Psalm 33:15 Komentář

This is a psalm of praise; it is probable that David was the penman of it, but we are not told so, because God would have us look above the penmen of sacred writ, to that blessed Spirit that moved and guided them. The psalmist, in this psalm, I. Calls upon the righteous to praise God (Psa 33:1-3). II. Furnishes us with matter for praise. We must praise God, 1. For his justice, goodness, and truth, appearing in his word, and in all his works (Psa 33:4, Psa 33:5). 2. For his power appearing in the work of creation (Psa 33:6-9). 3. For the sovereignty of his providence in the government of the world (Psa 33:10, Psa 33:11) and again (Psa 33:13-17). 4. For the peculiar favour which he bears to his own chosen people, which encourages them to trust in him (Psa 33:12) and again (Psa 33:18-22). We need not be at a loss for proper thoughts in singing this psalm, which so naturally expresses the pious affections of a devout soul towards God.

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 33 Though this psalm has no title to it, it seems to be a psalm of David, from the style and matter of it; and indeed begins with the same words with which the preceding psalm is ended. Theodoret is of opinion it was written by David as a prophecy concerning Hezekiah, as a song to be sung by the people after the destruction of the Assyrian army.

He fashioneth their hearts alike,.... The Lord is the former and fashioner of the heart, spirit, or soul of man, even of all hearts and spirits; whence he is called the Father of spirits, Heb 12:9; see Zac 12:1; and he is the former of them alike; which seems to intimate as if all seals were alike, as they are made by the Lord; and it may be the difference there appears to be between them afterwards, nay be owing to the make and constitution of their bodies, to their education, and different situation, circumstances, and advantages in life, whereby the hearts of some may be more opened and enlarged than others. Some render it "together", or "altogether" (g); which must not be understood of time, as if they were all made at once, but of equality; the one was made by him as well as the other; he is the fashioner of one and all of them, every whit of them; they are wholly fashioned by him, and all that is in them, all the powers and faculties of the soul; and by him only, and not by the instrumentality of another; for souls are created, not generated; they are produced out of nothing, and not out of pre-existent matter, as bodies; parents contribute somewhat to the bodies of their children, but not anything to their souls. God only "is the God of the spirits of all flesh", Num 16:22; some translate the word "singly" (h); one by one, one after another in the several ages of time; for he continues to fashion them, and is always doing it; see Zac 12:1. And he forms the hearts of his own people anew for himself, for his own glory; he forms Christ in them, and every grace of his Spirit; he forms them into one, and knits and unites them together in love, and makes them like to one another; for as face answers to face in water, so do the hearts and experiences of the saints one to another, Pro 27:19; all which he does wholly and alone; and since he fashions the hearts of all men in every sense, he must know them, which is the design of this expression; he knows the hearts of wicked men, and all the wickedness that is in them; he knows the hearts of good men, the worst that is in them, and also the best, which he himself has put there; he considereth all their works; the works of evil men, not only their more open ones, but their more secret ones, and will bring them into judgment; and the works of good men, even their good works, which he will remember and reward in a way of grace. (g) "simul", Musculus, Gejerus; so Ainsworth. (h) Sept. "sigillatim", V. L.

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.

Only [God] can cure our hearts, he who alone created our hearts and perceives all our deeds. He alone has the power to enter into our conscience, touch our thoughts and comfort our soul. And if he does not console our hearts, all that people may do is superfluous and unprofitable. Just as when God comforts and pacifies us again, even if people greatly disturb us with myriad troubles, they will be unable to injure us in anything, for when he strengthens our heart, no one is able to shake it.

"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.

The God of all looks down … not as ignorant and anxious to learn but as judging and sentencing. How could the one who made the soul be ignorant of its movements?

The demons do not know our hearts, as some people think, for the Lord alone is “knower of hearts,” “who knows the mind of human beings” and “who alone fashioned their hearts.” Rather, [demons] recognize the many mental representations that are in the heart on the basis of a word that is expressed and movements of the body.

Some commentators thought that here blessed David means that he individually formed people’s souls apart from their body, as though “hearts” meant “souls.” Whether this is so or not (it is a topic requiring fuller treatment), here it does not have that sense. Rather, “their hearts” means “them,” referring to the whole from the part. So “he forms them individually” means that none of humankind was in existence, as if to say, when they did not exist, he produced them.

Nothing done by human beings can escape [God’s] attention, since he is the creator of the thoughts’ inner chamber, namely, the heart. In fact, this was the meaning, completely consistent with what went before: Blessed are you who are devoted to him who conducts an examination of everything that is done; instead of anything escaping his notice, he has a precise knowledge of everything.

God has “fashioned the hearts” of those to him he has granted the gifts of his understanding. We say that modelers fashion, since they compose forms in accordance with the needs of their work. Likewise, the Lord also forms the minds of the just and sets them in order to guide them to the gifts of his mercy.

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. Second, he concludes the certainty of its knowledge, at "He who understands." It would be foolish to say that someone who makes a certain crafted work would not know its use; for he would make it in vain, since the use is its end. And therefore he says elsewhere: Ps. 93: "He who formed the eye, does he not consider?" How then could it be that he would make something proportioned to knowing particulars unless he himself knew them? For man knows singular things through his intellect and soul and heart. Therefore God, who made that heart, knows them. And note that the words carry their weight. For he says "hearts," to exclude the unity of intellect in all, for different people have different intellects. He says "one by one," to show that the soul is not twofold; otherwise it would not be said that he formed them one by one, but one from which all derive, and thus likewise one by one. Therefore, he himself formed individual souls by themselves, namely through creation, since the soul is a substance subsisting in itself, not from matter. Likewise, he said "formed" to show that the soul is not made from the substance of God; otherwise it would not be called formed, but consubstantial. And he says pointedly "formed," because forming is the work of potters, who impress a beautiful form upon base material. So God, by creating, infuses the soul into the body of clay: 2 Cor. 4: "We have this treasure in earthen vessels": Rom. 9: "Does the thing formed say to him who formed it, 'Why have you made me thus?'" And from this he concludes that "he understands all their works"; for whoever knows the cause knows the effect. The cause of all human effects is the heart. God knows the heart. Therefore, he also knows its works. "He formed" is understood of the fashioning of grace, because the gifts of grace are from him, and this "one by one," because "there are different kinds of graces," 1 Cor. 12. And this because "he himself understands their works" by helping and advancing them.

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. (Psa. 33:1-22) The sentiment falls in with Psa 32:11 (compare Co1 14:15). The instruments (Psa 92:3; Psa 144:9) do not exclude the voice.

fashioneth--or, "forms," and hence knows and controls (Pro 21:1). alike--without exception. considereth--or, "understands"; God knows men's motives.