Psalms 33:13

Psa 33:13 The LORD looketh from heaven; he beholdeth all the sons of men.

Ver. 13. The Lord looketh from heaven] Ita respicit universos quasi singulos, ita singulos quasi solos. And this doctrine of God’s particular providence is, fides nationum quarum Deus est Dominus, saith Kimchi, taught in the Church only.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Psa 33:13-15. He beholdeth all the sons of men — Although he had a special relation to Israel, yet he hath a general care over all mankind, all whose hearts and ways he observes. He fashioneth their hearts alike —

היצר יחד לבם, hajotzer jachad lib-bam, It is he that formed their hearts, one and all, and consequently must know what are their thoughts and intentions: or, in the present tense, as our version renders it, He formeth, and so it refers to the works of God’s providence; and the psalmist having said that God sees and observes all men, now adds, that he rules and governs them; yea, even their hearts, which are most unmanageable, he disposes and inclines according to the counsel of his will. Alike, or, equally, one as well as another; whether they be Jews or Gentiles, bond or free, princes or peasants; all are alike subject to his jurisdiction. He considereth all their works — Both outward and inward, all the workings of their minds and actions, and all their endeavours and actions. How great then “must be the advantage of living in the favour, and under the protection, of this great Being, who, from the watch-tower of his eternal throne, beholdeth, directeth, and controlleth, at pleasure, not only the actions and the words, but the very thoughts and imaginations of all the inhabitants of the earth!” — Horne.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

13. (Psa 33:13) From heaven looked Jehovah; he saw all the sons of man (or Adam). He looked not at any one time merely, but at all times; he has always looked upon them since he first created them. As his omnipotence is constantly exerted to sustain them in existence, so his omniscience is continually exercised in the same inspection as at first.

Joseph Addison Alexander, The Psalms Translated and Explained (1850) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

33:13-19 From the heavens, the Lord searches out and cares for anyone who fears him (see 14:2-3).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

He proveth, that all things are governed by God’s providence and not by fortune.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

looketh--intently (Isa 14:16).

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 13. The Lord looketh from heaven] This and the following verse seem to refer to God's providence. He sees all that is done in the earth, and his eye is on all the children of men.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

13. Jehovah looked down from heaven. The Psalmist still proceeds with the same doctrine, namely, that human affairs are not tossed hither and thither fortuitously, but that God secretly guides and directs all that we see taking place. Now he here commends God’s inspection of all things, that we on our part may learn to behold, and to contemplate with the eye of faith, his invisible providence. There are, no doubt, evident proofs of it continually before our eyes; but the great majority of men, notwithstanding, see nothing of them, and, in their blindness, imagine that all things are under the conduct of a blind fortune. Nay, the more plenteously and abundantly that he sheds his goodness upon us, the less do we raise our thoughts to him, but preposterously settle them down immovably on the external circumstances which surround us. The prophet here rebukes this base conduct, because no greater affront can be offered to God than to shut him up in heaven in a state of idleness. This is the same as if he were to lie buried in a grave. What kind of life would God’s life be, if he neither saw nor took care of any thing? Under the term throne, too, the sacred writer shows, from what is implied in it, what an absurd infatuation it is to divest God of thought and understanding. He gives us to understand by this word, that heaven is not a palace in which God remains idle and indulges in pleasures, as the Epicureans dream, but a royal court, from which he exercises his government over all parts of the world. If he has erected his throne, therefore, in the sanctuary of heaven, in order to govern the universe, it follows that he in no wise neglects the affairs of earth, but governs them with the highest reason and wisdom.

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

13, 14. The Psalmist dwells upon Jehovah’s all-seeing omniscience in order to emphasise the peculiar privilege of His people. Throned in heaven (1Ki_8:39 ff.) He surveys all mankind. Cp. Psa_11:4; Psa_14:2; Psa_102:19-20.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The Lord looketh from heaven,.... Where his throne and temple are, upon the earth and men, and things in it, as follows;

he beholdeth all the sons of men; the evil and the good; which is contrary to the sense of many wicked men, who imagine he takes no notice of what is done here below; but his eye is upon all, upon all the workers of iniquity, how secret soever they may be; and not only his eye of Providence is upon good men, but his eye of love, grace, and mercy; and he has a special and distinct knowledge of them: agreeably to this are some expressions of Heathen writers; says one (e),

"the eye of God sees all things;''

says another (f),

"there is a great God in heaven who sees all things, and governs.''

(e) , &c. Hesiod. Opera & Dies, l. 1. v. 263. (f) , &c. Sophoclis Electra, v. 174, 175.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

The Lord looketh from heaven - heaven is represented as his abode or dwelling; and from that place he is represented as looking down upon all the nations of the earth. The meaning here is, that he sees all that dwell upon the earth, and that, therefore, all that worship him are under his eye. He knows their wants, and he will watch over them to protect them. It is not merely to the abstract truth that God sees all who dwell upon the earth that the psalmist means to refer; but that those who are his friends, or who worship him, are all under his eye, so as to enjoy his watchful care and attention.

He beholdeth all the sons of men - All the descendants of “Adam,” for this is the original. There is no improbability in supposing that the word “Adam” here (usually meaning “man”) is employed as a proper name to denote the great ancestor of the human race, and that the psalmist means to refer to the race as one great family descended from a common ancestor, though scattered abroad over the face of the world.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Ver. 13. The Lord looketh from heaven. The Lord is represented as dwelling above and looking down below; seeing all things, but peculiarly observing and caring for those who trust in him. It is one of our choicest privileges to be always under our Father's eye, to be never out of sight of our best Friend. He beholdeth all the sons of men. All Adam's sons are as well watched as was Adam himself, their lone progenitor in the garden. Ranging from the frozen pole to the scorching equator, dwelling in hills and valleys, in huts and palaces, alike doth the divine eye regard all the members of the family of man.

None.

Ver. 13. Omniscience and its lessons.

Ver. 13-15. The doctrine of providence.

Psalms 33:14*

Ver. 13-15. The doctrine of providence.

Psalms 33:15*

Ver. 13-15. The doctrine of providence.

Charles H. Spurgeon's The Treasury of David (1869–1885) — public domain. Psalms only. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

13-15. The psalmist reiterates the personal and minute inspection of the hearts of all men, to show that this knowledge will make a sure pathway for infinite power to execute eternal justice.

He fashioneth their hearts alike—The Hebrew yahhad, translated “alike,” and usually translated together, here means, wholly, altogether. The idea is, that the creation and endowment of man’s heart—his intellective, moral, and psychical being—is wholly, or altogether, God’s work. The Septuagint renders it μονας, alone, and the Vulgate, sigillatim, individually, every one of them. The argument requires this sense. God alone made the heart, and he alone perfectly understands all its workings. The passage is parallel to Psa_94:9-10

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The Lord looketh from heaven; he beholdeth all the sons of men. (comp. Psa_11:4:14:2 Psa_102:19) God"s having any care at all for man is a wondrous condescension, and so worthy of all praise; his having regard to all men all the frail sons of weak and sinful Adam is still more wonderful, still more deserving of eulogy.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

All men - Although he hath a relation to Israel, yet he hath a general care over all mankind, all whose hearts and ways he observes.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

he looks down

The place where Yahweh lives is spoken of as if it is above the earth where people live. (See: Metaphor)

shapes the hearts of them all

Here "hearts" refers to the thinking of these people. The writer speaks of Yahweh guiding the thinking of the people as if he were a potter who was shaping a bowl. AT: "guides their thinking as a potter shapes a bowl" (See: Metonymy and Metaphor)

translationWords

heaven

life

earth

heart

works

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.