justice (verse 5a)
  • adherence to a relationship appears as faithfulness (verse 4b) and loyal love (verse 5b).

v. 4

4.1	כִּֽי־יָשָׁ֥ר דְּבַר־יְהוָ֑ה	Because YHWH’s word is upright,
4.2	וְכָל־מַ֝עֲשֵׂ֗הוּ בֶּאֱמוּנָֽה׃	and all of his work is [done] in faithfulness.

Diagrams Expanded Paraphrase

Expanded Paraphrase The words in <i>italics</i> provide a fuller sense of the psalm; the text itself is in <b>bold</b>.

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 .

Notes

• The wordBecause (כִּֽי) that begins verse 4 is a crucial conjunction in this psalm that should not be missed by translators. It connects verses 1-3 with verses 4-19, which give the reasons why the congregation should praise YHWH. Though most English translations render this word as for, the word for is not the normal way to introduce reasons in modern English.
• The root of the word upright (יָשָׁר) is repeated in this psalm. It described the audience in verse 1b, and here it describes YHWH's word. Thus, the psalmist describes the audience in terms of YHWH's good character. Translators should retain the repetition.
• The phrase YHWH’s word is repeated in this psalm; it also appears in verse 6. Translators may render it as the words that YHWH speaks. These words include both instructions and the power to create, as verse 6 indicates. See the Venn diagram below for a more detailed look at the Hebrew understanding of the term word (green circle on the right), our modern English understanding of the idea (yellow circle on the left), and what the two understandings have in common (the middle section where the two circles intersect):

• The key word work shares a root with the verb to do (עָשָׂה), which in verse 6 describes YHWH's act of creating the heavens. Thus, the creation of the heavens is an example of YHWH's faithful work. In many languages, it will be necessary to convert the word 'work' into a verb, with the resulting phrase all he does (NIV; NLT: everything he does).
• The word faithfulness (אֱמוּנָֽה) describes "a state in which humans and deities are considered worthy of trust, because they are truthful and committed, with an unwavering disposition, which is reflected in their actions." When applied to God, it expresses "his total dependability." Although in this verse it is YHWH's works and not himself that is in view, his works take on his character. In some languages it will be necessary to change 'in faithfulness' to a verbal phrase, such as the NLT's we can trust or the NIV's he is faithful in.

---

v. 5

5.1	אֹ֭הֵב צְדָקָ֣ה וּמִשְׁפָּ֑ט	He loves righteousness and justice;
5.2	חֶ֥סֶד יְ֝הוָ֗ה מָלְאָ֥ה הָאָֽרֶץ׃	the earth is full of YHWH’s loyal-love.

Diagrams Expanded Paraphrase

Expanded Paraphrase The words in <i>italics</i> provide a fuller sense of the psalm; the text itself is in <b>bold</b>.

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 .

Notes

• The noun righteousness (צְדָקָ֣ה) is a key term that shares the same root as the word righteous people (צַ֭דִּיקִים) in verse 1. Thus, the audience is addressed by the psalmist as those whose character YHWH loves. Translators should repeat the sense of the root in both verses or use similar-sounding words. This root and the word upright both describe YHWH's people (verse 1) and what YHWH loves (verses 4-5). They appear in a mirror ab//ba pattern in the section. It looks like this:

• The combination of righteousness (צְדָקָה) and justice (מִשְׁפָּט) can be performed either by YHWH or by his people. In this verse, YHWH's love of these activities results in the earth being full of his loyal love (verse 5b), which suggests that YHWH is the one doing righteousness and justice: YHWH loves to do righteousness and justice, therefore the earth is full of his loyal love. For languages that need a verbal translation of these abstract nouns, a rendering like YWHH loves to do what is right and to judge fairly is possible.
  • The Hebrew root of the word righteousness (צדק) "focuses on the principle of 'what is right, correct.'" In contrast, justice (מִשְׁפָּ֑ט) "often refers to the practical consequences of righteousness" in society. Translators should attempt to distinguish the terms if possible, but some languages may lack separate words for these concepts. In this case, it is best to use a single word with intensification, such as: YHWH loves to do what is thoroughly just. The word combination occurs often in the OT.
• The verb is full (מָלְאָ֥ה) is stative in Hebrew. It "represents a state flowing from an earlier situation." Many English translations, such as the NLT, render the verb in its active sense (YHWH's loyal love fills the earth) but an active rendering should be avoided unless it is the only choice in the target language.
• The term loyal love is a key term. It is a single word in Hebrew (חֶסֶד) that includes a number of concepts that are difficult to translate into one English word. It refers to loyalty, faithfulness, kindness, love, and mercy, and the fulfilling of obligations. The two most essential of these are loyalty and love, or loyal love. The word also occurs in verses 18 and 22, and should be translated consistently throughout the psalm. See the Venn diagrams below for a more detailed look at the Hebrew understanding of the root word (green circle on the right), our modern English understanding of the ideas of "loyalty" and "love" (yellow circle on the left), and what the two understandings have in common (the middle section where the two circles intersect):

• The CEV renders the figure of speech the earth is full of YHWH’s loyal love as he is kind to everyone, but doing so equates the earth with people. This adds interpretation to the text that may not be there in the Hebrew. Although the word the earth can mean all people on earth (as it does in verse 8), here in verse 5 it probably means the created, physical world mentioned in verses 6-7. For languages in which the expression the earth is full ofwould not work, an alternative would be everything in the earth has received the Lord’s loyal love.
• The dominant emotion in this section of the psalm is awe, as the psalmist speaks of the power that YHWH has to control creation.

---

Verses 6-9: YHWH Controls Creation

• Verses 6-9 contain the language of creation: the heavens (verse 6a), the sea waters and deep oceans (verse 7), and the earth (verse 8), as well as the phrase he spoke and it was, which is a reference to the creation story in Gen 1.
• The Israelites viewed creation with great oceans surrounding the earth and sky. The sun, moon, and stars inhabited the heavens. Above the heavens was a firmament (or wall) that usually prevented the upper seas above from pouring down rain on the earth. Below the earth were the great deep oceans, which sprung up in wells and springs.

v. 6

6.1	בִּדְבַ֣ר יְ֭הוָה שָׁמַ֣יִם נַעֲשׂ֑וּ	The heavens were made by YHWH’s word,
6.2	וּבְר֥וּחַ פִּ֝֗יו כָּל־צְבָאָֽם׃	and all their hosts [were made] by the breath of his mouth.

Diagrams Expanded Paraphrase

Expanded Paraphrase The words in <i>italics</i> provide a fuller sense of the psalm; the text itself is in <b>bold</b>.

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.

Notes

• The original order of the words in the first line of this verse is By YHWH's word the heavens were made (as in ESV, NASB, NIV, NET, NRSV). We have rearranged the order to create a more smooth English translation, but the original order should be retained in the target language if doing so does not create difficulty in understanding.
• The wordheavens (שָׁמַיִם) has different meanings in Hebrew and modern English, and translators should seek to be faithful to the Hebrew. The Venn diagram below shows the Hebrew understanding of the word (green circle on the right), our modern English understanding of sky (yellow circle on the left), and what the two understandings have in common (the middle section where the two circles intersect):

• The phrase were made by consists of a passive verb (נַעֲשׂ֑וּ) and the preposition by (בִּ) that marks the means (that is, the instrument) used to create the heavens. Some languages may require an active verb instead of a passive verb. In this case, a translation like By his word the Lord made the heavens (TOB translated) still treats YHWH’s word as the instrument and not the subject of the verb, which is closer to the Hebrew than the REB's The word of the Lord created the heavens (REB).
• The phrase the breath of his mouth (ר֥וּחַ פִּ֝֗יו) is a figure of speech that applies the language of a human body part, a mouth, and a human function, breath, to YHWH. It may be helpful to bear in mind that here the phrase appears in parallel with YHWH's word. Thus, the breath of his mouth further describes YHWH's spoken, creative word. The complete phrase could be understood as the breath that comes out of his mouth. Commentators are correct that the essential meaning of this phrase is that the Lord commanded, and in the target language the phrase may need to be transformed into something like when the Lord commanded.
  • But if there is a clear way to retain the imagery in the local language, this should be done in order to be faithful to the beauty of the poem.
  • Although the Hebrew word for breath (ר֥וּחַ) sometimes means spirit elsewhere in the OT, that is not the sense here. The Venn diagram below shows the Hebrew understanding of the word breath (ר֥וּחַ) (green circle on the right), our modern English understanding of breath (yellow circle on the left), and what the two understandings have in common (the middle section where the two circles intersect):

• Hosts (צְבָאָֽ) most literally refers to an army. The phrase all their hosts means all the army of the heavens, which is an image that means the sun, moon, and stars (see also Gen 2:1, which uses the same phrase as here in Ps 33:6). The NLT renders the term hosts as stars, and this may be the best choice in many languages. However, military imagery is a significant part of this psalm (verses 10, 16-17), and translators could follow the NIV's starry host to retain the image while making the meaning clear. Translators should also be careful that their rendering does not refer to spiritual beings, which are not in view here.
• The second clause of verse 6 literally says and all their hosts by the breath of his mouth. It contains no verb; instead, the clause is governed by the verb from the previous clause for economy of style and poetic effect. It is possible that translators will need to repeat the verb were made (נַעֲשׂ֑וּ) in the second clause.

---

v. 7

7.1	כֹּנֵ֣ס כַּ֭נֵּד מֵ֣י הַיָּ֑ם	He is the one who gathers the sea water as a heap!
7.2	נֹתֵ֖ן בְּאֹצָר֣וֹת תְּהוֹמֽוֹת׃	He is the one who places the deep oceans into storehouses!

Diagrams Expanded Paraphrase

Expanded Paraphrase The words in <i>italics</i> provide a fuller sense of the psalm; the text itself is in <b>bold</b>.

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.

Notes

• The phrases he is the one who gathers and he is the one who places are both single words in Hebrew (participles). They could be rendered as verbal, as the NIV does: he gathers/he puts. But the preferred reading is to take both of these participles as nouns (substantival). They describe well-known characteristics of YHWH: he is the one who...
• The phrase gathers the sea waters as a heap is an image that refers to YHWH's power over creation. But the specific wording 'as a heap' is a clear reference to the crossing of the Red Sea and the crossing of the Jordan. In both of these events, God miraculously gathered 'the sea waters as a heap.' Translators should attempt to use the same wording here as in those passages (Exod 15:8, Josh 3:13, 16; Ps 78:13).
  • The phrase the sea waters is literally the waters of the sea (it is a construct chain). It refers to not just any water, but the water of the sea, thus signifying YHWH's power over vast amounts of water. The sea waters do not refer to the waters above the skies, which are never referred to as the sea. See the creation visual under the Section Notes for verses 6-9 (p. 15) for more detail.
  • The phrase as a heap is technically a comparison, but it is possible to render it with the preposition into instead of like/as without losing the meaning. This is the strategy of the CSB (into a heap), the GNT (into one place) and the French NBS and NVSR (en une masse).
  • The NLT's rendering He assigned the sea its boundaries is not very close to the Hebrew. Some scholars have argued that the phrase as a heap should be rendered into jars, as the NIV does. But the wording 'as a heap' has good textual support and should be followed.
• The phrase places the deep oceans into storehouses is also an image that refers to YHWH's power over creation. It may contain echoes of the Flood story. The deep oceans burst forth to cause Noah's flood (Gen 7:11) until God shut them up again (Gen 8:2), which is similar to him placing the deep oceans into storehouses.
  • The termdeep oceans (תְּהוֹם) may be unfamiliar in many cultures. It refers to the body of water below the earth; the NIV's deep and the NLT's oceans by themselves do not accurately describe it, but combining the two words into 'deep oceans' does. For many cultures, the best way to express the term may be  the source of underground springs and well-water, or more vaguely (and poetically) the water under the earth. Here is a Venn diagram comparing the English and Hebrew words:

• • The termstorehouses (אוֹצָר) is an image that recurs throughout the OT. Most literally it is a place where "one stores valuable goods" for safekeeping. An example of a specific kind of storehouse might be a room for storing grain. The importance of the storehouses image throughout the OT means that translators should try to retain it here in Ps 33:7, and to translate it consistently throughout the OT (see the footnotes to this paragraph for some of the most important occurrences).
    • Some cultures may lack the concept of a storehouse. In that case, the important point is that it is a place where things can be shut inside. So, possible alternatives might be inside closed spaces or inside closed rooms.

---

v. 8

8.1	יִֽירְא֣וּ מֵ֭יְהוָה כָּל־הָאָ֑רֶץ	All the earth should be afraid of YHWH!
8.2	מִמֶּ֥נּוּ יָ֝ג֗וּרוּ כָּל־יֹשְׁבֵ֥י תֵבֵֽל׃	All the dwellers of the inhabited world should be in dread because of him!

Diagrams Expanded Paraphrase

Expanded Paraphrase The words in <i>italics</i> provide a fuller sense of the psalm; the text itself is in <b>bold</b>.

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!

Notes

• The phrase all the earth is a figure of speech which refers to everything in creation (that is, animals, rocks, trees, etc.) including Israel and other nations, that is, all the people who live on the earth. The parallel line all the dwellers of the inhabited world narrows the scope to people.
  • The participants are important in this verse. It is unlikely that the speaker of verse 8 is talking to all the earth and all the dwellers of the inhabited world directly; other nations would have been unlikely to accept that they should fear YHWH's power as it is described in verses 4-9. The statements of verse 8 instead make sense as rhetorically-charged statements to Israel about the power and supremacy of YHWH: everyone should fear YHWH, so certainly Israel should fear YHWH!
• Both of the verbs rendered should be afraid (יִֽירְא֣וּ) and should be in dread (יָ֝ג֗וּרוּ) express what ought to happen (they are jussives). Most modern translations render them as Let...fear…let…revere. The problem with this rendering in English is that it sounds like the psalmist is granting permission rather than expressing how things ought to be. Translators should attempt to render these verbs with a similar sense to 'should' in their languages.
• To fear (be afraid of) God is to be in awe and reverence of him (Mal 2:5) and to trust him (Ps 40:3; 115:11). See the Venn diagram below for a more detailed look at the Hebrew understanding of the word be afraid of (ירא) (green circle on the right), our modern English understanding of 'to fear' (yellow circle on the left), and what the two understandings have in common (the middle section where the two circles intersect):

• Most English translations render the word dwellers (יֹשְׁבֵי) as inhabitants or people. Here we have chosen to render it as 'dwellers' in order to highlight the connection with verse 14, where YHWH gazes upon the dwellers of the earth from his dwelling place (all of the dwelling words share the same Hebrew root). Translators should attempt to use the same word here and in verse 14 to enhance the sense of unity throughout the poem. In some languages, the term dwellers may take a verbal function: the people dwelling.
• The inhabited world (תֵבֵֽל) is a single Hebrew word whose specific sense often cannot be translated into another language with just one word. It means "the earth as opposed to the sky, with special focus on the area that is inhabited by humans." If there is not a way in the local culture to convey this meaning, then translators could use a synonym for the earth such as the world.
• The word be in dread (גור) is "an even stronger" version of be afraid of  which "means to be intimidated by something [or someone] superior and more powerful." The ancient translations be shaken (LXX) and be disturbed/shake/tremble (Peshitta) suggest that this was an emotion of fear that had a physical effect. Most modern translations, with their renderings of stand in awe, revere, and honor, undersell the powerful effects of the verb upon a person. With the combination of the words be afraid of and be in dread, the verse covers a range of emotion from awe/reverence to panic/terror.

---

v. 9

9.1	כִּ֤י ה֣וּא אָמַ֣ר	For he spoke,
9.2	וַיֶּ֑הִי	and it was;
9.3	הֽוּא־צִ֝וָּ֗ה	he commanded,
9.4	וַֽיַּעֲמֹֽד׃	and it came about.

Diagrams Expanded Paraphrase

Expanded Paraphrase The words in <i>italics</i> provide a fuller sense of the psalm; the text itself is in <b>bold</b>.

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.

Notes

• The first word for/because/since (כִּי) is a crucial conjunction that indicates the reason for the ideas in the immediately preceding section of verses 6-8. It is not just "an extra syllable whose function is to add an extra beat to the line."
• In both lines of this verse, the word he (ה֣וּא) appears in a non-typical place (both subject-pronouns come before finite verbs, which is unusual in Hebrew). This structure emphasizes that YHWH is the one who spoke and commanded, and no one else. So, translators may render these phrases as something like for it is he who spoke, and it was and it is he who commanded, and it came about. Even if this particular rendering is not feasible in the target language, translators should still consider somehow drawing emphasis to the two he pronouns.
• The phrase he spoke, and it was is a clear reference to Genesis 1. This knowledge helps translators to fill in some informational gaps:
  • The verb spoke begs the question, "what was said?" Genesis 1 tells us that God said, "Let there be…" in order to create. Psalm 33 elsewhere refers to this as YHWH's word (verse 6). For languages that require a direct object for the verb 'spoke,' then, translators may say he spoke his word.
  • The referent of the word it is not clearly stated. It could be rendered to mean what God said (based upon the context of the verse) or even creation (based on the clear connection to Genesis 1).
  • The verb was means came into existence or began to exist (this is the inchoate sense). Several English translations do a good job making this sense clear with the renderings it came to be (ESV, NIV, NRSV) or it came into being (CSB).
• Unlike the first phrase, the second phrase he commanded, and it came about does not contain vocabulary from Genesis 1. So it probably refers to YHWH's commands to people and to nature to behave in certain ways in history.
  • For languages that require a direct object for the verb he commanded, translators should be vague: he commanded events or he commanded his intentions (which would match well with verse 11) are possibilities.
  • Again, the referent of the word it is not clearly stated in Hebrew. Here it is what he commanded or the events he commanded.
  • The Hebrew word translated and it came about (וַֽיַּעֲמֹֽד) most literally means and it stood. Many English translations render it as endured or stood firm (NIV). We have chosen to render it closer to the sense of arise (the inchoate sense of the verb), which fits the idea of events happening. However, it should be noted that the same verb occurs in verse 11 to say that YHWH's plan stands forever. There, the emphasis is on enduring or standing firm. So translators may choose to render it that way in this verse, too; consistency will add to the sense of unity in the poem. See the Venn diagram below for a more detailed look at the Hebrew understanding of the word (green circle on the right), our modern English understanding of 'to stand' (yellow circle on the left), and what the two understandings have in common (the middle section where the two circles intersect):

• The author of Psalm 33 assumed that the audience could make the above connections without him making all of the information explicit. So, in languages where this information is not necessary for syntax and meaning, translators should consider mimicking the author's poetic economy of style.

---

Verses 10-12: YHWH's plan, not the nations' plan

• Verses 10-12 are at the center, and are the most prominent part of the psalm. See page 6 for more detail. When putting this psalm to music, consider making these verses a repeated refrain.
• Verses 10-12 are the only part of the psalm that contains the divine name YHWH in every verse.
• The name YHWH occurs six times before verse 10 and six times after verse 10. This numbering means that both halves of the psalm need to include verse 10 in order to achieve a perfect seven occurrences of the divine name. This feature points to verse 10 (and thus verses 10-12) as very prominent in the psalm. In verse 10, YHWH is fronted for emphasis, which is the only time this happens in the psalm and which also contributes to the prominence of the verse.

v. 10

10.1	יְֽהוָ֗ה הֵפִ֥יר עֲצַת־גּוֹיִ֑ם	YHWH has thwarted the nations’ plan;
10.2	הֵ֝נִ֗יא מַחְשְׁב֥וֹת עַמִּֽים׃	he has blocked the peoples’ intentions.

Diagrams Expanded Paraphrase

Expanded Paraphrase The words in <i>italics</i> provide a fuller sense of the psalm; the text itself is in <b>bold</b>.

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.

Notes

• English translations usually render the verbs has thwarted and has blocked as present tense verbs that connote timelessness (in other words, they happen all the time; for example, thwarts and blocks). However, the Hebrew verb form (qatal) is very unlikely to take on a simple present tense or timeless sense with action verbs like these. Hebrew qatals refer to past events. While the hearer may infer that what YHWH has done in the past, he will do again for us now, the verbs themselves do not have this meaning. These verbs are best translated using an equivalent of the English present perfect tense, as we have done here (he has thwarted…he has blocked). This tense refers to an event that took place in the past, but whose effects are still felt in the present time. If an equivalent of the present perfect is not available in the local language, the next best option is the simple past tense: thwarted and blocked.
• The Hebrew verb translated has thwarted (פור) is related to the verb (פרר) which means "to break, perhaps by bursting from within rather than by smashing from without." The form which is represented here (hiphil) "takes exclusively non-concrete objects" such as a covenant (Ezek 17:19). Other possible renderings might be has sabotaged or, most poetically, has caused to burst apart. Many English translations render this verb as frustrates (NLT, CSB, GNB, NET), but the expression frustrates someone's purposes/counsel/plans is awkward English that does not have the benefit of retaining the imagery of bursting.
• The wordplan (עֵצָה) is a repeated word in this psalm, since the central theme of this psalm is that YHWH's plan triumphs while the nations' plan does not. The word is singular, so that the nations share a single plan against Israel (Psalm 83:2-8).
• The nations in this verse refers to pagan, non-Israelite nations.
• The word rendered intentions (מַחְשְׁבֹ֥ות) has "thought" as its first definition in many Hebrew lexicons, but to characterize this term as expressing mere thought is misleading. It is part of a "procedure for achieving a certain purpose, originating from someone's mind."Before the flood, YHWH saw that "all the purpose of the intentions (מַחְשְׁבֹ֣ת) of the peoples' heart was only evil all the time" (Gen 6:5).
• In some languages, the phrases the nations’ plan and the people's intentionsmay need to be rendered as verbal ideas: what the nations were planning and what the people were intending.

---

v. 11

11.1	עֲצַ֣ת יְ֭הוָה לְעוֹלָ֣ם תַּעֲמֹ֑ד	YHWH’s plan stands forever;
11.2	מַחְשְׁב֥וֹת לִ֝בּ֗וֹ לְדֹ֣ר וָדֹֽר׃	the intentions of his heart [stand] forever and ever.

Diagrams Expanded Paraphrase

Expanded Paraphrase The words in <i>italics</i> provide a fuller sense of the psalm; the text itself is in <b>bold</b>.

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.

Notes

• The Hebrew word rendered stands (תַּעֲמֹד; see verse 9) is a poetic image that here means endures, since it is coupled with the word forever. The word 'stands' is the only verb in this verse, and it is implied in the second clause for poetic effect. For clarity, translators may choose to supply the verb again in the second half of the verse.
• The word heart (לֵב) is an image that uses the language of human body parts to describe an aspect of God (like the breath of his mouth in verse 6). In English, the 'heart' (לֵב) is the place of a person's emotions and desires. The Hebrew word, by contrast, is the place where both thoughts/reasoning and emotions originate. Translators should attempt to find a word that comes closer to the Hebrew meaning than the English one.
  • The phrase intentions of his heart may be difficult to render in many languages. In this case, a verbal idea may convey the meaning: What his heart intends.
• The expression forever and ever literally says, "to generation and generation, " where generation means "a group of individuals born and living contemporaneously." It is a figure of speech that emphasizes a long time/duration. It is often in parallel with the term forever (עוֹלָם), as it is here.

---

v. 12

12.1	אַשְׁרֵ֣י הַ֭גּוֹי	Happy is the nation
12.2	אֲשֶׁר־יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהָ֑יו	whose god is YHWH,
12.3	הָעָ֓ם ׀	[happy are] the people
12.4	בָּחַ֖ר לְנַחֲלָ֣ה לֽוֹ׃	[whom YHWH] chose as a permanent possession for himself.

Diagrams Expanded Paraphrase

Expanded Paraphrase The words in <i>italics</i> provide a fuller sense of the psalm; the text itself is in <b>bold</b>.

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.

Notes

• The Hebrew noun rendered happy (אשׁרי; literally: "happiness") is important to the emotional exegesis of the psalm. Many modern English translations render it as blessed (such as NIV). The LXX translates it with happy (μακάριον), which is probably closer to the sense of the term. It refers to someone who should be celebrated and considered to be on the correct path, which is how it appears in Psalm 1.
  • Despite its appearance in some translations, the phrase Happy is the nation (אַשְׁרֵ֣י הַ֭גֹּוי) is not a complete sentence; it is a Hebrew construct chain. Literally it says the happiness of the nation; in other words, the happiness experienced by the nation. As a sentence fragment, it functions as an exclamation.
• The word Happy (אַשְׁרֵי) governs both halves of this verse. The relative pronoun [whom] (אֲשֶׁר), which appears in the first clause of the verse, is elided in the second clause. A relative pronoun may be supplied in the second clause by translators.
• Permanent possession is a single word (נַחֲלָה) in Hebrew, and is most often rendered inheritance in English translations. However, inheritance denotes receiving something by hereditary right; obviously, YHWH did not receive the people of Israel by hereditary right. So, permanent possession is preferred here.

---

Verses 13-15: YHWH is Watching (verses 13-15)

• YHWH's act of "looking" is a regular motif throughout the HB. When YHWH looks at people, it is almost always to discern (see verse 15b) in judgment before saving the righteous and punishing the wicked.
• The dominant emotion evoked by this section is humility before YHWH on high.

v. 13

13.1	מִ֭שָּׁמַיִם הִבִּ֣יט יְהוָ֑ה	YHWH looked from heaven:
13.2	רָ֝אָ֗ה אֶֽת־כָּל־בְּנֵ֥י הָאָדָֽם׃	he saw all of humanity,

Diagrams Expanded Paraphrase

Expanded Paraphrase The words in <i>italics</i> provide a fuller sense of the psalm; the text itself is in <b>bold</b>.

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,

Notes

• The word looked (נבט) is a figure of speech for the activities of YHWH. Several times the word is used in requests that God would "look down (נבט) from heaven" and subsequently show engagement with his people who are suffering.
• The words he looked (הִבִּ֣יט) and he saw (רָ֝אָ֗ה) in verse 13 and the word he gazed (הִשְׁגִּ֑יחַ) in verse 14 are often rendered in the timeless present tense (that is, actions that can happen at any time) in English. However, action verbs in the Hebrew qatal stem refer to past tense actions. Here we have rendered the verbs with the simple past tense. In Hebrew, the audience is left to infer that what YHWH did in the past, he can also do now. But the present tense action of seeing is not found in the Hebrew verbs. The past tense rendering brings out a possible reference to the Flood story, where YHWH "saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth" (Gen 6:5, NIV).
• The phrase from heaven appears several times to refer to YHWH's location. The height of his location fits well with the idea that he has authority and power to supervise, judge, and save.
• Humanity is technically a figure of speech in Hebrew. Literally, it is a two-word Hebrew phrase (a construct chain) that means the sons of man. It means humanity, people, or human beings.

---

v. 14

14.1

מִֽמְּכוֹן־שִׁבְתּ֥וֹ הִשְׁגִּ֑יחַ אֶ֖ל כָּל־יֹשְׁבֵ֣י הָאָֽרֶץ׃

he gazed from his dwelling place, at all the dwellers of the earth,

Diagrams Expanded Paraphrase

Expanded Paraphrase The words in <i>italics</i> provide a fuller sense of the psalm; the text itself is in <b>bold</b>.

He gazed from his dwelling place which is also his kingly throne at all the dwellers of the earth.

Notes

• This verse is a continuation of verse 13, so that the pronoun he refers to YHWH (verse 13a). In contrast to the words he looked and he saw in the previous verse, the rare word he gazed (שׁגח) denotes fixing one's eyes on an object "for a prolonged period of time." As the third word in the progression of words for seeing, it adds an element of increased engagement on the part of YHWH. This progression will continue in verse 15 (where YHWH discerns) and then again in verse 18 (where YHWH's eye is upon his people to protect them).
• The phrase his dwelling place is an image for the place that YHWH dwells, which is a synonym for heaven in verse 13. The word dwelling is from the root meaning to sit or to dwell, inhabit (ישׁב). When applied to YHWH, the language of sitting "usually signifies his kingship" as though he is sitting on a throne. This word and the word dwellers in verse 8 are from the same verbal root (ישׁב). This repetition contrasts the dwelling place of people on earth with the dwelling place of God in the heavens.   
• In verses 13 and 14, the phrases from heaven and from his dwelling place are fronted in their respective clauses to create a poetic repetition. The result is a parallel abc // abc structure that translators should seek to retain if possible:

---

v. 15

15.1	הַיֹּצֵ֣ר יַ֣חַד לִבָּ֑ם	the one who forms all their hearts,
15.2	הַ֝מֵּבִ֗ין אֶל־כָּל־מַעֲשֵׂיהֶֽם׃	the one who discerns all their works.

Diagrams Expanded Paraphrase

Expanded Paraphrase The words in <i>italics</i> provide a fuller sense of the psalm; the text itself is in <b>bold</b>.

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 .

Notes

• The two phrases the one who forms and the one who discerns are images for YHWH that describe him in greater detail. Each of these phrases is a single word in Hebrew (a participle) that is a noun formed from a verb: the one who forms/discerns,he who forms/discerns, or he is the one who forms/discerns are examples of translation possibilities. Since they refer to God, translators could translate them as YHWH is the one who forms/discerns or God is the one who forms/discerns (cf. CEV). The only caveat is that this poem purposefully mentions the name YHWH a certain number of times and in certain places (see the section on prominence at the beginning of this document), and so translators should avoid supplying a proper name here unless it is necessary for understanding.
• The phrase the one who forms has the root verb to form/shape (יצר). It may denote "various forms of craftsmanship" and it is often used to describe YHWH as a "potter." It is used in Gen 2:7 to describe the creation of Adam using dust, which is then given life with YHWH's breath. Thus, it describes YHWH's personal involvement and care in the process of creating humans.
• The phrase all their hearts is an image that has some important features:
  • The word rendered all (יחד) in the first clause often means together, but can also mean all-inclusive or all (that is, each and every person) as it does here, in synonymous parallelism with all (כָּל) in the second half of the verse. Several modern translations render the phrase all their hearts as the hearts of them all or à tous or chacun (each). These are preferred over renderings like TOB's lui qui leur modèle un même cœur (he who models one heart for them). 
  • The noun heart (לֵב) is singular in Hebrew. Here the word should be understood collectively, and so translators may render it in the plural. See the notes on verse 11 for more on the meaning of heart.
• The phrase the one who discerns has the root verb to discern/understand (בין). In many places it specifically refers to discerning good from evil. Thus, translators may understand the second phrase of this verse as he is the one who knows what is good and what is evil in all that they do.
• Both of the possessive pronouns their are important in participant tracking. They refer to humanity/the dwellers of the earth from verses 13 and 14, in other words, people. Translators may render the first phrase he is the one who forms all people's hearts and the second phrase as he is the one who discerns all people's works.
• The word works may also be rendered deeds/actions. It is the same word as the one used in verse 5 for YHWH's work. In many languages translators will need to convert the word works, whose root is to do (עשׂה), into a verb: what they do. This is the strategy of several translations.

---

Verses 16-19: YHWH Rescues

• Verses 16-19 contains repeated root words that bind these verses together:
  • the root save (ישׁא) in verses 16a and 17a.
  • the word force (חיל) in verses 16a and 17b.
  • the word great (רב) in verses 16a, 16b, and 17b.
  • the root to deliver (נצל) in verses 16b and 19a.
  • the similar sounding Hebrew words not (אין) and eye (עין) in verses 16a and 18a.

v. 16

16.1	אֵֽין־הַ֭מֶּלֶךְ נוֹשָׁ֣ע בְּרָב־חָ֑יִל	A king is not saved by a great force;
16.2	גִּ֝בּ֗וֹר לֹֽא־יִנָּצֵ֥ל בְּרָב־כֹּֽחַ׃	a warrior is not delivered by great might.

Diagrams Expanded Paraphrase

Expanded Paraphrase The words in <i>italics</i> provide a fuller sense of the psalm; the text itself is in <b>bold</b>.

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 .

Notes

• See Poetic Feature 1 for important information on the special poetic role of verses 16-17. See Prominence feature 3 for information on the prominence of these verses within the psalm.
• Does the Hebrew article on king mark it as definite, referring to someone specific (the king), or as a generic image (a king)? Some modern translations render it the king. But the overall phrase is a timeless proverb, and the parallel words warrior (verse 16b) and horse (verse 17a) are both generic images and therefore indefinite. So, no specific king is in view here, and translators should render it 'a king.'
• The word not (אֵין) could show non-existence, so that the phrase declares that there is no king saved (NIV). Or, it could function as an adverb, so that the phrase means a king is not saved. Ancient translations prefer reading it as an adverb, and so this is our preferred interpretation.
• The Hebrew word for force (חָ֑יִל) can mean power/might/strength, but here it is an image that means army. The phrase a great force in Hebrew is almost the same as the phrase found in the next verse to describe the strength of the horse: its great force. If possible, translators should attempt to use a similar word to translate both terms. But it may not be possible in many languages to find a word that can mean both army and strength; in this case, it is better to make clear that the word in verse 16 refers to an army, and the word in verse 17 refers to strength.
• Both verbs is…saved and is…delivered are in the passive voice. Some languages may require converting to the active voice, which would result in the phrases a great force does not save a king and great might does not deliver a warrior.
• The prepositional phrases by a great force and by great might are governed by the Hebrew preposition (בְּ) that marks instrumentality. So the phrases could be rendered by means of a great force/great might or by using a great force/great might. The same applies to the similar phrase in the next verse.
• The term warrior would normally follow the indicative verb is…delivered in Hebrew. Here, warrior is fronted in its clause. The result is a parallel abc // abc structure between the two clauses of the verse. Translators should seek to retain this parallelism if possible. It looks like this:

---

v. 17

17.1	שֶׁ֣קֶר הַ֭סּוּס לִתְשׁוּעָ֑ה	A horse is a deceptive means for victory,
17.2	וּבְרֹ֥ב חֵ֝יל֗וֹ לֹ֣א יְמַלֵּֽט׃	and it will not rescue by its great force.

Diagrams Expanded Paraphrase

Expanded Paraphrase The words in <i>italics</i> provide a fuller sense of the psalm; the text itself is in <b>bold</b>.

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.

Notes

• A horse is an image that should be taken symbolically as representing military power as a whole. So, even though it has a definite article in Hebrew, it is generic and should be rendered as indefinite (not the horse, but a horse). In cultures where horses are not familiar, another animal that signifies strength (preferably strength in battle) may be employed.
• The phrase a deceptive means is a figure of speech that comes from a single Hebrew word (שֶׁקֶר) whose basic meaning is lie, deception, or falsehood. Modern translations render it as a vain hope, useless, or disappointing those who trust in it but miss that a horse's strength and its widespread usage as a weapon of war contributed to a deception that Israel was tempted to believe. Renderings such as false or deceptive are preferred, if possible.
• The term rendered victory (תְּשׁוּעָ֖ה) could mean salvation (that is, rescue from enemies) or victory (that is, defeating enemies). In other contexts involving battle, the term overwhelmingly refers to victory over enemies, and so that is the best choice here. The complete prepositional phrase for victory is governed by the Hebrew preposition (לְ) that can denote purpose. So the phrase may be rendered for the purpose of victory or for achieving/obtaining victory.

---

v. 18

18.1

הִנֵּ֤ה עֵ֣ין יְ֭הוָה אֶל־יְרֵאָ֑יו לַֽמְיַחֲלִ֥ים לְחַסְדּֽוֹ׃

Consider: YHWH’s eye is upon those who fear him; upon those who wait for his loyal-love,

Diagrams Expanded Paraphrase

Expanded Paraphrase The words in <i>italics</i> provide a fuller sense of the psalm; the text itself is in <b>bold</b>.

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 .

Notes

• Verse 18 ties together several themes from earlier in the psalm: YHWH's loyal love (verse 5), fearing him (verse 8), and YHWH's looking (verses 13-14). Verse 18 combines these themes into a promise: YHWH is looking, and he will rescue those who fear him according to his loyal love. With this promise, the speaker indirectly exhorts the people to fear and wait for YHWH (in other words, "people who wait on YHWH will be rescued, so you should wait!").
• The crucial particle consider(הִנֵּה) directs "special attention" to an important truth.  Leaving the word untranslated does a disservice to the reader, who would have no reason to pay particular attention to this important verse without it. It may be rendered as notice! or look here!
• YHWH's eye is another image that uses a body part to describe YHWH (mouth and heart are others). YHWH's eye symbolically represents the act of seeing. YHWH looked, saw, and gazed upon all people before (past tense, in verses 13-14), but now his eye of loving care is upon his people. A few ancient translations make the noun eye plural, and this is acceptable for modern translations, especially in cultures where a singular eye may mean "the evil eye." Some modern translations simply substitute a verb such as watches, though it is better to retain the poetic image of eye or eyes, if possible in the culture.
• The phrase those who wait is a key term whose root will appear again in verse 22. It is a single word in Hebrew that comes from the verb to wait (יחל). It reflects "a state in which humans are confident that their longings will be fulfilled" and it "always involves a specific expectation." So, it involves not only waiting but hope.

---

v. 19

19.1	לְהַצִּ֣יל מִמָּ֣וֶת נַפְשָׁ֑ם	to deliver their lives from death,
19.2	וּ֝לְחַיּוֹתָ֗ם בָּרָעָֽב׃	and to keep them alive during famine.

Diagrams Expanded Paraphrase

Expanded Paraphrase The words in <i>italics</i> provide a fuller sense of the psalm; the text itself is in <b>bold</b>.

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 .

Notes

• The two phrases in this verse give examples of the ways that the YHWH's eye will work for those who fear him and wait for him. It is likely the two phrases of this verse combine to form a poetic device in which two representative parts symbolize a larger whole (a merism). In this case, they indicate YHWH's total protection.
• Both verbs to deliver and to keep are grammatically dependent on v. 18. The infinitive verb has no tense on its own.
• The verbto deliver is a key term. It has the same root (נצל) as the verb is not delivered in verse 16. The warrior is not delivered by his great might, but YHWH can deliver his people who wait for him and fear him. Both of these verbs should be translated with the same root.
• The noun life (נֶפֶשׁ) means "throat, neck, breath, living being, life, soul, person, being." The basic idea is the animating aspects of a person. Though it is singular in Hebrew, it may be taken collectively, which fits the context here, and rendered as a plural noun: lives.
• Famine was a regular threat in the agrarian Middle East, and it could last for years.

---

Verses 20-22: We Wait (in Anticipation)

• Verses 20-22 contain personal application.
• This section is characterized by the first person: we, our, and us.
• The first two verses are a direct address to the people of God.
• The final verse is a direct address to YHWH.

v. 20

20.1	נַ֭פְשֵׁנוּ חִכְּתָ֣ה לַֽיהוָ֑ה	We ourselves wait longingly for YHWH
20.2	עֶזְרֵ֖נוּ וּמָגִנֵּ֣נוּ הֽוּא׃	–he is our help and our shield–

Diagrams Expanded Paraphrase

Expanded Paraphrase The words in <i>italics</i> provide a fuller sense of the psalm; the text itself is in <b>bold</b>.

We ourselves wait longingly for YHWH—he is our help to rescue us and our shield to protect us from military threats —

Notes

• The phrase we ourselves marks an important shift in the speaker from a singular choir leader to the people of Israel. The phrase is fronted for emphasis, answering the unstated question, "Who waits for YHWH?" Thus, the people of Israel identify themselves as those who fulfill the requirements of the promise in verses 18-19. They use the same word (נֶ֫פֶשׁ) to describe ourselves that was just used in verse 19a to describe the lives of those whom YHWH would deliver from death. Context suggests that the speaker wants his entire audience to be involved in the we group. Therefore, languages that distinguish between an inclusive and exclusive 1st person plural should treat this pronoun as inclusive.
  • Several English translations render this phrase as our soul (ESV, KJV, NASB, LEB, NRSV). However, the English term soul usually refers to the non-material, spiritual essence of a person as opposed to their physical body. That sense is not in view here, and so such a rendering is dispreferred.
• The meaning of the verb wait longingly (חכה) is important to the emotional exegesis of the psalm. It means "to defer action; to wait; to lie in wait; to delay; to hesitate; to long."Within the context of this psalm, the word does not mean mere inaction, but rather a deliberate choice to depend upon YHWH rather than other means of deliverance.
• The clause he is our help and our shieldhas several important features for translator:
  • The figure of speech he is our help and our shield is parenthetical, meaning that grammatically it is disconnected from the verses around it. This may be difficult to render in translation, especially in oral translations. Translators should be sensitive to the grammar in verses 20-21 to avoid the meaning that YHWH protects his people because they rejoice in him. The NIV and NLT solve the problem by leaving the word because untranslated at the beginning of verse 21. Some ancient translations solved the problem by adding the word because before he is our help and ourshield. See the notes in verse 21 for more information.
  • The structure of the clause in Hebrew means that it answers the question, "What is YHWH like?" This clause says YHWH is like our help and our shield. Some languages may need to include the word like.
  • The phrase he is our help is a figure of speech. It contains a possessive construction that in some languages should become a verbal idea: he helps us. Translators should also note that the word help in English is not as strong as the underlying Hebrew term.עֵזֶר who is suitable for Adam. In English, 'help' often assists someone to do something that they could do on their own. The Hebrew term very often means someone who protects or delivers a person from a situation that they are powerless to overcome by themselves. The combination here with shield means that protection is a primary sense of the word. So, he protects us is also a good alternative when a verbal idea is needed.
  • The image of a shield (מָגֵן) is of a hand-held "smaller type of defensive armor" that was "probably round-shaped and made either of metal or, more often, of a wooden frame covered with leather which was coated with fat or oil." The word is an image "to describe God's protection from attacks." Some languages may need to convert the figure of speech he is…our shield to he protects us (from attacks).

---

v. 21

21.1	כִּי־ב֭וֹ יִשְׂמַ֣ח לִבֵּ֑נוּ	because our hearts rejoice in him;
21.2	כִּ֤י בְשֵׁ֖ם קָדְשׁ֣וֹ בָטָֽחְנוּ׃	because we have come to trust in his holy name.

Diagrams Expanded Paraphrase

Expanded Paraphrase The words in <i>italics</i> provide a fuller sense of the psalm; the text itself is in <b>bold</b>.

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 .

Notes

• The logical connections in verses 20-21 are important. They look like this:

• Each of the clauses of verse 21 begin with the word because (כִּי). These clauses give reasons why the people wait longingly for YHWH in the preceding verse.
• The phrasesin him and in his name are fronted for emphasis. They are figures of speech that answer the unstated questions, "In whom will we rejoice?" and "In whom will we trust?" These questions were prompted earlier when the psalmist urged the people not to put their trust in a king, a warrior, or a horse to fight their battles (verses 16-17).
• The figure of speech rejoice in him means rejoice because of him (see the note on in YHWH in verse 1). The Hebrew verb rejoice (שׂמח) does not normally refer to mere internal joy or being glad, but to "articulated expressions of joy." It is a joy that is expressed. The word probably refers to the singing and music that was commanded in verses 1-3. Thus, the phrase our hearts rejoice is a figure of speech that is meant to denote personal engagement and enthusiasm involved in rejoicing out loud.
• The figure of speech his holy name refers to YHWH's unique character and identity. Thus, the phrase we have come to trust in his holy name means we have come to trust him who is holy. The phrase him who is holy may be difficult to render in some languages; in this case because he is holy may be an alternative.

---

v. 22

22.1	יְהִֽי־חַסְדְּךָ֣ יְהוָ֣ה עָלֵ֑ינוּ	YHWH, may your loyal-love be upon us,
22.2	כַּ֝אֲשֶׁ֗ר יִחַ֥לְנוּ לָֽךְ׃	just as we have been waiting for you!

Diagrams Expanded Paraphrase

Expanded Paraphrase The words in <i>italics</i> provide a fuller sense of the psalm; the text itself is in <b>bold</b>.

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 !

Notes

• In this final verse, the people together address YHWH directly. YHWH (יְהוָ֣ה) is in the vocative (direct address), so that the psalm begins and ends with a vocative. In verse 1a the Chorus Leader addressed the righteous people; here the righteous people address YHWH.
• The verbmay ... be (יְהִֽי) expresses a wish or desire, not a prediction. The Psalms often end with a request to YHWH such as this one.
• What does it mean for loyal love to be upon us? Here be upon us is a figure of speech that means be applied to us. The entire clause is a request that YHWH would apply your loyal love to us or love us in a way that shows your loyalty, and these are possible translation options. The key word loyal love (חֶ֫סֶד) has appeared in verses 5 and 18, and should be translated the same way here if possible.
• In verse 22, a shift occurs in which the speakers now address YHWH directly. YHWH is the hearer, and the speakers are requesting that he act. So the words us and we are both exclusive first person plurals.
• The wordjust as (כַּאֲשֶׁר) means that the people want YHWH's loyal love to be applied in a way that equals the faithfulness they shown in their act of waiting for him.
• The phrase those who wait is based upon a Hebrew root that appears several times in this psalm. The same Hebrew root appeared in the phrase we have been waiting (יחל) in verse 18a. There, the psalmist promised that 'those who wait' for YHWH's loyal love will receive his protective care. Thus, the people explicitly state that they fill the expectations of verse 18.

---