Psalms 33:22

Psa 33:22 Let thy mercy, O LORD, be upon us, according as we hope in thee.

Ver. 22. Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according as we hope in thee] Not that we would have no more mercy than we have trust; but we would show that our trust is bottomed upon thy promises, and that we humbly expect the full accomplishment of the same, in due time.

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.

22. (Psa 33:22) Be thy mercy, Jehovah, upon us, as we have waited for thee. The faith implied in this hope being the sole condition of God's mercy, its possession constitutes a claim upon that mercy, which is here urged as the sum of all the previous petitions. What is thus waited for cannot but be realised. A merciful and righteous God cannot, without denial of himself, withhold that which his people thus expect. Any appearance of a meritorious claim is excluded by the doctrine sufficiently implied here and abundantly taught elsewhere, that the condition is as much the gift of God as that which is suspended on it. The claim in reality amounts to a petition that as God had given the desire he would fulfil it.—As, according as, not merely since, because, in proportion to our faith, so deal with us. Compare Mat 9:29.

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

33:22 Using a play on words, the psalmist contrasts his people’s sure hope (Hebrew yakhal) in the Lord with the supposed strength (33:17; Hebrew khayil) of the horses of the wicked.

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

Verse 22. Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us] We cannot abide in this state unless upheld by thee; and, as we disclaim all merit, we seek for a continuance of thy mercy, and this we cannot expect but in a continual dependence on thee. "Let thy mercy, O Lord be upon us, according as we hope in thee."

ANALYSIS OF THE THIRTY-THIRD PSALM

This Psalm is eucharistic: the contents are -

I. An exhortation to praise God, Ps 33:1-3.

II. The arguments he uses to enforce the duty, Ps 33:4-19.

III. The confidence of God's people in his name. Their happiness, and petition, Ps 33:20-22.

I. In the three first verses he exhorts men to praise God: but whom?

1. The upright; those who are not upright, cannot praise God.

2. That it be done with zeal and affection; with singing, with voice, and the instruments then in use; with some new song, composed on the occasion, for some new mercy; and that the whole be skilfully expressed.

II. This he urges on several good grounds: -

1. The first argument, in general drawn from the truth, the faithfulness, the justice, and goodness of God: 1. "For the word of the Lord is right." 2. "All his works are done in truth." 3. "He loveth righteousness and judgment." 4. "The earth is full of his goodness."

2. His second argument is drawn from God's power in the creation of all things, and that by his word alone, Ps 33:6-9; and upon it introduces, "Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him."

3. His third argument is drawn from God's providence in governing the world, which may easily be discerned by those who will diligently consider his ways and proceedings, both to other people and to his Church.

1. He makes void all enterprises undertaken against his will, not only of single men, but of whole nations. "The Lord bringeth the counsel of the heathen to naught; he maketh the devices of the people of none effect."

2. Whereas, on the contrary, what he hath decreed shall be done. "The counsel of the Lord standeth for ever; the thoughts of his heart to all generations." On the consideration of which he breaks out into this epiphonema, or joyous reflection: "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord! and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance!"

After which he returns to his discourse on God's providence, and by a hypotyposis, or splendid imagery, amplifies his former argument. For he sets God before us, as some great king on his throne, providing for all the parts of his empire, examining all causes, and doing justice to every one.

1. "The Lord looks from heaven, and beholds all the sons of men."

2. "From the place of his habitation he looks upon all the inhabitants of the earth."

3. And he is not an idle spectator: "He sees and considers their hearts and their works."

And he sees in what they put their confidence; in their armies, their strength, their horse, but not in him. But all in vain; for "there is no king saved by the multitude of a host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength. A horse is a vain thing for safety." Multitude, strength, c., without God, are useless.

Hitherto he had given a proof of God's providence towards all men, but now he descends to a particular proof of it, by his care over his Church, which he wonderfully guides, defends, and protects, in all dangers and assaults: and that notice may be taken of it, he begins with, Behold!

1. "Behold, the eye of the Lord," his tenderest care, "is over them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy."

2. "To deliver their soul from death, and keep them alive in famine."

III. The three last verses contain the acclamation of God's people, who place all their hope and trust in him for, being stimulated by the former arguments, they do three things: -

1. They profess and express their faith and dependence on God: "Our soul waiteth on God, he is our help and our shield."

2. They declare the hope by which they are upheld, and how comforted: "For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name."

3. Upon this hope they commend themselves by prayer to God; "Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according as we hope in thee."

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

22. Let thy mercy be on us, O Jehovah! At length the psalm concludes with a prayer, which the sacred writer offers in the name of all the godly, that God would make them feel from the effect that they have not relied on the divine goodness in vain. In the meantime, the Spirit, by dictating to us this rule of prayer by the mouth of the prophet, teaches us, that the gate of divine grace is opened for us when salvation is neither sought nor hoped for from any other quarter. This passage gives us another very sweet consolation, namely, that if our hope faint not in the midst of our course, we have no reason to fear that God will fail to continue his mercy towards us, without intermission, to the end of it.

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.

22. Let thy lovingkindness (Psa_33:5; Psa_33:18), O Lord, be upon us,

According as we have hoped in thee (or, waited for thee).

Comp. Psa_31:1; Psa_31:24; Rom_5:4-5.

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.

Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us,.... That is, an application of it in its effects: it is a prayer for a communication of grace and mercy to help in a time of need; and for a discovery of pardoning grace and mercy; and it is a prayer of faith; for the mercy of the Lord is upon his people in great plenty, and it continues; and they have reason to believe it ever will, Psa 103:17;

according as we hope in thee; not according to any merits of theirs, but according to the measure of grace, of the grace of hope which God had bestowed on them, and encouraged them to exercise on him, in expectation of finding grace and mercy with him.

Next: Psalms Chapter 34

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

Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us - Let us find or obtain thy mercy or thy favor.

According as we hope in thee - It may be remarked in regard to this:

(a) it is but “reasonable” that we should look for the favor of God only as we trust in him, for we could not with propriety expect his favor beyond the measure of our confidence in him.

(b) This may be regarded as the most that we are entitled to hope from God. We have no reason to suppose that he will go beyond our wishes and prayers, or that he will confer favors on us which we neither expect nor desire.

(c) One of the reasons why the people of God are no more blessed, or why they receive no more favors from him, may be found in what is here suggested. As they expect little, they obtain little; as they have no intense, burning, lofty desire for the favor of God, either for themselves personally, or for their families, or for the world, so they obtain but slight tokens of that favor.

(d) The true principle, therefore, upon which God is willing to bestow His favors, and which will be the rule that He will observe, is, that if people desire much, they will obtain much; that if they have big expectations, they will not be disappointed; and that God is willing to bestow His mercies upon His people and upon the world to the utmost of their desires and hopes. Compare Psa 81:10, “Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.” Psa 37:4, “delight thyself in the Lord, and he shall give thee the desires of thy heart.” How intense and fervent, then, should be the prayers and the petitions of the people of God! How earnest the supplications of sinners that God would have mercy on them!

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

Ver. 22. Here is a large and comprehensive prayer to close with. It is an appeal for mercy, which even joyful believers need; and it is sought for in a proportion which the Lord has sanctioned. "According to your faith be it unto you, "is the Master's word, and he will not fall short of the scale which he has himself selected. Yet, Master, do more than this when hope is faint, and bless us far above what we ask or even think.

Ver. 22. According as we hope in thee; not according to any merits of theirs, but according to the measure of grace, of the grace of hope which God had bestowed on them, and encouraged them to exercise on him, in expectation of finding grace and mercy with him. John Gill.

Ver. 22. A prayer for believers only.

Ver. 22. Measure for measure, or mercy proportioned to faith.

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

Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according as we hope in thee. The measure of men"s hope and trust in God is the measure of his mercy and goodness to them. Those who are assured that they have a full trust in him may confidently expect a fall and complete deliverance. Thus, "according as rvak is emphatic.

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

Let your covenant faithfulness, Yahweh, be with us

Yahweh acting faithfully towards the people is spoken of as if Yahweh's covenant faithfulness were with them. The abstract noun "faithfulness" can be translated with an adverb. AT: "May you always act faithfully towards us because of your covenant, Yahweh" (See: Metaphor and Abstract Nouns)

as we put our hope in you

"as we hope for your help"

translationWords

covenant faithfulness

Yahweh

hope

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