Psalm 33:6 - Printer Friendly

ESV: By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host.

NIV: By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth.

NASB: By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, And by the breath of His mouth all their lights.

CSB: The heavens were made by the word of the Lord, and all the stars, by the breath of his mouth.

NLT: The Lord merely spoke, and the heavens were created. He breathed the word, and all the stars were born.

KJV: By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.

NKJV: By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.

Believers ought to praise the Lord joyfully because He is all-powerful and all-knowing: omnipotent and omniscient. This verse tells us He simply spoke and the heavens came into existence (Genesis 1:1–8; Psalm 33:9). Using similar imagery, David depicts God's breath creating everything which is seen in the heavens. This includes all the stars and planets (Genesis 1:14–19).

Hebrews 11:3 states, "By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible." The breath of God's mouth may refer to the Holy Spirit because the words "breath" and "spirit" translate the same Hebrew root word: ruwach.

In Psalm 8:1 David describes the Lord's name as majestic in all the earth. He reflects on the awe he feels when he looks at the Lord's handiwork revealed in the heavens. He marvels at the moon and the stars that the Lord has set in place (Psalm 8:3).

Psalm 33:4–19 records David's reasons to praise the Lord. They include praise for God's Word, His creative power, His sovereignty over the nations, His all-seeing vision, His faithful works, and His deliverance of His people.

David summons the worshipers of Israel to be joyful as they praise God. The psalm celebrates God's creative power, sovereignty, and faithfulness. Rather than relying on earthly strength, the Lord's people can trust in His omnipotent power. This results in a collective praise for God and His unfailing love for those who trust and hope in Him.

The Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament, attributes this psalm to David. It is a psalm that encourages worshipers to praise the Lord. It may have been written after Israel experienced a victory over an enemy. Because the verbs in this psalm are plural, it features the worship leader's call to worship and the worshipers' response.

The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.

Accessed 5/5/2024 10:08:09 PM