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<< PSALM XXXIII. >>
1. Rejoice in Jehovah, O ye righteous:
Praise is comely for the upright.
2. Give thanks unto Jehovah with the harp:
Sing praises unto him with the psaltery of ten strings.
3. Sing unto him a new song;
Play skilfully with a loud noise.
4. For the word of Jehovah is right;
And all his work is done in faithfulness.
5. He loveth righteousness and justice:
The earth is full of the lovingkindness of Jehovah.
6. By the word of Jehovah were the heavens made,
And all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.
7. He gathereth the waters of the sea together as a heap:
He layeth up the deeps in storehouses.
8. Let all the earth fear Jehovah:
Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of
him.
9. For he spake, and it was done;
He commanded, and it stood fast.
10. Jehovah bringeth the counsel of the nations to nought;
He maketh the thoughts of the peoples to be of no
effect.
11. The counsel of Jehovah standeth fast for ever,
The thoughts of his heart to all generations.
12. Blessed is the nation whose God is Jehovah,
The people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.
13. Jehovah looketh from heaven;
He beholdeth all the sons of men;
14. From the place of his habitation he looketh forth
Upon all the inhabitants of the earth,
15. He that fashioneth the hearts of them all,
That considereth all their works.
16. There is no king saved by the multitude of a host:
A mighty man is not delivered by great strength.
17. A horse is a vain thing for safety;
Neither doth he deliver any by his great power.
18. Behold, the eye of Jehovah is upon them that fear him,
Upon them that hope in his lovingkindness;
19. To deliver their soul from death,
And to keep them alive in famine.
20. Our soul hath waited for Jehovah:
He is our help and our shield.
21. For our heart shall rejoice in him,
Because we have trusted in his holy name.
22. Let thy lovingkindness, O Jehovah, be upon us,
According as we have hoped in thee.
1, 2. See Psalm xviii. 1. E. 326.
1-3. Joy of heart arises from celestial and from spiritual love. The words " rejoice O ye righteous " are predicated
of those who are in celestial love, " Confess to Jehovah with the harp and sing unto him with the psaltery" is said
of those who are in spiritual love. E. 326.
1-4. Truth of faith concerning which such things are said. Spiritual things, or truths and goods of faith were celebrated with the harp and psaltery and with singing, and the like, but the holy or celestial -things of faith were celebrated with wind instruments, such as the trumpet and its kind. It was for this reason that there were so many
instruments about the temple, and that this or that was so often celebrated with certain instruments. A. 420.
1-9. A song in praise of the Lord because the church is from Him through the Word. P. P.
1, 3. See Psalm xviii. 1. R. 279.
2, 3. Harps signify confessions of the Lord from spiritual truths. Psaltery and harps correspond to spiritual goods
and truths. R. 276.
2-5. Since the harp signifies confession from spiritual truths it is therefore said " Confess unto Jehovah upon the harp." The psaltery and an instrument of ten strings signifies spiritual corresponding good. The truth of the good is signified by "the Word of Jehovah is right" and the good of the truth by "all his works are done in truth." E. 323.
2-7. That gladness of heart was signified by songs is plain. A. 8261.
6. Life is described by breathing and by breath, because the men of the Most Ancient Church perceived the states of love and faith by the states of respiration, which states were gradually changed in their posterity. The Lord likens the spirit or life to the wind, when speaking of the regeneration of man — see John hi. 8. A. 97.
The host of them, or of the heavens stands for truths. A. 3448.
That by the wind of Jehovah or His breath is signified the life which is of heaven, and which is of the man who is in heaven, that is of a regenerate man, is evident. A. 8286.
Breathing was a representation of vivification by faith and love. A. 9229.
By heavens are signified the angelic heavens, but by the angelic heavens are signified Divine truths, since the angels are receptacles of Divine truths proceeding from the Lord. A. 9408.
The Word of Jehovah is the Divine truth, as also the spirit of His mouth. That this is the Lord is manifest from John i. 1-3, 14. A. 9818.
The Word of Jehovah is the Divine truth proceeding from the Lord, the breath of the mouth of Jehovah is life thence derived. The heavens thence made and all the host of them are the angels so far as they are receptacles of Divine truth. The reason why the heavens stand for angels is because angels constitute heaven. A. 9987.
The Word is from the Lord and concerning the Lord, and thus the Lord. All thought, speech, and writing derives its essence and life from him who thinks, speaks, and writes, the man with his quality is in them, but the Lord alone is in the Word. Without the Divine truth of the Word which in its essence is the Divine good of the Divine love, and the Divine truth of the Divine wisdom of the Lord, a man cannot have life. R. 200.
The goods and truths of heaven and the church are signified in the Word by armies — hosts, — and in the opposite sense evils and falsities. R. 447.
Men who are in Divine truths from the Lord when acting against evil and falsities, consequently against bands of devils, who considered in their essence are no other than evils and falsities, are in the spiritual world like lions, although as to their bodies they have no more strength than sheep. The reason why there is such strength inherent in Divine truth is, because God is good itself and truth itself, and He created the universe by the Divine truth, and all the laws of order, by which He preserves the universe, are truths. T. 87.
That the universe was created by the Divine truth is openly said in John i. 1, 3, 10 and here. By the Word in both these places is meant the Divine truth. T. 224.
The spirit of God signifies Divine truth, it is therefore called " the spirit of the mouth of Jehovah." E. 183.
That the sun, the moon, and the stars are called armies in the Word is plain from numerous passages. See Psalm cxlviii. 2, 3: Genesis ii. 1: Jeremiah xxxiii. 22. E. 573.
By the Word is here understood Divine truth. E. 700. The Lord has infinite power by the Divine proceeding, which in general is called Divine truth. E. 726.
6, 7. See Psalm xxix. 3. A. 2702.
By the sea Divine truths with those who are in the borders of heaven are signified. R. 238.
The Word of Jehovah by which the heavens were made, and the breath of His mouth by which is made all the host of them signifies the Divine truth proceeding from the Lord, the host of heaven standing for all things of love and faith. The waters of the sea which he gathers together as a heap signify the knowledges of truth, and truths in general which are together in the natural man. The depth which he layeth up in storehouses signifies sensual scientifics, which are the most common and ultimate of the natural man, and in which at the same time are truths interior or superior, whence they are called storehouses. E 275.
By depths are also signified Divine truths. E. 538.
8. Here also by the earth are signified those who are in the truths of the church, and by the inhabitants of the world those who are in the goods of the church. E. 741.
8, 18. See Psalm xxii. 24. R 527.
Since the fear of Jehovah signifies the reception of Divine truth, and mercy the reception of Divine good, therefore it is said that the eye and the good pleasure of Jehovah are upon them that fear Him, upon them that hope in His mercy- E. 696.
10. See Psalm xviii. 44. S 86.
See Psalm xviii. 44. R. 483.
See Psalm xviii. 44. T. 251.
Nations stand for those who are in evil, and people for those who are in falsities, and because both the former and the latter are signified, it is therefore said that Jehovah rendereth vain the counsel of the nations, He subverteth the devices of the people. E. 175.
People stand for those who are against the truth of the spiritual church, thus who are in falsities, and nations those who are against the goods of the celestial church, thus who are in evils. These things are also signified by
the people and nations who were driven out of the land of Canaan. E. 331.
10, 11. Howsoever much the evil may fight against it, still it will continue. P.P.
11. The reason why generations stand for what is eternal is, because by them, in the internal sense, are meant the generations of faith and charity. Eternity is predicated of the Divine-celestial or good, and generation of the Divine-spiritual or truth. A. 9789.
12. Blessed is the nation whose God is Jehovah,
The people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.
13. Jehovah looketh from heaven;
He beholdeth all the sons of men;
14. From the place of his habitation he looketh forth
Upon all the inhabitants of the earth,
15. He that fashioneth the hearts of them all,
That considereth all their works.
12-15. Happy are they who are of that church. P. P
16-17. Self-intelligence effects nothing. P. P
See Psalm xx. 8, 9. E. 355.
17. See Psalm xx. 8. W. H
See Psalm xx. 8, 9. R. 298.
18. See Psalm xix. 9, 10. A. 2826
See Psalm xi. 4.A. 10569
See Psalm xi. 4. R. 48
See Psalm xi. 4. E. 68
19. To deliver their soul from death,
And to keep them alive in famine.
20. Our soul hath waited for Jehovah:
He is our help and our shield.
21. For our heart shall rejoice in him,
Because we have trusted in his holy name.
22. Let thy lovingkindness, O Jehovah, be upon us,
According as we have hoped in thee.
18, 19. That famine, or hunger signifies the desire of knowing and understanding the truths and goods of the church is manifest. R. 323.
See Psalm vi. 6. E. 186.
By them that fear Jehovah are understood those who love to do His precepts. To deliver their soul from death signifies to rescue them from evils and falsities, and thereby from damnation. To keep them alive in famine means to give spiritual life according to the desire. E. 386.
18-22. Those are saved who trust in the Lord. P. P.
19. See Psalm xvi. 10. E. 750.
Author: EMANUEL SWEDENBORG (1688-1772)
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