Salmi 33:2 Commento

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.

Praise the Lord with harp,.... An instrument David was well skilled in the use of, the inventor of which was Jubal, Gen 4:21; sing unto, him with the psaltery; the name of this instrument is in the Hebrew language "nebel": the account which Josephus (w) gives of this, and of the former, is, "the harp is extended with ten strings, and is plucked with a quill; the "nabla", or psaltery, has twelve sounds, and is played upon with the fingers;'' some make this and the next to be the same: and an instrument of ten strings; and read them together thus, "with the psaltery of ten strings": and so the Targum, Septuagint, and other versions (x): but it seems from Josephus that it was not a stringed instrument, but had holes, and those twelve; and besides it is distinguished from the instrument of ten strings, Psa 92:3; it was in the form of a bottle, from whence it had its name. (w) Antiqu. l. 7. c. 12. s. 3. (x) Vid. Jarchium in loc. & R. Mosem in Aben Ezra in loc.

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. Have you been intoxicated? Fast. Have you made false pretensions? Be humble. Have you been envious? Console. Have you murdered? Bear witness, or afflict your body with the equivalent of martyrdom through confession. And then, after confession you are worthy to play for God on the ten-stringed psaltery. For it is necessary, first, to correct the actions of our body, so that we perform them harmoniously with the divine Word and thus mount up to the contemplation of things intellectual.… One, therefore, who observes all the precepts and makes, as it were, harmony and symphony from them, this one, I say, plays for God an a ten-stringed psaltery.

"Praise the Lord with harp:" praise the Lord, presenting unto Him your bodies a living sacrifice. [Romans 12:1] "Sing unto Him with the psaltery for ten strings" [Psalm 33:2]: let your members be servants to the love of God, and of your neighbour, in which are kept both the three and the seven commandments.

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. Hence Pythagoras, seeing that a youth was going mad at the sound of the Phrygian mode, had the mode changed; and so he tempered the spirit of the frenzied youth to a most peaceful state of mind, as Boethius says in the preface to his work on music. Hence it is that it was devised that in every form of worship certain musical harmonies should be employed, so that the spirit of man might be stirred toward God. These harmonies have customarily been employed in two ways: sometimes with musical instruments, and sometimes with songs. And therefore first he shows the first mode, because "on the harp." Second, the second, at "Sing to him." For the affection of man is directed through instruments and musical harmonies in three ways: because sometimes it is established in a certain rectitude and firmness of soul; sometimes it is carried to sublimity; and sometimes to sweetness and joy. And for this purpose, as the Philosopher holds in Politics VIII, chapter 7, three kinds of song have been instituted. For the first, there is the Dorian song, which belongs to the first and second tones, as some hold. For the second, there is the Phrygian song, which belongs to the third tone. For the third, there is the Hypolydian song, which belongs to the fifth and sixth tones. The others were invented later. And so it is with instruments, because certain instruments produce the first effect, such as the pipe and the trumpet; certain produce the second, such as the organ; and certain the third, such as the psaltery and the harp: Ps. 80: "The pleasant psaltery with the harp." But because the Psalmist here intends to lead to exultation, he makes mention only of these two, namely the psaltery and the harp. But truly, because all these things happened to them in figure, 1 Cor. 10, they used not only these instruments for this purpose, but also in figure. The harp has its sound from below and signifies the praise that arises from things below, that is, earthly things. The psaltery, however, has its sound from above and signifies the praise that concerns heavenly goods. He says "of ten strings" because by them are signified the ten precepts of the Decalogue, in which the whole of spiritual teaching consists.

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.