Psalm 33:16 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.

There is no king saved by the multitude of an host,.... He may be at the head of a numerous army, and yet not get the victory over a lesser one, nor escape safe, but be taken by it: there have been such instances; and if he is saved, or gets the victory, it is not owing to the multitude with him, but to the Lord, that gives salvation to kings, Psa 144:10. Hence it appears that even such men need salvation themselves, and cannot save themselves, though they have ever so many at command, and therefore are not to be trusted in; salvation is only of the Lord; a mighty man is not delivered by much strength; as Goliath, with his great strength, could not deliver himself out of the hands of David, a stripling; wherefore the mighty man should not glory in his might.

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

"A king shall not be saved by much strength:" he shall not be saved who rules his own flesh, if he presume much upon his own strength. "Neither shall a giant be saved by much strength" [Psalm 33:16]: nor shall he be saved whoever wars against the habit of his own lust, or against the devil and his angels, if he trust much to his own might.

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 other [Pharaoh] pursued Israel with large chariots and a multitude of horses; he has the sea for a grave.

"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. Second, he shows that this is accomplished by the mercy of God, at "Behold, the eyes of the Lord." He says therefore, "The king is not saved." But because secular power is threefold -- one consisting in the multitude of subjects, another in bodily strength, and another in exterior riches -- he therefore shows that none of these can lead to salvation. First, concerning the first power, which is royal; and therefore he says, "The king is not saved by his great power." Jerome has, "By a multitude," and so on. Ps. 145: "Do not put your trust in princes, in the children of men, in whom there is no salvation." Rather, if they sometimes have salvation, it is through God: Ps. 143: "Who gives salvation to kings." Second, he shows that salvation is not in bodily strength; hence he says, "And the giant shall not be saved by his great strength," that is, by his might: Bar. 3: "There were the giants, those renowned ones, who from the beginning," and so on. Third, that it is not in riches. And he mentions two supporting things: namely, the horse and abundance of possessions. As to the first he says, "The horse is deceptive," and so on, that is, however good a horse he has, still he cannot be saved bodily or spiritually: Prov. 21: "The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but the Lord gives salvation." As to the second he says, "And in the abundance of his strength he shall not be saved," that is, of exterior possessions: Prov. 11: "He who trusts in his riches shall fall": Is. 31: "Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, trusting in horses." Mystically, morally, and allegorically this is expounded to mean that a man is not saved by his own power, whatever good he may possess. For there is a threefold good by which one might seem able to attain salvation. The first is authority; and as to this he says, "The king is not saved by his great power." If indeed he is powerful enough to rule others, this is not by his own power, but he has it from God. The second is constancy; and this he does not have by his own power; hence he says, "And the giant shall not be saved by his great strength." The third is good bodily disposition and fortitude; hence he says, "The horse is deceptive," namely, a strong and robust body is deceptive. Or, universally, "In the abundance of his strength," that is, wherever he has aptitude for good, "he is not saved" unless God grants him salvation: Ps. 29: "In my abundance I said, I shall never be moved. You turned away," and so on. This is what is said in Jer. 9: "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, and let not the strong man glory in his strength, and let not the rich man glory in his riches."

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.

Men's usual reliances in their greatest exigencies are, in themselves, useless.