Psalms 33:13

_THE LORD LOOKETH FROM HEAVEN; HE BEHOLDETH ALL THE SONS OF MEN._ The Lord looketh - not as an idle spectator, but as a sovereign Judge, taking cognizance of everything....

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 gr...

12-22 All the motions and operations of the souls of men, which no mortals know but themselves, God knows better than they do. Their hearts, as well as their times, are all in his hand; he formed the spirit of each man within him. All the powers of the creature depend upon him, and are of no account, of no avail at all, without him. If we make God's favour sure towards us, then we need not fear whatever is against us. We are to give to him the glory of his special grace. All human devices for the salvation of our souls are vain; but the Lord's watchful eye is over those whose conscientious fear of his name proceeds from a believing hope in his mercy. In difficulties they shall be helped; in dangers they shall not receive any real damage. Those that fear God and his wrath, must hope in God and his mercy; for there is no flying from him, but by flying to him. Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upo...

Verse Psalms 33:13. _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....

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 t...

EXPOSITION THIS psalm has no title in the Hebrew, and in some manuscripts it is joined on to the preceding psalm, and forms one with it. But the difference of subject-matter and of tone render it highly improbable that that arrangement is the correct one. The two psalms are best regarded as wholly separate compositions, though the writer of the present one took for his key-note the last verse of Psalms 32:1. The Septuagint makes David the author, but with no support from the Hebrew. An author in the reign of Asa or Jehoshaphat, and again one in the reign of Josiah, has been suggested, but the psalm itself scarcely gives a hint towards fixing the date. As a simple psalm of praise and thanksgiving, intended for the service of the temple, it is well worthy of admiration, being "singularly bright, and replete with beautiful imagery" ('Speaker's Commentary')

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 παντα ιδων διος οφθαλμος, c. Hesiod. Opera Dies, l. 1. v. 263. f εστι μεγας εν ουρανω, c. Sophoclis Electra, v. 174, 175....

Psalms 33:1. _Rejoice in the LORD, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright._ False gods were worshipped with dolorous sounds, accompanied by cutting with knives and with lancets; but our God is the happy God, and he would have his people happy. «Rejoice in Jehovah, O ye righteous.» The praises of God are very beautiful when they are sung by holy people: «for praise is comely for the upright.» But the praises of God on the lips of godless men are altogether out of place. I wonder how Christians can allow those to lead their praises in the sanctuary who never can from their hearts praise God. They who sing to the worldling all the week should not be employed to sing to the God of the holy on the Sabbath, surely. «Praise is comely for the upright.» Hymns and psalms sung by the ungodly are but as sweet spices laid upon a dunghill; but «praise is comely for the upright.»...

Psalms 33 The Future Praise of Jehovah _ 1. The call to praise Jehovah (Psalms 33:1)_ 2. His praise as the Creator (Psalms 33:4) 3. His praise of His governmental dealings (Psalms 33:10) 4. His praise as the Keeper and Deliverer of the Righteous (Psalms 33:18) What the last verse of the preceding Psalm exhorts to shout for joy, is in this Psalm more fully unfolded. Such praise the Lord has not yet received, it looks forward to millennial times when all earth fears the Lord and all the inhabitants stand in awe of Hi

XXXIII. A SONG OF PRAISE. This Ps. has no title in MT. It may have been added at a later time to an older collection, probably Psalms 33:3. The LXX prefix, By David, when he changed his face before Abimelech (_sic_) and he loosed him and he went away. The Ps. is an invitation to praise Yahweh as the Creator and for His care of Israel throughout its history. Yahweh alone can save His people, and for that salvation the Psalmist will wait....