Psalm 33 Semantics

Psalm Overview

• Grammar
• Semantics
• Story behind the Psalm
• Discourse
• Poetics

About the Semantics Layer

Semantics is the study of how language is used to represent meaning. The goal of semantic analysis for interpreting and translating the Bible is to understand the meaning of words and how they relate to each other in context. We want to understand what is implicit about word meaning – and thus assumed by the original audience – and make it explicit – and thus clear for us who are removed by time, language, and culture. The semantics layer is composed of three major branches: lexical semantics, phrase-level semantics and verbal semantics. (Click 'Expand' to the right for more information.)

About Lexical Semantics

One major branch of semantic study is lexical semantics, which refers to the study of word meanings. It examines semantic range (=possible meanings of a word), the relationship between words (e.g. synonymy, hyponymy), as well as the relationship between words and larger concepts (conceptual domains). One component of our approach involves not only the study of the Hebrew word meaning, but also of our own assumptions about word meaning in modern languages. Because the researcher necessarily starts with their own cultural assumptions (in our case, those of Western-trained scholars), this part of the analysis should be done afresh for every culture.

For a detailed description of our method, see the Lexical Semantics Creator Guidelines.

About Phrase-level Semantics

The Phrase-level Semantics layer analyses the meaning of syntactic units which are larger than the level of the word and smaller than the level of the clause. Specifically, this layer analyses the meaning of prepositional phrases (e.g., לְאִישׁ), construct phrases (e.g., אִישׁ אֱלֹהִים), phrases formed by a coordinating waw conjunction (e.g., אִישׁ וְאִשָּׁה) and noun phrases which consist of a noun plus a determiner (e.g., הָאִישׁ) or a quantifier (e.g., כֹּל אִישׁ).

For a detailed description of our method, see the Phrase-level Semantics Creator Guidelines.

About Verbal Semantics

This sub-layer focuses on the relationship between verbs, time and modality. These are important categories for interpretation and translation, and how one analyses a verb can have a significant effect on how it is rendered. This sub-layer has been through several iterations, as it strives to accomplish two things: (1) Transparency for the native Hebrew structures, and (2) Transparency for the interpretation necessary to translate the verbal semantics into other languages.

For a detailed description of our method, see the Verbal Semantics Creator Guidelines.

Semantics Visuals for Psalm 33

Lexical and Phrase-level Semantics Diagram

For legend, click "Expand" to the right

	Prepositional phrase	Construct chain	Construct chain within a prepositional phrase	Phrase-level waw	Article and כֹּל
Diagram Shading
Definition	- A prepositional phrase consists of a preposition plus its object. The phrase usually modifies the clause or another constituent in the clause.	- A construct chain, also called a 'genitive phrase', is a grammatical encoding of the relationship 'A of B,' in which A is a phonologically modified noun (in the construct state), and B is a phonologically unmodified noun (the absolute state).	- Some construct chains occur within prepositional phrases	- A waw conjunction can join units of all sizes. Phrase level waw join units at the word or phrase level (i.e., below the level of the clause).	- Definite articles tell you something about the identifiability or inclusiveness about the word it is attached to - כֹּל is a quantifier that tells you about the scope of a word it is attached to

• See our growing collection of Venn Diagrams, not only for Psalm 33, but for all of the psalms.
• See SDBH on Psalm 33.

v. 1

• SDBH glosses shout for joy (רנן) as simply "to shout," but this English gloss by itself connotes negativity rarely associated with the Hebrew verb. "Joy" is part of the lexical semantics of the Hebrew word.
• Shout for joy is a single word in Hebrew (רנן). SDBH glosses it simply "to shout," but this English gloss by itself connotes a negativity rarely associated with the Hebrew verb. "Joy" is part of the lexical semantics of the Hebrew word.
• 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." Here the adjective functions substantivally, referring to "righteous people." It shares the same root as the term "righteousness" in v. 5.
• Righteous people (צַ֭דִּיקִים) is in the vocative, meaning that it designates the one to whom the speaker is addressing a statement. The term does not function grammatically as a (clausal) subject, but it is the same as the implied subject of the verb "shout for joy." The term righteous people is therefore in apposition to the implied subject.
• Righteous people (צַ֭דִּיקִים) comes between an imperative verb ("Shout for joy!") and its direct object ("to YHWH"). This word order emphasizes that the rejoicing should happen "in YHWH."
• The preposition attached to YHWH (בְּ) in v. 1a is rendered in a wide variety of ways in the modern translations. Among the most common renderings are "in," "to," and "about." The phrase בַּֽיהוָה occurs 107 times in the HB, but the meaning of the preposition may vary widely based primarily on the governing verb. English translations almost always render the preposition "in" when it is combined with similar verbs of praise like "rejoice" (גיל), "be glad" (שׂמח), "exult/rejoice" (עלז), and "exult" (עָלַ֤ץ).
• The expression praise is fitting for upright people is a declaration that functions as an indirect exhortation. The people are meant to identify themselves as "upright" and to respond with the appropriate behavior for such people (i.e., by praising).
• Here is a Venn diagram comparing English praise with the underlying Hebrew term (תְּהִלָּה):

• The word here rendered fitting (נָאוֶה) most ordinarily means "beautiful" (HALOT) or "comely" (DCH).
• For upright people (לַ֝יְשָׁרִ֗ים) is in non-default position. In a verbless clause, the grammatical subject (in this case, "praise" תְהִלָּֽה) would be expected in the first position. The reason for the non-default position is likely "tail-head" linkage, in which the last term of one clause and the the first term of the next clause are linked. In this case, the linking is that both "in YHWH" and "for upright people" are prepositional phrases.
• The preposition for (lamed, לְ) in v. 1b has been interpreted in three main ways: as a vocative, as denoting authorship, or as denoting interest/advantage. Among the three options, the last option is the most common function of the Hebrew lamed preposition, and it makes good sense in context, so it is preferred. The lamed marks that the action (being "fitting") is directed at "upright people."
• Upright people (לַ֝יְשָׁרִ֗ים) is a synonym for the righteous people who have just been mentioned in the previous clause. The adjectives righteous (צַדִּיק) and upright (יָשָׁר) occur together frequently in the Bible.

v. 2

• As an act of communication, the root of the Hebrew term here translated praise (ידה) may mean either "confess" or "praise". The context, which speaks of music, lends itself to the "praise" interpretation, and most of the time (89 times) it means "praise" rather than "confess" (23 times).

"Kinnor played before a Canaanite king"

• 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." King David "played on the kinnor with his hand," and this is the term traditionally rendered in English as David's "harp." The kinnor was most often played with other instruments as a part of a group, as it is here in Ps. 33:2, and as a part of the temple orchestra. It was played at major ceremonies and celebrations, notably during the celebration of victory over an enemy.
• The phrase with a ten-stringed harp is fronted to form a poetic chiasm with v. 2a.
• The word harp (נֵ֫בֶל) is uncertain. The harp "seems to have been a rarer, more solemn instrument than the kinnor." In addition to a musical instrument, it can refer to a skin-bottle (5 times) or an earthenware vessel (6 times). Some propose that it was a soundbox made of wood with animal intestines stretched over the top. The number of strings could vary; in Ps 32:2 the word "ten" refers to the number of strings.
• The combination of lyre (כִנּ֑וֹר) and harp (נֵ֫בֶל) was common in worship. Craigie argues that "these two instruments merely symbolize the entire array of instruments." While this is possible, both of these instruments are stringed instruments. If the psalmist had wanted to symbolize more kinds of instruments, he had many other kinds to choose from (cf. Ps 150:3-5).
• As a part of the ceremony in which Solomon succeeded David (1 Chron 22:1-29:25), David appointed certain Levitical families to prophesy with lyres, harps, and cymbols (1 Chron 25:1-8). Additionally, David established these temple musicians with the help of military officers, (1 Chr 25:1) which comports with the notion that a military threat was the impetus for this psalm (cf. vv. 10, 16-17, 20).

v. 3

• A new song (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, 98), or as a battle cry before the people execute judgment on the nations with swords (Ps 149). Interestingly, in Ps 144:9 the psalmist sings (אֲזַמְּרָה) a new song while playing on a ten-stringed harp (בְּנֵ֥בֶל עָ֝שֹׂ֗ור) in anticipation of YHWH saving the psalmist from attacking foreigners, as he had saved king David. The lexical similarities between Ps 33:2 and Ps 144:9 may suggest thematic or situational parallels between the two psalms. Some have suggested that a new song is only an eschatological hymn reserved for a cataclysmic future moment, but the inclusion of the phrase in psalms about specific references to personal rescue that has already occurred speak against this interpretation. Ross says that the new song is "more than a new composition; it is a call for a new experience for praise (so a metonymy of effect)... with renewed enthusiasm."
• The verb to play (an instrument) (root: נגן) occurs 15 times in the MT; 7 of these are in the story of David playing the lyre (כִנֹּור, cf. v. 2) for Saul. This verb only occurs one other time in the Psalms, which is somewhat surprising given the theme of making music throughout the book.
• The syntax of the hiphil verb "to do well" (הֵיטִ֥יבוּ) followed by the infinitive construct of "to play" (נַ֝גֵּ֗ן) occurs 3 other times in the MT, where it means "play skillfully/well." Normally the object of a hiphil verb expressing an adverbial idea is introduced with a lamed, but not here.
• The lexical semantics of the word blast (תְרוּעָֽה) indicates that its most important feature is not who or what is making the sound, but how loud the sound is. The heightened volume expresses joy or gladness in this cultic context.

v. 4

• • For this Psalm, an interpretive question is: does word (דְּבַר) refer 1) to YHWH's creative word (cf. Gen 1), 2) to all of his communication, or 3) to all of his activities (i.e., a "pattern of behavior")? The description of the word as upright in this verse suggests YHWH's moral instruction, i.e., his communication. But the term takes on the meaning of YHWH's creative word in vv. 6-7 and 9a.
• The phrase YHWH's word (דְבַר־יְהוָ֤ה) is a construct relationship of product-source/origin (i.e., the word coming from YHWH). YHWH's word promised Abram that his son would be his heir (Gen 15:4). The covenant with Abram developed into a covenant with Israel (cf. esp. Exod 19-20; Deut 5; 28-30), and this relationship is referenced in v. 12 and in the multiple references to YHWH's loyal-love (vv. 5, 18, 22).
• Work (alternatively: deeds/activities/actions; מַ֝עֲשֵׂ֗ה), though singular in Hebrew, here connotes plural acts or "a pattern of activities," as the attached quantifier all (כָל) demands. Does YHWH's work refer only to YHWH's creative acts? Or does it refer to all of his interactions with the world and his people? Ps. 33 likewise includes many references to YHWH's creative acts (vv. 6-7, 9, 15); for example, the word work (מַעֲשֶׂה) shares a root with the verb "to do" (עָשָׂה), which in v. 6 describes YHWH's act of creating the heavens. However, this Psalm also describes other actions of YHWH in the world beyond those of manipulating creation (vv. 10, 13-15, 18-19), and the term should be understood to include those things also.
• Several translations render His work (מַ֝עֲשֵׂ֗הוּ) as "he does," which is a construct relationship of verbal notion-subject. Some translations supply a verb to make "his work is done." Although the introduction of a verbal idea here is possible, it is not altogether necessary. Translating these words as nouns makes good sense. So, the simplest approach is to render the construct relationship as one of product-source/origin (i.e, "the work produced by YHWH").
• 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" According to Jack B. Scott, "the basic root idea is firmness or certainty," but it often refers to the conduct of persons, whether man or God. 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. Therefore, the word could also be translated as "trustworthiness."

v. 5

• In Israel, the love (חֶסֶד), the righteousness (צְדָקָה), and the name (שֵׁם, v. 21) of Yahweh appear in place of the Egyptian and Mesopotamian deities who fill heaven and earth.
• The phrase He loves is a single participle in Hebrew (אֹ֭הֵב). In theory, this participle could be taken substantivally ("lover"), though no translation treats it that way. Translations treat this participle as a predicative, and render it in the simple present tense: loves. The main syntactic issue with taking this participle in the verbal sense is that participles functioning as verbs normally must have an explicit subject. However, the 3ms independent personal pronoun (הוּא) is frequently omitted in these constructions. The present tense may be inferred from the context, which describes the characteristics of the subject. Additionally, since there has been no past or future tense verb introduced into the discourse prior to this participle, the present tense is most likely.
• The noun righteousness (צְדָקָ֣ה) shares the same root as the adjective "righteous (people)" (צַ֭דִּיקִים) in v. 1. Thus, the audience is addressed by the psalmist as those whose character YHWH loves.
• According to SDBH, the noun justice (מִשְׁפָּ֑ט) refers to practices that conform to the laws of God. Put another way, the term refers to wise decisions that are made according to godly character and principles when the law does not explicitly say what to do.
• The combination of righteousness (צְדָקָה) and justice (מִשְׁפָּט) occurs in 46 verses in the HB, where it regularly describes the ideal behavior of Israel's people, its kings, or its Messiah. In English, the former connotes character, while the latter connotes external impact, i.e., on society.
• The phrase the earth is full (מָלְאָ֥ה הָאָֽרֶץ) has resonances elsewhere in the HB. At creation, God tells man to "fill the earth" with his image, but by the time of Noah the "the earth was full" of violence. Thus, the HB contains a tension between YHWH's ideal for the earth and its present state, which may be explained by humanity's failure to bear YHWH's image. After the flood, God tells Noah again to "fill the earth" and by Exodus, the people do so. The theme continues in cycles throughout the Hebrew Bible.
• The verb is full (מָלְאָ֥ה) is stative (or quasi-stative) and therefore "cannot express a 'once-off,' complete action" despite the qatal being a perfective. It "represents a state flowing from an earlier situation." In direct speech, the stative qatal "often indicates a condition at the moment of speaking" and "at times, context may suggest that the action [of a qatal verb] is in progress or that it is a general truth." The verb most often carries a passive sense even though it is active in form (cf. DCH). Many English translations render the verb in its active sense in v. 5 However, this rendering is grammatically unfeasible. The verb is feminine and so the subject of the verb must be the feminine noun "earth" and not the masculine noun hesed, loyal-love.
• The term loyal-love is a single word in Hebrew (hesed, חֶסֶד) that encompasses a number of concepts that are difficult to translate into one English word. It refers to loyalty, faithfulness, kindness, love, and mercy (DCH) and the fulfilling of obligations (SDBH). The two most essential of these are "loyalty" and "love," or "loyal-love." Furthermore, hesed "includes an element of action," based upon its frequent collocation with the verb "to do" (עשׂה). So, the choice has been made to render the term "act(s) of loyal-love." While most translations render the word as though it were a mere attitude, it is important to bear in mind that an attitude is essentially a series of actions, however small, over a period of time.
  • For a helpful diagram that shows the similarities and differences between hesed and the English word "loyalty" click here.
  • For a diagram on the similarities and differences between hesed and the English word "love" click here.
  • Taking the word as "loyal-love" creates a parallelism between vv. 4-5. Verse 5b means that "the earth has become filled with YHWH's loyal-love," i.e., it has become filled with those works which are [done] in faithfulness (v. 4b). In this psalm, YHWH's works of loyal-love are first explicated as his power in creation in vv. 6-7, and then as his acts in history with regard to the nations in vv. 10-11. Anderson points out that the noun hesed (חֶסֶד) is primarily a covenant word. Specifically, it refers to the way YHWH keeps his covenant. Anderson writes, "This hesed or 'Covenant loyalty' is the unceasing outworking of the Covenant relationship, the essence of which is summed up in 'I will be your God and you shall be my people' (Jer. 7:23). Notably, Ps 33:12 refers to this very same relationship in similar language.
• While the CEV renders the construct chain behind YHWH's loyal-love as one of verbal notion-subject relationship ("he is kind"), it is simpler not to introduce a verbal idea unless necessary. Therefore, it is best to render this construct chain as one of product-source/origin, as most translations do; in other words, "the loyal-love that comes from YHWH."
• The term earth (אֶ֫רֶץ) can refer either to the "earth as opposed to the sky" (for a helpful diagram click here) or it can refer only to a specific land, i.e., the land of Israel. The psalmist could be attempting to differentiate Israel from the surrounding nations, as the contrasts in vv. 10, 12 suggest. Yet the references to the heavens in v. 6 and the waters of the sea in v. 7, along with the same term earth (הָאָרֶץ) in parallel with inhabited world (תֵּבֵל) in v. 8, suggest that the scope of the Hebrew word אֶ֫רֶץ in v. 5 is the whole earth.
• The combination of righteousness, justice, loyal-love, and land also occurs in Jer 9:23-24, which says "Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord" (ESV). Ps 33:5 is an actualization of Jer 9:23-24's command to boast.

v. 6

• YHWH's word (דְבַ֣ר יְ֭הוָה) and the heavens (שָׁמַ֣יִם) are both fronted within the first clause of v. 6. One indicates a new topic, and the other indicates focus. Since YHWH's word already appeared in v. 4a, it is not likely a new topic in v. 6a. In contrast, the semantic domain that includes the heavens was activated in v. 5b by the earth, and so the heavens is accessible as a new topic. YHWH's word is in focus, answering the question, "how were the heavens made?" Its usage also includes a surprising piece of information about the nature of YHWH's word, which in v. 4a was described in terms of its moral character and not its creative power.
• The two terms in the phrase YHWH's word are in a construct relationship of possession-possessor or product-source/origin. YHWH is the owner or, more likely, origin of the word. In Jer 18:11, YHWH says his word "shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose (מַֽחֲשָׁבָ֑ה)." The word translated as "purpose" in Jer 18:11 is the same word translated as "intention(s)" in Ps 33:10-11. These connections suggest that the activities accomplished by YHWH's word are the manifestation of his intentions.
• For a helpful diagram on the meaning of the Hebrew word heavens (שָׁמַיִם) click here. This verse is an echo of when God created the heavens by speaking and separating the waters above from the waters below (Gen 1:6-8).
• YHWH's word (דְבַ֣ר יְ֭הוָה ) and the breath of his mouth (ר֥וּחַ פִּ֝֗יו) have a vertical grammatical relationship of apposition, so that the meaning of the word of YHWH from v. 5 is recast from the domain of moral instruction to that of creation. God created the hosts of heaven by speaking (Gen 1:14-19). 
• Though the term breath (ר֥וּחַ) may mean "spirit" or "wind" in other contexts, here the combination with "of his mouth" suggests that the term refers to breath.

"The heavens were made by YHWH’s word, and all their hosts [were made] by the breath of his mouth." (v. 6).

• The translations are divided as to whether to render the Hebrew word (צְבָאָֽ) as host, which has military connotations, as "stars," or as "sun, moon, and stars." Some translations include both concepts: NIV has "starry host"; NGÜ has "das Heer der Sterne" ("the host of the stars"). The term most often appears in conjunction with the divine name to form the epithet (moniker) "YHWH of hosts." In a minority of cases, the host are divine beings that praise YHWH's name (9 times). 25 times, the term applies specifically to the sun, moon, and stars, and given the emphasis of the Psalm on God's power over creation and the suffix pronoun connecting the host to the heavens, that is probably the sense here. This is a better fit for the context than angels and other spiritual beings. Still, the Psalm contains elements that speak of YHWH's military activities; yet it ascribes these activities to YHWH himself, not to his hosts (vv. 16-17, 20), and the emphasis is not on victory but on rescue.
• The terms in the phrase their host are in a construct relationship of entity-location, that is "the hosts in them; i.e., in the heavens."
• Gen 2:1 uses the same expression all their host as Ps 33:5 (וְכָל־צְבָאָֽם), which is probably "an archaic expression to refer to what is otherwise generally called 'all that is in it.'" The suffix pronoun "their" renders the entire construct chain definite. When the Hebrew word all (כֹּל) modifies a plural and definite noun, it refers to the totality of an identifiable group. The expression denotes vastness; in Gen 15:5, YHWH challenges Abram to number the stars, but he cannot. The stars are innumerable.
• This clause and all their host [were made] is governed by the verb from the previous clause. Both vv. 6 and 11 contain one verb that governs both clauses, but is elided in the second clause for economy of style and poetic effect.

v. 7

• The phrases the one who gathers and the one who places are both single words in Hebrew (participles). They could be rendered as verbal (predicates; i.e., "he is gathering"/"he is placing"), but the preferred reading is to take both of these participles as nouns (substantival). As such, they describe the gathering of the sea waters as a heap and the placing of the deep oceans into storehouses as well-known characteristics of YHWH. For a more detailed discussion of the options, see the Exegetical Issue Participles in Ps 33:7.
• There are two main options for understanding the phrase sea waters like a heap.
  • First is as a reference to YHWH's separation of the seas from dry land on the third day of creation (Gen 1:9: "let the waters be collected (יִקָּו֨וּ) in one place"). Other texts likewise extol this creative act by YHWH. However, none of these passages contain the specific wording of Ps 33:7a, and their contexts have few lexical or thematic parallels with Ps 33 as a whole.
  • The other option is to understand Ps 33:7a as a reference to specific miraculous events in Isreal's history: the crossing of the Red Sea (Exod 15:8; cf. Ps 78:13) and the crossing of the Jordan (Josh 3:13, 16). In both of these events, God gathered the sea waters as a heap.
• The phrase like a heap has some interesting features:
  • The the noun heap (נֵד) has the definite article. This article does not indicate a specific heap, but rather a class. Therefore, it is best to gloss this term as an indefinite noun: a heap.
  • It is likely that this phrase contains an elided preposition בְּ meaning "into," since after the preposition like/as (כְּ) an expected preposition is often omitted The similarity of כ and ב affects the whole verbal event, which typically involves gathering into a (resultative) heap. The result is that many languages will need to supply their own locative preposition on top of the כְּ of similarity.
• The MT reading like a heap has support from the Qumran manuscript 4QPs-q. However, it is followed in the ancient translations only by Quinta. The LXX and other ancient Greek translations read "like a wineskin" and the Targum, Peshitta, and Vulgatefollow suit. As an alternative to "wineskin" and heap, some scholars have proposed that the word should be read "jar" or "bottle" based on parallels with Ugaritic. The MT reading is very close to Exod 15:8 and Ps 78:13, and the verse makes good sense this way. So, the MT reading is preferred. For a more detailed discussion, see the arguments in the Exegetical Issue Heap, Wineskin, Or Jar?
• The phrase the waters of the sea is a construct chain signifying not just any water, but the water of the sea. So, the expression could be rendered "ocean waters." The waters of the sea does not appear to be a reference to the waters above, which are never referred to as the sea.
• There are two main interpretive options for the phrase places the deep oceans into storehouses. First, it could refer to "the permanance of the sea in its place" that was established at creation. The second interpretation views the clause as denoting unusual, miraculous events in subsequent history, specifically the Noah account. The deep ocean 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 term deep ocean (תְּהוֹם) occurs in the HB 36 times. Important aspects of the deep are that it is ancient, vast, intimidating, volatile, and dangerous - making God's power over it here in Ps 33:7 all the more impressive. Here is a Venn diagram comparing the English and Hebrew words:
• The term storehouses (אוֹצָר) refers to "treasure" (14 times), or "treasury/storehouse" (66 times). This is the only instance in the HB of YHWH keeping the deeps in storehouses. YHWH keeps the rain, wind, and snow and hail in storehouses. He also keeps his vengeance and retribution and his weapons of wrath in storehouses, which fits with his placing of the deep ocean - an instrument of his judgment in the Flood narrative - in storehouses.

v. 8

• Both verbs in this verse are deontic, meaning that they express what "ought" to happen. They are also indirect speech acts that are technically jussives, but do function as commands. In other words, the commands to all the earth to fear and dread YHWH probably were not said expecting that all the earth would have heard them and obeyed; rather, the statement serves as an assertion that everyone needs to fear and dread YHWH. It is an assertion of the scope of YHWH's power. This assertion likely would have been understood by the audience, who was Israel, as a command that they themselves should fear and dread. Most modern translations render with "Let..." (or equivalent). 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.
• all the earth stands for "all the people who live in it".
• With a singular and definite noun, the Hebrew term כֹּל can be glossed all in the phrase all the earth. Here it can also be glossed "whole": "the whole earth." This expression is common in the prophets in an eschatological context. The phrasing of the term all the earth in v. 8 may be intentionally ambiguous. As the psalm was heard for the first time, listeners would think that it refers to the earth itself, as the word earth does in v. 5b. Only when the rest of the phrase was heard would the interpretation turn to a metonymy, in which earth refers to those who dwell in it. The parallelism with v. 8b confirms that the term means "people," and synonyms for this participant are found in vv. 13-15, where they are the objects of YHWH's actions.
• To fear God (be afraid) is to be in awe and reverence of him (Mal 2:5) and to trust him (Ps 40:3; 115:11). After the crossing of the Red Sea and the destruction of the Egyptians, the people "feared YHWH" and believed "in YHWH" (בַּֽיהוָ֔ה, cf. v. 1a; Exod 14:31).
• The prepositional phrase afraid because of (ירא + מִין) is a common expression in the Hebrew Bible. It occurs with God as the object of the fear in Exod 9:30 (cf. 3:6); Lev 19:14, 32; 25:17,36, 43; and Ecc 8:12. In Exod 9:30, Moses tells Pharaoh that he and his servants "do not yet fear YHWH Elohim." In the Leviticus passages, fearing "your Elohim is the basis for treating others ethically.
• The participle dwellers (יֹשְׁבֵי) is substantival here. The Hebrew word is only rendered with the English root "dwell" in one English translation most English translations render it with "inhabitant." Here we have chosen to render it as dwellers in order to highlight the connection with the similar terms in v. 14, where YHWH gazes upon the dwellers of the earth from his dwelling place (all of these words share the same Hebrew root).
• In the phrase all the dwellers of the inhabited world, the final absolute noun is definite, and this renders the construct noun dwellers definite also.
• The single Hebrew word rendered inhabited world (תֵבֵֽל) means "the earth as opposed to the sky, with special focus on the area that is inhabited by humans" More specifically, it refers to the "bright, life-sustaining 'mainland' of 'productive land,' such as (according to the ancient cosmogonies) was reclaimed from the sea of chaos."
• The Hebrew root rendered be in dread (גור) may be one of three different, perhaps unrelated, homonyms: "to sojourn," "to attack," or "to be afraid" Since the verb is in parallel with be afraid, context strongly suggests the the third sense. In fact, it is probably "an even stronger" version "to be afraid" in which "it means to be intimidated by something [or someone] superior and more powerful." The LXX translates it with the verb "to be shaken," and the Peshitta has "to be disturbed/shake/tremble." If these ancient translations are any indication, then the majority of English translations, with their renderings of "stand in awe," "revere," and "honor" undersell the powerful effects of the verb upon a person.
• Seven of the ten times the verb dread (גור) appears in the HB, it uses the preposition because of (מִן) on its object. The combination refers to being afraid of an army (Num 22:3), of someone who brings a dispute (Deut 1:17), of a false prophet (Deut 18:22), Saul's fear of David in his success (1 Sam 18:15), Israelites who fear and praise the Lord at the end of Psalm 22 (Ps 22:24), and being afraid of the sword (Job 19:29).

v. 9

• The word for (ki, כִּי) has "scope over larger segments of text" (in this case, vv. 6-8), it "is not required for the grammaticality" of vv. 8-9, and it "does not add to the propositional content" of v. 8. The combination of these three factors means that it serves as a discourse marker and not a marker of a grammatically subordinate clause. Still, it indicates a logical connection between the section that preceded and what follows as an "argument coordinator."
• In both vv. 9a and 9c, the independent personal pronoun he (ה֣וּא) appears in a non-typical place within the clause: both precede the finite verb. This structure often indicates focus, answering the question, "who spoke?" or "who commanded?" It emphasizes that YHWH is the one who spoke and commanded, an no one else. Verse 17 is a polemic against reliance upon oneself or upon conventional means of power, and these may be the target of an antithesis with YHWH in verse 9.
• The simple past-tense rendering of the qatal verb rendered he spoke (אָמַ֣ר) is supported by the meaning of the clause, which is most likely a reference to creation (cf. v. 6; Gen 1). There is another possible rendering also. The previous clause (v. 8b) contained irrealis, in other words, something that is not currently reality. This clause (v. 9a) introduces the grounds for the desire expressed in the previous clause. It is possible, therefore, that the qatal verb in v. 9a should be treated as habitual present, and the following wayyiqtol verb treated as a continuous present: "he speaks, and it is." This is the rendering of a few translations. It ties the verse not solely to the events of creation in vv. 6-8, but also to the victorious plans and intentions of YHWH described in vv. 10-12. It is possible that the Hebrew grammar is intentionally ambiguous, allowing this verse to serve as a hinge between two sections of the psalm.
• The verb And it was (וַיֶּ֑הִי) is in the wayyiqtol stem. A verb in this stem draws its tense from the main verb of the sentence. In this case the main verb is the immediately preceding qatal form, which is translated as past tense (he spoke, אָמַ֣ר). Therefore, the preferred reading is to take this wayyiqtol form as past tense also. The aspect of the verb is inchoate, meaning that it indicates a change in state. This inchoate aspect results in the rendering "happened," but the interpreter should bear in mind that the Hebrew matches the wording of Genesis 1, where YHWH spoke "and it was."
• The simple past-tense rendering he commanded (צִ֝וָּ֗ה) treats this qatal verb according to its default tense, aspect, and movement. This rendering is supported by the semantic content of the clause, which we take as referring to creation (v. 6). Here the word for (כִּי) functions as a clausal adverb marking the action of the sentence as the grounds for the previous clauses. There is another possible rendering also. Since clauses 9cd are in synonymous parallel with 9ab, it is possible that the comments about the verbs in those clauses serving in the present tense apply here as well. Thus, the qatal verb in this clause could be treated as habitual present, and the following wayyiqtol verb treated as a continuous present: "he commands, and it comes about."
• The Hebrew word translated and it came about (וַֽיַּעֲמֹֽד) most literally means "and it stood."

The wayyiqtol form of and it came about (וַֽיַּעֲמֹֽד) draws its tense from the main verb. In this case the main verb is the immediately preceding qatal form, which is translated as past tense. Therefore, the preferred reading is to take this wayyiqtol form as past tense also. The aspect of the verb is inchoate, meaning that it indicates a change in state.

v. 10

• The subject YHWH (יְֽהוָ֗ה) precedes the verb and is therefore in non-default word order. It is not in focus, since the question "who thwarted the nations' plan?" is not prompted by the preceding discourse. Instead, the nations' plan and has thwarted are entirely unexpected within the discourse. Therefore, the entire phrase "YHWH has thwarted the nations' plan" is thetic, which means that it introduces an unexpected topic and therefore indicates a section break. The previous echoes of the Flood and the Red Sea may have prepared the Hebrew audience for the statements of this verse, but the connections are made at the level of common cultural understanding and are not overt within the psalm.
• 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 hiphil form which is represented here "takes exclusively nonconcrete objects." Examples include Ezek 17:19 (in reference to someone breaking the covenant) and Ps 89:34 (where YHWH will not violate his hesed loyal-love, cf. v. 5). The verb has thwarted is a qatal verb. When a qatal verb refers to past action, it refers to a "single or instantaneous act." According to an isolated reading of the grammar of clause 10a, then, the qatal verb refers to the single past act of YHWH thwarting the singular plan of the nations. However, as the discussion below indicates, this plan has a collective sense, referring to the aggregate of a multitude of specific plans by specific nations. According to the HB, this aggregate was not thwarted in a singular act, but in all manner of representative acts by YHWH throughout history.
• For a helpful diagram comparing the Hebrew words for nation (גוי) and the parallel people (עַם), click here. The combination of goyim and ammim is frequent in the prophets. It is often in the context of judgment of the peoples. The prophets frequently speak of YHWH thwarting the Gentiles' plans. Calvin writes, "Although men conspire among themselves, and determine to attempt this or that with great hosts, yet shall their purposes be to none effect, because it shall be no more trouble unto God to scatter a great multitude, than to restrain a few."
• The word plan (עֵצָה) in Hebrew is singular, and should be rendered as a singular plan even though in v. 10 it is the purview of multiple nations. The various plans of the nations against Israel is a recurring theme in the HB. That the nations share a single plan against Israel is attested in Ps 83:3-9 (English 83:2-8), where the nations surrounding Israel conspire together, they make a covenant against YHWH, and they call upon one another to wipe out Israel as a nation. The combination of enemies listed in Ps 83:7-8 is unique within the NT, and there was probably no time in history when all of these nations threatened Israel at once. How then did all of these nations conspire to have the same plan? The answer is probably that they shared the same goal (the annihilation of Israel) and the same methods (military force), even though the various nations' plans manifested themselves at different points in history.
• The verb has blocked (נוא) occurs almost exclusively in Numbers 30 and 32. Psalm 33:10 is the only time that a deity "hinders" or blocks a human; normally the one performing the action is another human being. The word highlights YHWH's involvement in, and power over, human affairs in Ps 33.
• The word rendered intentions (מַחְשְׁבֹ֥ות) has "thought" as its first definition in many standard lexicons but to characterize this term as expressing mere thought is misleading. SDBH instead defines it as a "procedure for achieving a certain purpose, originating from someone's mind" and glosses it as "plan, plot, scheme." Either "plans" or "intentions" is acceptable; whichever term was not chosen for the preceding parallel clause should be used here.

v. 11

• YHWH's plan and intentions:
  • are of a different sort than that of people: "For my thoughts (מַחְשְׁבֹותַי֙) are not your thoughts (מַחְשְׁבֹ֣ותֵיכֶ֔ם), neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts" (Isa 55:8-9 ESV).
  • are good for his people, i.e., "For I know the plans (הַמַּחֲשָׁבֹ֗ת) I have for you, declares the LORD, plans (מַחְשְׁבֹ֤ות) for shalom and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope" (Jer 29:11 ESV; cf. Ps 40:6).
  • overpower the nations so that in their defeat their cry will be heard to the Red Sea.
• The most basic sense of the Hebrew word rendered stands (תַּעֲמֹד; cf. v. 9) is "stand." However, since the subject ("the intentions of his heart") is abstract, a concrete action like standing may not be the best fit here. Ideally, whatever word the translator chooses here will match the final word of clause 9b, which shares the same Hebrew root. The repeated roots add thematic cohesion to the psalm. The yiqtol verb form encodes incomplete or undefined aspect and may represent an act occurring either in the present ("stands") or future time ("will stand"). The discourse does not suggest that the audience should expect another action to happen after this verb, and so the former option, stands, is preferred. The presence of the term forever (לְעוֹלָם) corroborates that the verb denotes continuous action with no expectation that the narrator should describe further action taking place after the action of the verb. One verb governs both clauses in this verse.
• In v. 11a, both the terms YHWH's plan and forever in are in non-default word order, appearing before the verb. If YHWH's plan were in focus, it would answer the question, "what stands forever?" But this question has not been suggested by the preceding dicourse. Therefore, YHWH's plan is a marked topic. It is accessible in the discourse, which has already spoken of the nations' plan in v. 10a. The term "forever" is in focus, responding to the question, "What happens to YHWH's plan?" with the answer "it stands - forever!"
• Though the word heart (לֵב) literally means the blood-pumping organ "heart," the Hebrew term in the abstract has more wide-ranging connotations than the English word "heart." In English the abstract sense is limited to the seat of emotions and desires of a person. The Hebrew word, by contrast, is "the seat of knowledge, human reasoning, planning, intelligence, skill, affection and hatred, desire and satisfaction, humility and pride, courage and fear, joy and grief."
• By itself, the Hebrew word דור "generation" does not always have time in view (click here for a diagram). However, when used in combination with itself, as it is here, it emphasizes time/duration: forever and ever. The particular construction found here with the waw is very common in Psalms. Many times it appears with the term "forever" (עוֹלָם), as it does here in Ps 33:11.

v. 12

• The Hebrew noun rendered happy (אשׁרי; literally: "happiness") is rendered in many prominent modern English translations as "blessed" in Ps 33:12. The LXX translates it with μακάριον, "happy." For a helpful diagram showing the differences between the Hebrew word and the English word "happiness" click here. For a helpful note see here.
• The term nation (גוי) often means non-Israelite nations, especially when it is plural. However, the term here is singular and therefore generic, so it can apply to Israel.
• Despite its appearance in most translations, the phrase Happy is the nation (אַשְׁרֵ֣י הַ֭גֹּוי) is not a complete sentence; it is a Hebrew construct chain (lit.: "the happiness of the nation" = "the happiness experienced by the nation"). As a sentence fragment, it functions not as an assertion, but as an exclamation which expresses "an attitude of admiration."' The term happy (אַשְׁרֵי) is "a petrified plural noun found only in construct phrases or with suffixes" and serves as a nominal exclamation meaning "O the blessings of, enviable the situation of." The translations, both ancient and modern, treat אַשְׁרֵי as though it governs not only clause 12a but also clause 12b, and this is reflected in the diagram. This is the only place in the HB where a nation (גוי) is said to be happy using this Hebrew word (אֹ֫שֶׁר). However, happy (אֹ֫שֶׁר) is used of the term people (עַם) elsewhere.
• The relative pronoun whose (אֲשֶׁר) is unusual for poetry. Witte writes that the particle often serves as a "stanza-introducing text marker in poetry." His view is to be preferred over that of Podechard, who thinks that the relative particle אשׁר is a useless grammatical gloss that overloads the verse.
• In the phrase the nation whose (הַ֭גֹּוי ‬אֲשֶׁר), the relative clause marker whose (אשׁר) restricts the meaning of nation, making a definite reading of the word necessary. Hence, the presence of the article on nation.
• This phrase its God represents a kinship/relationship-possessor relationship. The pronoun its is a resumptive pronoun, referring to the nation.
• The relative pronoun [whom] (אֲשֶׁר), which appeared in v. 12a, is elided in v. 12b. A relative pronoun may be supplied by the translator.
• In the Hebrew Bible, the people [whom] he [YHWH] chose were the people of Israel, and they were chosen in a one-time act to be his "permanent possession." Specifically, YHWH's one-time act of making the people his inheritance is said to be the Exodus out of Egypt. This may be another reason to see the Exodus story, and not just the creation story, behind Ps 33.
• Permanent possession is a single word (נַחֲלָה) in Hebrew, and is most often rendered "inheritance" in English. However, "inheritance" denotes receiving something by hereditary right, which is not the case here. With this word, "sometimes the idea of succession is absent but the 'possessing' carries with it a connotation of permanence." So, "permanent possession" is preferred here.

v. 13-15

• Verse 13
  • The phrases from heaven (v. 13a) and from his dwelling place (14a) are fronted in their respective clauses to create poetic repetition.
  • The same combination of Hebrew words look and see often indicates evaluation based on their usage elsewhere. The combination occurs in 1 Sam 16:7 to contrast how man sees appearances, but YHWH looks at the heart. It also occurs with YHWH as the subject in Ps 80:15, where the king appeals to YHWH to "look from heaven" and "see," presumably to evaluate the king's predicament as a precursor to saving him.
  • The word looked (נבט) entails not only looking, but a certain degree of engagement with the thing being looked at. 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, likely due to their own disobedience.
  • The phrase from heaven appears several times to refer to YHWH's location. Pss. 20:7 and 57:4 say that YHWH will save from heaven. Ps 76:9-10 adds that he will judge from heaven and save the weak. He is said to see before saving (Ps. 102:20-22 [English v. 19-21]). He looks down from heaven upon people to see if there are any who "understand" (Ps 14:2, 53:3; cf. v. 15). Thus, there is an element of supervision which comes from YHWH's authority as illustrated in his abode. As Briggs puts it, "Yahweh from his heavenly throne inspects all mankind."
  • Humanity is an English gloss of a two-word relationship called a construct chain. Literally it says, "sons of [the] man," but it means humanity or "people." The noun "sons" is definite due to being in construct with a definite noun. There is a definite article on "man," but Hebrew sometimes uses the definite article to mark all the members of a certain class, and that is the case here. So, the article may be left untranslated. No specific "man" is in view here. A few manuscripts read "Aram" (ארם) instead of "Adam" (אָדָם; "man"), but this variant is not well-attested and is probably just a scribal error in copying similar letters.
  • Before all of humanity there is a direct object marker (אֶת), which is usually left untranslated in English. This marker is rare in Hebrew poetry. So why does it appear here? Scholars are not sure, but one good suggestion is that it serves to help the audience track the participants in the poem. Perhaps the psalmist includes the marker to draw attention to YHWH looking at all people, not just his own people who were mentioned in the previous verse (v. 12).
  • At the beginning of v. 13b, some Hebrew manuscripts and the Peshitta supply the word "and" (in Hebrew, a waw-conjunction), which some modern translations likewise include. This addition is not well-attested. The word "and" often does not appear in Hebrew poetry where one might expect it, and the verse makes good sense without it. For these reasons, "and" is a dispreferred reading.
• Verse 14
  • In contrast to the roots for "look" and "see" in v. 13, 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 v. 15, where YHWH is the one who discerns, and then again in v 18 where his eye is upon his people to protect them.
  • The word dwelling is a substantival participle (a verb functioning as a noun) from the root meaning "to sit" or to "dwell, inhabit." A human king usually "sits" (from the same root, ישׁב) upon a throne. When applied to YHWH, the language of sitting "usually signifies his kingship." YHWH is "enthroned" between the cherubim on the ark, he "reigns" or "is enthroned" (ישׁב) forever, in Zion, over the flood and as King. In the HB, the word dwelling can refer to the mountain of YHWH, the temple, or heaven.
  • The word translated dwelling in v. 14a and the word translated dwellers in 14b are from the same verbal root (ישׁב). This common root is not clear in any modern translation, but the Hebrew author used them build a contrast between the dwelling place of people on earth (cf v. 8) and the dwelling place of God in the heavens (cf. v. 13).
• Verse 15
  • The two phrases the one who forms and the one who discerns have several important features:
    • These two phrases are each a single word in Hebrew. They come from participles (which are verbal adjectives) that are treated as nouns (substantivally).
    • The definite articles on the participles mean that they must be substantival (treated as nouns: "the one who..."). The referent of the participle is YHWH and so the article is definite.
    • Both of these words are in grammatical apposition to YHWH in v. 13a ("YHWH looked from heaven..."). This means that the two participles describe YHWH in greater detail. In the grammatical diagram, they are related to YHWH with an equals sign.
  • The phrase the one who forms has the root verb "to form/shape" (יצר). This verb often occurs as a substantive participle meaning "the one who forms, shapes," most often referring to God. 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 infused with YHWH's breath. It thus denotes YHWH's personal involvement and care in the creation process.
  • The word rendered all (יחד) is an adjunct to the substantival participle the one who forms (הַיֹּצֵר) and it describes the method by which YHWH forms hearts. The word often means "together," but can also mean "all-inclusive" or "all" as it does here, in parallelism with כָּל "all" in v. 14b.
  • While the noun heart (לֵב) can be the experiencer or seat of emotions, in Hebrew it carries stronger connotations of reasoning and intelligence than it does in English, where the focus is almost exclusively on the emotional For helpful diagrams showing the differences in the ways these two languages conceive of the term, click here and here. The word may be understood collectively, and such a rendering fits the context here, since the possessor (humanity) is plural (also in v. 21).
  • This verse is the only place in the HB where the verb "to form/shape" (יצר) combines with heart (לֵב or לֵבָב). The phrase not only denotes YHWH's sovereignty in the creation of individuals, but also his intimate knowledge of them. When the noun form "form/shape" (יֵצֶר) occurs with heart, it means "intent" or "purpose" of the heart; the combination may also include "thoughts" (מַחֲשָׁבֹ֖ות). This usage further tightens the thematic connection between v. 15 and vv. 10-11, which speak of the intentions and thoughts of the nations and of YHWH's heart.
  • The phrase the one who discerns has the root verb "to discern/understand" (בין). It most often means "to understand," but in 1 Kgs 3:9-11 it specifically refers to discerning good from evil. It occurs 49 times in the HB as a substantive participle, i.e., "one discerning/understanding," but remarkably, there is only one other time besides Ps 33:15 where the referent of the participle is God. This happens in 1 Chr 28:9, where David charges Solomon by telling him that "YHWH searches all hearts and understands every plan and all thoughts." The lexical parallels between 1 Chr 28:9 and Ps 33:15 are striking: "hearts" (לֵבָב), "purpose" (יֵצֶר, a noun from the same root as "creator"), and "thoughts" (מַחֲשָׁבֹ֖ות, cf. Ps 33:10, 11). Ps 33:15 appears to take the ideas in 1 Chr 28:9 a step further: not only does YHWH "search" all hearts, but he "forms" them. Therefore, he is in a unique position to understand what motivates people's works. Furthermore, the Chronicles passage concludes with the line, "If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you abandon him, he will reject you forever." This suggests that YHWH's act of discerning in Ps 33:15 could remind his people of their intimate, loyal relationship (cf. v. 12).
  • In Hebrew there is a preposition (אֶל) following the participle the one who discerns..., which is a common occurrence with this verb. The preposition (אָל) in this construction may introduce the object, in which case it is untranslated in English, or it may mean "about," so that the entire phrase means "understand about." In Ps 33:15, the first option is smoother English and is the preferred reading.

v. 16

• The phrase is not saved is a single word in Hebrew. It is a participle (a verbal adjective) that is passive (it is in the niphal stem) and functions verbally (also known as "predicatively"). Participles are unbound by tense and duration, which contributes to the sense that this clause is proverbial in nature. The participle is in parallel with an indicative yiqtol verb in 16b. Both may express present and durative action, but the forms are not interchangeable. There are two main occurrences in the HB in which YHWH is explicitly said to save the king: David from Saul and Hezekiah from Sennacherib of Assyria It also happens in the Psalms, where God gives David "victory."
• Among the possible definitions of the word force (חָ֑יִל) are "power, might, strength" and "army." The phrase a great force in Hebrew is virtually the same as the one found in v. 17b to describe the strength of the horse, and our rendering seeks to provide a single gloss that makes sense in both verses in order to highlight the repetition: "by its great force." In v. 16, the Hebrew word force (חָיִל) probably does not refer to the force characteristic of the king, but rather to his army. In v. 17, the word obviously cannot refer to the horse's army, but instead must refer to the strength or force characteristic of the horse. Notably, unlike v. 17, here in v. 16 there is no pronominal suffix his attached to the word force, which may add to the case for taking the word not as a characteristic of the king himself but as a separate army.
• warrior: A survey of the 159 instances of the word (גִּבּוֹר) indicates that the term is overwhelmingly located in militaristic passages. This calls into question the rendering of this word as "athlete" or "hero" in the modern, non-violent senses of those words, especially in contexts that have militaristic overtones, such as here in Ps 33. In v. 16b, the term warrior is fronted in order to maintain the parallelism with king in the previous clause. King appears in the first position because a verbal participle (in this case, is saved; נֹושָׁ֣ע) is regularly preceded by its subject.
• The verb is not delivered (לֹֽא־יִנָּצֵ֥ל) is a yiqtol verb that is not part of a sequence of events (in other words, it has no "expected reference time movement") and describes simultaneous action to that of the main verb, which in this case is the participle in v. 16a. Since the participle is a timeless present, the yiqtol verb is likewise interpreted as a gnomic (characteristic or timeless) present.

v. 17

• • The subject "horse" has a generic sense and the clause is proverbial in character. So, the definite article denotes a class and therefore should be rendered as indefinite, a horse. Anderson argues that the horse "may be taken collectively as 'the mounted cavalry (of the king)' or '(his) chariotry'; it may also be taken symbolically (as a metonymy) of military power as a whole.
• The phrase a deceptive means comes from a single Hebrew word (שֶׁקֶר) who basic meaning has to do with deception and falsity. Though modern translations render the word in Ps 33:17 as a "a vain hope," "useless" or "disappointing those who trust in it," these renderings focus on the efficacy of the horse to save rather than the deceptive nature of the horse itself: its strength and its widespread usage as a weapon of war contribute to the deception. Renderings that highlight the deceptive quality of the horse (i.e., "false" or "deceptive") are to be preferred.
• Most of the poetic and prophetic texts do not provide enough context to determine whether the term rendered victory (תְּשׁוּעָ֖ה) means "salvation" (i.e., rescue) or victory (i.e., defeating enemies), and it is likely that the term could connote either or both concepts. In many psalms, it is given to those who are in trouble and need of help, favoring the "salvation" interpretation. The context of Ps 33 points in the direction of "salvation," with the verbs saved and delivered in v. 16, the parallel deliver in v. 17b, and deliver and keep alive in v. 19. However, elsewhere the term is collocated with "horse" with a different result. Close to Ps 33:17 is Prov 21:31, "the horse (סוּס) is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory (הַתְּשׁוּעָה) belongs to the YHWH" (ESV; cf. Prov 24:6). Here, the speaker is getting ready for battle, presumably not to be rescued but to emerge victorious by having defeated his enemies. In other contexts involving battle, the term overwhelmingly refers to victory over enemies. Briggs advocates for victory in Ps 33:17 on the basis that "save," "salvation," or "safety" are "too general, and not suited to the context" and this is the preferred reading.
• The verb rendered it does not rescue (לֹ֣א יְמַלֵּֽט) is a yiqtol verb that is not a step in a sequence (in other words, with no expected reference time movement) describes simultaneous action. It acts as a relative imperfective present to the preceding verb, which in this case is the participle in v. 16a. It is therefore interpreted as a gnomic (characteristic or timeless) present.

v. 18-19

• Verse 18
  • The particle consider(הִנֵּה) is rendered in a variety of ways in English. The common rendering "behold" has the advantage of communicating that the object is worthy of awe and attention, but it is archaic. Leaving the word untranslated does a disservice to the reader, who would otherwise have no reason to pay particular attention to this verse. "Look" does not necessarily connote mental engagement on the part of the one looking. While no English word captures the Hebrew word entirely, some good options are "consider" and "notice." The (הִנֵּה) serves two important functions:
    • It "introduces something new into the discourse" instead of re-establishing "knowledge that is already commonly shared before the moment of speech":
      • The discourse has established that YHWH has the power to control events (vv. 6-11), that a nation that belongs to YHWH is happy (v. 12), and that YHWH looks at everyone to discern their hearts (vv. 13-15). In v. 16-17, the discourse acknolwedges that the people are facing military destruction, but trusting in conventional means of warfare is out of the question. What options do they have?
      • The new information of v. 18 is that what YHWH has been looking for is a heart that reveres and depends upon him; in finding it, YHWH will respond with protection and care in the face of disaster.
    • It serves "to call the especial attention of the hearer or reader to a certain statement." It functions to demand that the audience apply the information in the preceding discourse to themselves. This focus permeates the section that follows (vv. 18-22). The particle therefore indicates an informational section break. It belies the psalmist's eagerness not only for his audience to know the content of the message, but also his eagerness for the content of the message to achieve its intended purpose.
  • YHWH's eye is personification language that builds upon the multiple times YHWH is said to see in vv. 13-15. Here the "eye" symbolically represents (as a metonymy) the act of seeing. V. 19 suggests that "the eye of the Lord" refers to the "providential care of YHWH." Thus the language of YHWH "seeing" takes on a slightly different nuance here than it did in vv. 13-14, where YHWH's looked from a position of authority and judgment over the peoples of the earth. Ross observes that in v. 18, YHWH's sight is no longer set on all people, but it is fixed upon "those who fear him, the faithful covenant believers. And if, according to v. 15, the LORD knows the hearts of the people, he certainly knows those 'who hope for his loyal love.'"
    • Textual issue: A single Hebrew manuscript and the LXX and Peshitta make the noun "eye" plural. A great many translations simply substitute a verb such as "watches." Not much is gained or lost from pluralizing the "eye" in many languages (though one might want to check on any connotations a singular "eye" may have with "the evil eye" in many modern cultures).
  • The Hebrew prepositions in this verse (אֶל and לְ) regularly mark the object of the most common Hebrew word for seeing, and therefore have been rendered upon.
  • See v. 8 for a discussion of the phrase fear YHWH.
  • The phrase Those who wait is a single word that is a participle in Hebrew. The lamed (לְ) prefix on the participle suggests that it is substantival, along with the definite article. The article marks a generic class, in other words, anyone who waits; no specific "ones who wait" are in view here. This allows the statement to function as a general call to anyone. The verb also occurs in v. 22, where the people identify themselves as having waited for YHWH.
  • See the note on loyal-love (חֶ֫סֶד) in v. 5. Everything in the discourse since v. 5 has made the case for waiting upon YHWH's loyalty.
• Verse 19
  • The noun lives (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, it may be taken collectively, which fits the context here.
  • The noun death (מָוֶת) may have one of four possible meanings: "death," "dying," "Death (personified)," or "the realm of the dead" There is nothing in the context to suggest either "Death (personified)" or "the realm of the dead" as the meaning here. The prospect of a military defeat introduced in vv. 16-17 suggests that the word means the state of death or the act of dying.
  • Famine was a regular threat in the agrarian Middle East, and it could last for years. Jeremiah regularly used it in combination with the term "sword" (denoting battle) as a shorthand for YHWH's judgment. Still, the presence of this term in the Psalm at such a late stage, when most of the threat has been construed as military in nature (v. 10, 16-17), comes as a surprise. The connection can perhaps be explained by remembering that the narrative arc of the Song of the Sea, which has been evoked earlier in the psalm (cf. v. 7), also included a famous episode of hunger at the end (Exod 16:3). This narrative framework probably informed the audience's interpretive grid for how events transpire, so that the same kind of hunger experienced in Exodus could also apply to them now. Thus, the article on hunger is generic.

v. 20

• Verse 20
  • The verb wait longingly (חכה) denotes an "action by humans or deities remain in a particular state -- to defer action; to wait; to lie in wait; to delay; to hesitate; to long." The "longing" aspect of the verb is apparent in a shocking verse from Job 3:21, in which a miserable person "longs (חכה) for death, but it comes not, and they dig for it more than for hidden treasures."
    • Within the context of this psalm, the word does not denote mere inaction, but rather a deliberate choice to depend upon YHWH rather than other means of deliverance. "The response of the people is one of confidently waiting on the LORD...'help' and 'shield' provide a clue to the reason for their waiting."
    • It is an active verb expressing a state of mind and therefore is treated like a stative verb. Perfective is the primary form for simple present-tense stative verbs, so that the qatal form of stative verbs, as is the form of this verb, usually conveys present tense state. It is possible, then, to translate the verb as present tense (similarly in v. 21b, 22b).
    • The only other instance in the Psalms is in Ps 106:13, where it refers to ones who forgot YHWH's work at the crossing of the Red Sea (Ps 106:6-12) and did not wait for the Lord's counsel. This adds to the case that the Exodus event is in the background on the psalm.
  • The word shield (מָגֵן) "was a smaller type of defensive armor" and 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 used figuratively here "to describe God's protection from attacks." As the prelude to the promise that Abram's descendants will be like the stars in the sky, YHWH tells Abram that he is Abram's shield, and that he should not be afraid (Gen 15:1).
  • Though the noun help does not inherently connote warfare, elsewhere it denotes a participant in war, and its coupling with shield in v. 20 means that it should be understood here as a participant in war.
  • YHWH himself is ascribed two monikers (our help and our shield) that mark him as an agent of war - albeit a defensive one. These two words appear together first in Deut 33:29, where they are in a construct relationship ("the shield of your help"). They also appear together in a construction similar the one here in Ps 33:20 - with an intervening waw and suffix prounouns on each noun - three times in Ps 115:9-11 ("their help and their shield"; cf. also Ps 28:7). Anderson suggests that this combination could be a hendiadys meaning "protective shield." While Anderson's translation is possible, "our help and our shield" represents the Hebrew syntax more simply and still makes good sense in English, so it is preferred.
  • The clause (he is our help and shield) has several noteworthy features:
    • The independent personal pronoun normally occupies the subject slot when no verb indicates the subject, so the order in this clause in Hebrew is predicate-subject. This order comports with identifying this verbless clause as a clause of classification. In such clauses, "the predicate refers to a general class of which the subject is a member... Clauses of classification answer the question, 'What is the subject like?'" In this case, YHWH is like a help and a shield.
    • Most modern translations put the pronoun at the beginning of the clause.
    • Importantly, this clause is parenthetical. Therefore, the subsequent clause (v. 21a) is logically related to v. 20a, not this clause (see v. 21 for further implications).
  • Interestingly, the LXX and Peshitta both supply the conjunction "because" at the beginning of v. 20b. If this reading were original, then the Hebrew of v. 20 would read: "We will wait for YHWH, since he is our help and our shield." Though this addition is not followed by any of the modern translations, this possibility is significant for the meaning of vv. 20-21 and the theology of the Psalm. Furthermore, the "double instance" of the conjunction "in v. 21 makes it plausible it dropped out" in v. 20. See the Exegetical Issue Praise for Salvation? for more detail.
• Verse 21
  • The Hebrew verb rejoice (שׂמח) does not normally refer to mere internal joy or being glad, but to "articulated expressions of joy" (TDOT v. 14, 149). It is often found in cultic settings, community festivals, or major public events (Ibid., 149-151; i.e., Lev. 23:40; Deut 12:7-18, 14:26; 16:11; 26:11; Deut 27:7; 1 Chr 15:16; 16:9-10; 16:31-33). In the prophets, the word almost always refers to the rejoicing that will happen in future (Ibid., 152; Isa 25:9-10; 35:10; 55:12; 65:13; Jer 31:12-13; Zech 4:10), and this could possibly be the case here given the yiqtol stem of the verb in v. 21. However, it is more likely is that the word in v. 21a refers to the singing and music to the Lord that is commanded in the first three verses of this psalm - in a sense, the people are to perform the future eschatological rejoicing in YHWH right now. In the Psalms, the word is most often "associated with YHWH's 'help' (cf. v. 20b) and/or 'righteousness'" (as it is here: cf. vv. 1, 5; Ibid., 153). Vavoni says of this verse, "The singers of the 'new song' justify their joy with hope and trust in Yahweh, who, unlike human 'strength,' is genuinely

v. 22

• • YHWH (יְהוָ֣ה) is in the vocative:
  • The Psalm begins and ends with a vocative. In v. 1a the Chorus Leader addressed the righteous people; here the righteous people address YHWH.
  • The vocative YHWH in v. 22 comes within the core of the clause, and the constituent(s) immediately following are marked for information focus. In this case, the constituent in focus is us, reflecting the psalmist's desire that YHWH should favor his people among the nations (cf. vv. 12, 18-19).
• Context suggests that the verb may ... be (יְהִֽי) expresses a wish or desire, not a prediction. The Psalms often end with a request to YHWH. Additionally, sentence-initial yiqtol verbs are often modal, strengthening the case that these verbs represent irrealis and are in the jussive mood.
• The word just as (כַּאֲשֶׁר) marks v. 22b as a comparative subordinate clause.
• The Hebrew verb rendered we have been waiting (יִחַ֥לְנוּ) has several important features:
  • The root "wait" (יחל) 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. Witte writes that the psalmist "challenges the reader... to connect Israel's historical experiences with present experiences and hopes for the future."
  • This same verb appeared in v. 18a, where it was promised that those who wait (מְיַחֲלִ֥ים) for YHWH's loyal-love will receive his protective care. Thus, the people explicitly state that they fill the expectations of v. 18.
  • The comparative term כַּאֲשֶׁר indicates that the verb derives its sense in part from being contrasted with the immediately preceding jussive verb. That verb indicated a request for a new ongoing situation or state of affairs. Thus, we may infer that the verb in 22b likewise refers to an ongoing state of affairs and should not be rendered as punctiliar. The only question is whether to render the verb as present perfect or simple present tense. In English, the present perfect tense implies an expectation by the speaker that the time of waiting should soon be over, thus increasing the urgency of the request. For this reason, we have rendered the verb as a present perfect.

Verbal Semantics Chart

For legend, click "Expand" to the right

	Tense	Aspect	Reference point movement	Modality
Definition	A situation's location in time	Internal temporal constituency of a situation as portrayed	Whether or not the expected reference point in the discourse is updated after the situation.	Distinguishing between indicative, volitional and other forms of modality, as determined by morphology; word order; particles; context
Options	Relative: a situation's location in time relative to a reference point Absolute: a situation's location in time relative to the moment of speech	Continuous Habitual/iterative Stative	Expected movement: usually perfective No expected movement: usually imperfective	indicative jussive imperative cohortative wish purpose/result past (conditional) possible probable interrogative
Symbol

For steps to determine relative tense and reference point movement click "Expand" to the right:

Where is action relative to reference point?				What question is prompted by verb tense?			Do we expect reference point to move?
	After reference point (Posterior)
		Imperative			What next?	Posterior (relative future)	Yes	⇐
		Yiqtol			What next? What now?	Posterior (relative future Simultaneous (relative imperfective present)	Yes	⇐
		Weqatal
		Weyiqtol					No	⇍
		Wayyiqtol
	At reference point (Simultaneous)
		Yiqtol			What now?	Simultaneous (relative imperfective present)	No	⇍
		Participle
		Weyiqtol
		Infinitive
	Before reference point (Anterior)
		Qatal			What next? What now?	Anterior (relative past) Simultaneous (relative imperfect present)	Yes	⇐
		Wayyiqtol					No	⇍

Bibliography

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Berlin, Adele. 2007. The Dynamics of Biblical Parallelism. 2nd ed. Eerdmans.

Bratcher, Robert G., and William D. Reyburn. 1991. A Handbook on Psalms. UBS Handbook Series. New York: United Bible Societies.

Briggs, Charles A., and Emilie Briggs. 1906. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Book of Psalms. Vol. 1 of ICC. Edinburgh: T & T Clark.

Craigie, Peter C. 1983. Psalms 1–50. Vol 19 of Word Biblical Commentary. Dallas: Word, Incorporated.

Dahood, Mitchell. Psalms I: 1-50. Anchor Yale Bible Commentary. Garden City: Doubleday, 1966.

deClaissé-Walford, Nancy, Rolf A. Jacobson, and Beth LaNeel Tanner. 2014. The Book of Psalms. Edited by E. J. Young, R. K. Harrison, and Robert L. Hubbard Jr. The New International Commentary on the Old Testament. Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.

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Garr, W. Randall. 2004. “ןה.” Revue Biblique 111:321–44.

Humbert, Paul. 1946. La Terou’a: Analyse d’un Rite Biblique. Neuchatel: Université de Neuchatel.

Janzen, Waldemar. 1965. “’Ašrê in the Old Testament.” The Harvard Theological Review 58:215–26.

Keil, Carl Friedrich, and Franz Delitzsch. Commentary on the Old Testament. Hendrickson, 1996.

Kolyada, Yelena. 2013. A Compendium of Musical Instruments and Instrumental Terminology in the Bible. Translated by Yelena Kolyada and David Clark. Abingdon: Routledge.

Kraus, Hans-Joachim. 1988. Psalms 1-59: A Commentary. Minneapolis: Augsburg Pub. House.

Kugel, James L. The Idea of Biblical Poetry: Parallelism and Its History. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1981.

Ross, Allen P. 2011. A Commentary on the Psalms, Volume 1: 1-41. Kregel Exegetical Library. Grand Rapids: Kregel Academic & Professional.

Stec, David M., ed. 2004. The Targum of Psalms. The Aramaic Bible v. 16. Collegeville, Minn: Liturgical Press.

Strickman, H. Norman. 2009. Rabbi Abraham Ibn Ezra Commentary on the First Book of Psalms. Boston: Academic Studies Press.

Tate, Marvin E. 1998. Psalms 51–100. Vol. 20 of Word Biblical Commentary. Dallas: Word, Incorporated.

Taylor, Richard A. 2020. The Syriac Peshitta Bible with English Translation. Piscataway, NJ: Gorgias Press.

Ziegert, Carsten. 2020. “What Is חֶ֫סֶד‎? A Frame-Semantic Approach.” Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 44:711–32.