Psalms 33 · The Lantern

Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous: for it becometh well the just to be thankful.

"Rejoice," therefore, "in the Lord, O you righteous," not when the interests of your home are flourishing, not when you are in good health of body, not when your fields are filled with all sorts of fruits, but when you have the Lord—such immeasurable Beauty, Goodness, Wisdom.

"Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous:" rejoice, O you righteous, not in yourselves, for that is not safe; but in the Lord. "For praise is comely to the upright" [Psalm 33:1]: these praise the Lord, who submit themselves unto the Lord; for else they are distorted and perverse.

The title is not new. It is: "To the end, a Psalm of David." In the preceding Psalm the Psalmist treated of his own justification; but in this one he treats of the dignity of the just. And concerning this he does two things. First, he exhorts the just to spiritual praise. Second, he expresses their dignity, at "Blessed is the nation." Concerning the first he does two things.

Praise the Lord with harp: sing praises unto him with the lute, and instrument of ten strings.

It is necessary to praise the Lord on the harp; that is, to render harmoniously the actions of the body. Since, indeed, we sinned in the body, "when we yielded our members as slaves of sin, to lawlessness," let us give praise with our body, using the same instrument for the destruction of sin. Have you reviled? Bless. Have you defrauded? Make restitution.

The harp and the lute are within us, or rather, we ourselves are the instruments when in their likeness we sing by the Lord's grace through the quality of our actions.

Then when he says, "Give praise to the Lord," he sets forth the manner of praise and joy. Now it should be known that in the praise of God what is principally intended is that the affection of man should tend toward God and be directed to him. Likewise, the harmonies of music change a man's affection.

Sing unto the Lord a new song: sing praises lustily unto him with a good courage.

For the word of the Lord is true: and all his works are faithful.

"If you see the heavens," he says, "and the order in them," they are a guide to faith, for through themselves they show the Craftsman; and, if you see the orderly arrangement about the earth, again through these things also your faith in God is increased.

"For the Word of the Lord is right:" for the Word of the Lord is right, to make you that which of yourselves ye cannot be. "And all His works are done in faith" [Psalm 33:4]: lest any think that by the merit of works he has arrived at faith, when in faith are done all the works which God Himself loves.

Second, when he says, "Because," he assigns the reason for joy and praise. The reason for praise and joy is twofold. One is on the part of God, in whom we are to exult. The second is on the part of his effects, at "By the word of the Lord." Concerning the first he does three things. First, he sets forth the reasons on God's part.

He loveth righteousness, and judgement: the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.

The Judge wishes to have mercy on you and to share his own compassion.… But if he sees your heart unrepentant, your mind proud, your disbelief of the future life and your fearlessness of the judgment, then he desires the judgment for you, just as a reasonable and kind doctor tries at first with hot applications and soft poultices to reduce a tumor, but, when he sees that the ma…

"He loves Mercy and Judgment:" for He loves Mercy, which now He shows first; and Judgment, wherewith He exacts that which He has first shown. "The earth is full of the Mercy of the Lord" [Psalm 33:5]: throughout the whole world are sins forgiven unto men by the Mercy of the Lord.

He describes the Lord by telling what he has done or what he does every day. We say that we love the things in which we are often engaged.

By the word of the Lord were the heavens made: and all the hosts of them by the breath of his mouth.

He gathereth the waters of the sea together, as it were upon an heap: and layeth up the deep, as in a treasure-house.

The reasons according to which he dispenses all things individually are stored up only in the knowledge of God. In fact, we learned in another psalm, which said, "Thy judgments are a great deep," that the judgments made about each one are called a deep.

"He gathers the waters of the sea together as into a bottle:" He gathered the people of the world together, to confession of mortified sin, lest through pride they flow too freely. "He lays up the deep in storehouses" [Psalm 33:7]: and keeps in them His secrets for riches.

Then when he says, "Gathering together the waters of the sea as in a vessel," he shows the effect of God in the waters. In the waters, two wondrous things are to be considered. One is that the waters are gathered into one part of the earth and do not occupy the entire surface, which is wondrous for two reasons.

Let all the earth fear the Lord: stand in awe of him, all ye that dwell in the world.

"Let all the earth fear the Lord:" let every sinner fear, that so he may cease to sin. "Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him" [Psalm 33:8]: not of the terrors of men, or of any creature, but of Him let them stand in awe.

The prophet rightly asks that all things be moved by the Lord, because everything that is arranged by his ordering is always applied to useful matters. But although he had earlier spoken about all things in a general way, he now turns his attention to people.

Third, when he says, "Let all the earth fear," he shows the effect of God on earth. First, he sets forth a warning; second, he shows the effect of God regarding the earth, at "For he spoke and they were made," and so on. Concerning the first he does two things. First, he sets forth the warning; second, he explains it, at "But let all who dwell on the earth," and so on.

For he spake, and it was done: he commanded, and it stood fast.

The psalm bids us to exult in the one who has come to earth from heaven, as in one who is set over the entirety, and who has brought the entirety into being from not being and who maintains all things in being, whose command becomes reality. For this is the meaning of the divine words, "He spoke, and they were made; he commanded, and they were created."

And so it is clear that possible things come forth from the most actual, changing things from the most stable, and the lowest things from the most sublime. And as the sun by shining brings forth a variety and number of colors, so out of this Word there comes forth a variety of things. Hence there is no understanding except through the Word.

Then when he says, "For he spoke," he shows a twofold effect regarding the earth. First, the effect of creation; second, of governance, at "The Lord brings to naught." In creation, two things are to be considered: namely, the formation itself and the creation itself. Both are present here. For first he shows the formation when he says, "He spoke," and so on.

The Lord bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: and maketh the devices of the people to be of none effect, and casteth out the counsels of princes.

It is possible to refer these things to the time of Jesus' passion when they thought that they were crucifying the King of glory, but he through the economy of the cross was renewing humanity.

"The Lord brings the counsel of the heathen to nought;" of them that seek not His Kingdom, but kingdoms of their own. "He makes the devices of the people of none effect:" of them that covet earthly happiness. "And reproves the counsels of princes" [Psalm 33:10]: of them that seek to rule over such peoples.

"The Lord." Because, remaining stable, he changes all things. And first, the change of all things is set forth; second, his stability, at "The counsel." Regarding the inhabitants of the earth, it should be noted that some are small and some are great; and both are changed. As to the small he says, "The Lord brings to naught," and so on.

The counsel of the Lord shall endure for ever: and the thoughts of his heart from generation to generation.

Even if a vast number were scheming, while God wanted the opposite, the vast number would be of no significance to the schemes. Even if rulers planned something, the object of their concern would come to nothing, and they would get no benefit from the government or the vast number of the subjects.

We properly understand his counsel as the secret of the incarnation, since it was known to have been granted in order to provide counsel for the human race. It is not undone in any age, but remains for eternity, because the triumphant death of the Lord forever abolished the destruction brought about by the devil.

Then when he says, "But the counsel," the stability of God is set forth, because his counsel stands and his thought perseveres. But is there counsel in God? It seems not, because it implies doubt. I respond: it must be said that counsel is understood differently in God and in us. For knowledge in us implies discursive reasoning, but in God it implies certitude.

Blessed are the people, whose God is the Lord Jehovah: and blessed are the folk, that he hath chosen to him, to be his inheritance.

The Lord looked down from heaven, and beheld all the children of men: from the habitation of his dwelling he considereth all them that dwell on the earth.

Consider the lofty spectator; consider him who is bending down regarding the affairs of humankind. Wherever you may go, whatever you may do, whether in the darkness or in the daytime, you have the eye of God watching.

A person does not look to the Lord, but the Lord looks to a person … for when it says "and he looks upon," it indicates the graces of the One who shows compassion, for we say that we look upon those to whom we claim that something has been bestowed. Consider that he does not say that sins were looked upon, but people.

Then when he says, "From heaven," he proves their dignity through the examination of divine judgment. And concerning this he does three things. First, he sets forth the certainty of divine judgment.

He fashioneth all the hearts of them: and understandeth all their works.

There is no king that can be saved by the multitude of an host: neither is any mighty man delivered by much strength.

When we fail to remember the one who formed each one of us in the womb, and formed all our hearts individually and understands all our works, we do not perceive that God is a helper of those who are lowly and inferior, a protector of the weak, a shelterer of those who have been given up in despair and Savior of those who have been given up as hopeless.

"He fashions their hearts singly:" He gives spiritually to their hearts their proper gifts, so that neither the whole body may be eye, nor the whole hearing; [1 Corinthians 12:17] but that one in this manner, another in that manner, may be incorporated with Christ. "He understands all their works" [Psalm 33:15]. Before Him are all their works understood.

Then when he says, "He who has formed," he proves the certainty of divine knowledge from its causality. And concerning this he does two things. First, he sets forth its causality.

A horse is counted but a vain thing to save a man: neither shall he deliver any man by his great strength.

All things that are at once human, when compared with the true power, are weakness and infirmity.

The king is not saved through much strength. In vain we care for the strength of the body, and we rashly judge our power from the ones near us, friends and money: for nothing except help sent from heaven is able to save us. Take the example from Goliath or Pharaoh. He, a giant, although he was the strongest, was overcome easily by the simple boy David.

"The king is not saved." Above, the Psalmist showed the dignity of the saints from the certainty of divine judgment, by which he intends to prove the dignity of the saints. Now in this part he shows the vanity of human prosperity. And concerning this he does two things. First, he shows that no temporal power can lead men to the salvation of the just.

Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him: and upon them that put their trust in his mercy;

To deliver their soul from death: and to feed them in the time of dearth.

He who does not trust in his own good deeds or expect to be justified by his works has, as his only hope of salvation, the mercies of God. For, when he considers that the expression "Behold the Lord and his reward" refers to each according to his work, and when he ponders his own evil deeds, he fears the punishment and cowers beneath the threats.

For the eyes of the Lord are not looking on those trusting in their own strength but those hoping in his mercy. He will snatch their spirits from death and shelter them.

Then when he says, "Behold, the eyes of the Lord," the efficacy of divine mercy for saving is shown. And first he sets forth the mercy that saves. Second, the disposition of the saints conceived from this consideration, at "Our soul." Concerning the first he does three things. First, he shows divine mercy.

Our soul hath patiently tarried for the Lord: for he is our help and our shield.

For our heart shall rejoice in him: because we have hoped in his holy Name.

[God] is always helping and providing us with salvation. The term "protector," you see, is a metaphor from those thrusting their own shields among the enemy and by protection from these often sheltering others and freeing them from every disaster.

The psalmist's word waits reflects the patience of the Christian.… Patience is what makes glorious martyrs, what guards the blessings of our faith, what conquers all adversity not by wrestling but by enduring, not by grumbling but by giving thanks. Patience represses the extravagance that beguiles us.

Then when he says, "Our soul," he shows what effect follows in these people from this consideration. And it is twofold. The first is the effect of hoping. The second, of praying, at "Let your mercy be upon us," and so on. Concerning the first he does two things. First, he shows how the effect of hope arises in them.

Let thy merciful kindness, O Lord, be upon us: like as we do put our trust in thee.

The heart of the righteous does not delight in food and drink but in justice, knowledge and wisdom.

"For our heart shall rejoice in Him:" for not in ourselves, wherein without Him there is great need; but in Himself shall our heart rejoice. "And we have trusted in His holy Name" [Psalm 33:21]; and therefore have we trusted that we shall come to God, because unto us absent has He sent, through faith, His own Name.

Even in this hour, we are hungry and thirsty and naked, yet our spirits act patiently and are not disturbed, for the Lord sustains us. He is our helper and protector, and, as it says in the heading of the psalm, we are commanded to "rejoice in the Lord, righteous ones, let your heart be joyful in him, and hope in his holy name." He brings his mercy over us as we hope in him.

Psalms33