Page 1 of 12 LECTIO DIVINA Psalm 33:1-9 5th Sunday of Easter Year A Fr. Michael Brizio, IMC www.frmichaelbrizio.com 1) OPENING PRAYER: Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And you shall renew the face of the earth. O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy his consolations. Through Christ, our Lord. Amen. 2) READING OF THE WORD (What the Word says): Psalm 33 1 Rejoice, you righteous, in the LORD; praise from the upright is fitting. 2 Give thanks to the LORD on the harp; on the ten-stringed lyre offer praise. 3 Sing to him a new song; skillfully play with joyful chant. 4 For the LORD’s word is upright; all his works are trustworthy. 5 He loves justice and right. The earth is full of the mercy of the LORD. Page 2 of 12 6 By the LORD’s word the heavens were made; by the breath of his mouth all their host. 7 He gathered the waters of the sea as a mound; he sets the deep into storage vaults. 8 Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all who dwell in the world show him reverence. 9 For he spoke, and it came to be, commanded, and it stood in place. 10 The LORD foils the plan of nations, frustrates the designs of peoples. 11 But the plan of the LORD stands forever, the designs of his heart through all generations. 12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people chosen as his inheritance. 13 From heaven the LORD looks down and observes the children of Adam, 14 From his dwelling place he surveys all who dwell on earth. 15 The One who fashioned together their hearts is the One who knows all their works. 16 A king is not saved by a great army, nor a warrior delivered by great strength. 17 Useless is the horse for safety; despite its great strength, it cannot be saved. 18 Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon those who fear him, upon those who count on his mercy, 19 To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive through famine. 20 Our soul waits for the LORD, he is our help and shield. 21 For in him our hearts rejoice; in his holy name we trust. 22 May your mercy, LORD, be upon us; as we put our hope in you. 3) EXPLANATION (What the Word means): Composition and Context Psalm 33 is a declarative praise psalm. It has the call to praise (vv.1-3), the cause for the praise (vv. 4-19), and the conclusion (vv.20-22). It extols the greatness of the Lord as it is revealed in creation and history, and the grace of the Lord as he makes his greatness available to his people. There is not much evidence to determine the authorship of the composition. Page 3 of 12 This psalm has no superscription. There is, however, an ascription of the psalm to David in the Greek translation and some versions as well as Qumran. The occasion for the psalm is equally obscure. Because of the emphasis on creation and redemption, the work has been connected with the autumn festival, but the praise of God was never separated from the historical experiences and faith of the people and limited to a specific time. The psalm was probably an independent composition reflecting some crisis in the nation before becoming part of the temple collection. It may have been used for various festivals in Israel’s ritual, but its central place remained in the faith of the people. Psalms such as this made creedal statements relevant and memorable. Analysis v.1a: Rejoice, “Rejoice” means “give a ringing cry, shout loud, cry out.” It is often a loud sound of rejoicing, such as was used in cultic shouting (Leviticus 9:24), or on joyous occasions such as the deliverance from exile (Isaiah 52:8-9). The element of great joy is the most common meaning, but it too can be a loud cry of lament or supplication (Psalm 17:1; 61:1; 88:2). Interestingly not only people give the shouts but personified concepts shout out, such as wisdom in the streets (Proverbs 1:20), the daughter of Zion (Zephaniah 3:14), Zion (Lamentations 2:19) and the ruins of Jerusalem (Isaiah 52:9). Also, creation shouts (Jeremiah 51:48), the entire earth too (Psalm 98:4), and trees (Psalm 96:12). And of course, angels, the morning stars (Job 38:7) shouted at creation. In the cultic context there is a reason given for the praise, some justification for the shout of joy. This is usually some act of the Lord that calls for an enthusiastic response, but it can also be based on his nature, his name, his righteousness, his judgments. Page 4 of 12 v.1b …you righteous, …from the upright…in the LORD; The call is for the “righteous” and the “upright” to sing praises to the Lord. The word “righteous” refers to believers in the Lord who seek to live according to his standard (Deuteronomy 6:25; Psalm 1:5). “Upright” refers to those who follow the Lord faithfully and seek to do what is right in his eyes. The word “upright” has the idea of going straight or direct (Psalm 67:4). The upright look straight ahead, i.e., there is no deviation (Proverb 4:25); the upright do what is right in the eyes of the Lord, i.e., they keep his commands (Exodus 15:26; Deuteronomy 6:17-18). These two descriptions prepare the reader for what is to follow in the psalm, namely, that the word of the Lord is “upright,” i.e., straight or direct, and that the LORD loves “righteousness”(vv.6-9) and therefore evaluates everyone righteously. v.1c: praise … The basic idea is praise or recommendation of someone’s attributes or actions. It is a spontaneous expression of joy or appreciation. A classic example is in Genesis 12:15 where the princes praised Sarai to the king. It can be used for other natural responses, such as a husband praising his noble and capable wife (Proverbs 31:28), maidens who praise the bride (Canticle 6:9), or the king praised at his coronation (2 Chronicles 23:12-13). Even the wicked are praised by those who forsake the Law (Proverbs 28:4). The religious use of the word “praise” is the spontaneous enjoyment of something that finds expression in lavish descriptions. So, the devout praise the Lord for his word (Psalm 119:164), for his works (Psalm 113), and for his attributes. People will boast or glory in the Lord (Psalm 44:8; Isaiah 41:16). Page 5 of 12 The most common expression is the plural imperative, “Praise the Lord, Hallelujah.” This expression indicates that the locus of the praise was in the sanctuary among the congregation of the righteous (Psalm 22:22; 107:32). The call to praise usually includes songs (Psalm 69:30), dancing (Psalm 149:3), and music (Psalm 150:1-5). When David organized temple worship, he designated certain clans to praise the Lord (1 Chronicles 16:4, 36; 25:3). The call Hallelujah became a brief cultic shout, as witnessed by its use in the New Testament. v.1d: is fitting. To praise is appropriate to the nature and experience of believers, for they have received everything by God’s grace. A believer without praise is like a person who is not properly dressed for the occasion. v.2a: Give thanks to the LORD on the harp; The “giving of thanks” is primarily a public praise accompanied by ritual sacrifice (Psalm 6:5). The word may be better understood as “acknowledge” since it can be used for confessing faith or confessing sin (Psalm 32:5). A confession of faith is an acknowledgment in praise of God and his attributes and his works (Psalm 89:5; 105, 106, 145). The praising was to be done with an instrument shaped like a harp, having from 3 to 12 strings. Page 6 of 12 v.2b: on the ten-stringed lyre offer praise. The basic idea is making music or singing a melody to the Lord, often to the accompaniment of musical instruments, most likely stringed instruments. Here this was to be done with a ten- stringed lyre. Whatever the shape and sound of these instruments, it is clear that the call to praise included the use of stringed instruments; other psalms list different instruments, but this one prefers the lyre and harp. v.3a: Sing to him … The word “sing” is a general term used for individuals (Exodus 15:2), Levitical choirs, or the assembled people who might sing antiphonally or in unison on an anthem. v.3b: skillfully play with joyful chant. This second command literally says “make good to play a stringed instrument.” The verb “to skillfully play” a stringed instrument is used of David playing the harp before Saul (1 Samuel 16:23). Page 7 of 12 v.3c: a new song; All the congregation is called onto sing “a new song.” This would mean more than a new composition; it is a call for a new experience for praise. The motif of a new song is used several times in the Old Testament.