2 Give thanks unto Jehovah with the harp; sing psalms unto him with the ten-stringed lute.
Praise him with the sound of the trumpet; praise him with lute and harp; Praise him with the tambour and dance; praise him with stringed instruments and the pipe; Praise him with loud cymbals; praise him with high sounding cymbals. Let everything that hath breath praise Jah. Hallelujah!
O God, I will sing a new song unto thee; with the ten-stringed lute will I sing psalms unto thee:
And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took the tambour in her hand, and all the women went out after her with tambours and with dances.
And David and all the house of Israel played before Jehovah on all manner of [instruments made of] cypress wood, with harps, and with lutes, and with tambours, and with sistra, and with cymbals.
And all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of Jehovah with shouting, and with sound of the trumpet, and with clarions, and with cymbals, playing aloud with lutes and harps.
Of Jeduthun, the sons of Jeduthun: Gedaliah, and Zeri, and Isaiah, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah, [and Shimei] six, under the direction of their father Jeduthun, who prophesied with the harp, to give thanks and to praise Jehovah.
I will also praise thee with the psaltery, even thy truth, my God; unto thee will I sing psalms with the harp, thou holy One of Israel.
Upon an instrument of ten strings and upon the lute; upon the Higgaion with the harp.
And when it took the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell before the Lamb, having each a harp and golden bowls full of incenses, which are the prayers of the saints.
And I heard a voice out of the heaven as a voice of many waters, and as a voice of great thunder. And the voice which I heard [was] as of harp-singers harping with their harps;
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Psalms 33
Commentary on Psalms 33 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
PSALM 33
Ps 33:1-22. A call to lively and joyous praise to God for His glorious attributes and works, as displayed in creation, and His general and special providence, in view of which, the Psalmist, for all the pious, professes trust and joy and invokes God's mercy.
1-3. The sentiment falls in with Ps 32:11 (compare 1Co 14:15). The instruments (Ps 92:3; 144:9) do not exclude the voice.
3. a new song—fresh, adapted to the occasion (Ps 40:3; 96:1).
play skilfully—(Compare 1Sa 16:17).
4-9. Reasons for praise: first, God's truth, faithfulness, and mercy, generally; then, His creative power which all must honor.
6. In "word" and "breath"—or, "spirit," there may be an allusion to the Son (Joh 1:1) and Holy Spirit.
9. he spake—literally, "said."
it was—The addition of "done" weakens the sense (compare Ge 1:3-10).
10, 11. In God's providence He thwarts men's purposes and executes His own.
heathen—literally, "nations."
12-19. The inference from the foregoing in Ps 33:12 is illustrated by God's special providence, underlying which is His minute knowledge of all men.
13. looketh—intently (Isa 14:16).
15. fashioneth—or, "forms," and hence knows and controls (Pr 21:1).
alike—without exception.
considereth—or, "understands"; God knows men's motives.
16, 17. Men's usual reliances in their greatest exigencies are, in themselves, useless.
17. On the war horse (compare Job 39:19-25).
a vain thing—a lie, which deceives us.
18, 19. Contrasted is God's guidance and power to save from the greatest earthly evil and its most painful precursor, and hence from all.
20-22. waiteth—in earnest expectation.
21. his holy name—(Compare Ps 5:12; 22:22; 30:4). Our faith measures mercy (Mt 9:29); and if of grace, it is no more of debt (Ro 11:6).