Psalms 33:2

_PRAISE THE LORD WITH HARP: SING UNTO HIM WITH THE PSALTERY AND AN INSTRUMENT OF TEN STRINGS._ Praise ... harp. The voice is felt inadequate to do justice to the glory of God: the aid of instruments is enlisted. THE PSALTERY (AND) AN INSTRUMENT OF TEN STRINGS - rather, as the old version all translate, one instrument only is meant, 'with the lyre of ten strings' х_ NEEBEL_ (H5035) _ `AASOWR_ (H6218)] Josephus says the strings were twelve. But some lyres may have had but ten. The Hebrew for lyre originally meant a leather bottle. From its shape, the lyre was so called [Greek, nabla]. It was played with the fingers, not with the quill (cf. Psalms 92:3; Psalms 144:9)....

2._Praise Jehovah upon the harp. _It is evident that the Psalmist here expresses the vehement and ardent affection which the faithful ought to have in praising God, when he enjoins musical instruments to be employed for this purpose. He would have nothing omitted by believers which tends to animate the minds and feelings of men in singing God’s praises. The name of God, no doubt, can, properly speaking, be celebrated only by the articulate voice; but it is not without reason that David adds to this those aids by which believers were wont to stimulate themselves the more to this exercise; especially considering that he was speaking to God’s ancient people. There is a distinction, however, to be observed here, that we may not indiscriminately consider as applicable to ourselves, every thing which was formerly enjoined upon the Jews. I have no doubt that playing upon cymbals, touching the h...

1-11 Holy joy is the heart and soul of praise, and that is here pressed upon the righteous. Thankful praise is the breath and language of holy joy. Religious songs are proper expressions of thankful praise. Every endowment we possess, should be employed with all our skill and earnestness in God's service. His promises are all wise and good. His word is right, and therefore we are only in the right when we agree with it. His works are all done in truth. He is the righteous Lord, therefore loveth righteousness. What a pity it is that this earth, which is so full of the proofs and instances of God's goodness, should be so empty of his praises; and that of the multitudes who live upon his bounty, there are so few who live to his glory! What the Lord does, he does to purpose; it stands fast. He overrules all the counsels of men, and makes them serve his counsels; even that is fulfilled, whic...

Verse Psalms 33:2. _PRAISE THE LORD WITH HARP_] כנור _kinnor_; probably something like our _harp_: but Calmet thinks it the ancient _testudo_, or lyre with three strings. _THE PSALTER_] נבל _nebel_. Our translation seems to make a _third_ instrument in this place, by rendering עשור _asor, an instrument of_ _ten strings_; whereas they should both be joined together, for נבל עשור _nebel-asor_ signifies the _nebal_, or _nabla_, with ten strings, or holes. Calmet supposes this to have resembled our _harp_. In one of _Kennicott's_ MSS., this Psalm begins with the second verse....

PRAISE THE LORD WITH HARP - For a description of the “harp,” see the notes at Isaiah 5:12. SING UNTO HIM WITH THE PSALTERY - For the meaning of this word, also, see the notes at Isaiah 5:12, where the word is rendered “viol.” AND AN INSTRUMENT OF TEN STRINGS - The word “and” is supplied here by the translators as if, in this place, a third instrument was referred to, distinct from the harp and the psaltery. The more correct rendering, however, would be, “a psaltery (or lyre) of ten strings.” The same construction occurs in Psalms 144:9. In...

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')

PRAISE THE LORD WITH HARP,.... An instrument David was well skilled in the use of, the inventor of which was Jubal, Genesis 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,...

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....