Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 33:19
To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.
19. death ] Violent death by war or pestilence is meant, as the parallel line shews. Famine was a common scourge in Palestine (Psa 37:19).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
To deliver their soul from death – To preserve their lives, – for so the word soul is to be understood here. The meaning is, to keep them alive. That is, God is their Protector; He guards and defends them when in danger.
And to keep them alive in famine – In times of want. Compare Job 5:20. He can provide for them when the harvests fail. Famine was one of the evils to which the inhabitants of Palestine, and of Oriental countries generally, were particularly exposed, and it is often referred to in the Scriptures.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 19. To deliver their soul frown death] To watch over and protect them in all sudden dangers and emergencies, so that they shall not lose their LIVES by any accident.
And to keep them alive in famine.] Not only prevent sudden death by an instantaneous interposition of my power, but keep them from a lingering death, by extraordinary supplies granted them in an extraordinary manner; because I am all in all, and all everywhere.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Their soul, i.e. their life, when he sees it to be expedient for them: sometimes it is better for them to die than to live, as both good and bad men have declared; and when it is so, it is known to God, but not to us. And therefore the constant accomplishment of this and the like promises in a literal sense is not to be expected, nor simply desired, but with submission to Gods wise and gracious will.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
To deliver their soul from death,…. Not a corporeal death, for the soul dies not, and is never in any danger of death; and should life, or the whole man, be intended here, yet those that fear the Lord, and hope in his mercy, are not exempted and secured from a corporeal death, but die as other men; though sometimes indeed they are remarkably preserved from death, and even in a time of general calamity; but a spiritual death is meant, which, while in a state of nature, they are under; but, being quickened at conversion, they live spiritually, and are preserved from dying any more in this sense; and also from an eternal death, which shall never harm them, nor have any power over them;
and to keep them alive in famine; not corporeal, though the Lord does give meat to them that fear him, and sometimes in a miraculous way provides for them; as by sending ravens to feed them, and by increasing the cruse of oil; see Isa 41:17; but spiritual, a famine of hearing the word of the Lord; the Lord prepares a place for his church and people in the wilderness, where they are privately nourished with the word and ordinances, and their souls kept alive, Re 12:6.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Again, when it is affirmed, that God, in times of famine and dearth, has remedies in readiness to preserve the lives of the godly, we are taught that the faithful only pay due honor to his providence when they allow not their hearts to despond in the extremest indigence; but, on the contrary, raise their hopes even from the grave. God often suffers his servants to be hungry for a time that he may afterwards satiate them, and he overspreads them with the darkness of death that he may afterwards restore them to the light of life. Yea, we only begin to place our trust firmly in him when death comes to present itself before our eyes; for, until we have known by experience the vanity of the aids of the world, our affections continue entangled in them, and wedded to them. The Psalmist characterises believers by two marks, which comprehend the whole perfection of our life. The first is, that we reverently serve the Lord; and the second, that we depend upon his grace. Hypocrites may loudly boast of their faith, but they have never tasted even a little of the divine goodness, so as to be induced to look to him for what they need. On the contrary, when the faithful give themselves with their whole heart to the service and fear of God, this affection springs from faith; or rather the principal part of right worship, which the faithful render to God, consists in this, that they depend upon his mercy.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
Psa 33:19. To keep them alive in famine This verse is plain enough, if the psalm refers, as was hinted at the beginning, to the case of the Israelites in the wilderness; but if to any particular victory of David’s, it seems to import that he and his people had been in great want of provisions, occasioned, perhaps, by that stratagem of the enemy’s conduct, which God is said above to have defeated; and that possibly might be one reason, why here, particularly, numbers were of no service.
REFLECTIONS.1st, They who know the happiness of praising God with joyful lips will be provoking others to the same blessed work.
1. The Psalmist calls upon the righteous to join him in the grateful song of praise. It is comely work, most justly due to God, most becoming a soul so deeply bound in gratitude and love. Renewed mercies call for new songs. Note; Praise is a noble part of worship, in which the heart, affected with the sense of God’s love, will be frequently engaged.
2. He suggests abundant matter for our praise. [1.] For God’s pure and perfect word, which, next to the gifts of his Son and Spirit, may be well reckoned our chief blessing, where the paths of truth and holiness are marked out, and the way to glory made plain before our faces. [2.] For his providential dispensations, which are righteousness and judgment; all God’s dealings with the sons of men, and, above all, his goodness, are seen throughout the earth; goodness to all, giving them life, and breath, and all things, and peculiar goodness to his believing people, who share the richer mercies of gospel grace. [3.] For the creation, rising at the word of Almighty power, and instantly starting into being at the command of God, by the word of the Lord, the Logos, his Son, the great agent, by whom all things were made, and by the breath of his mouth, the powerful operations of his holy Spirit. The heaven, the earth, the sea, and all that dwell therein, hence derive their original, and, by the same omnipotence preserved, continue steadfast and unchangeable; till, by a second mighty word, the heavens shall be wrapped together as a scroll, the earth dissolve, and all the elements melt with fervent heat. [4.] For his disappointing the devices of the wicked, however craftily laid or deeply hidden. [5.] For his designs of grace and love toward his faithful people. Note; These are not the subjects of praise to any one saint merely, but to every righteous man in every age.
3. He infers from all these views of God’s word, works, and providence, the universal obligation to reverence and fear Him who, having all the creatures in his hand, can quickly arm them for our ruin; and therefore highly is it our interest, as well as duty, to pay him our bounden service, and not provoke his indignation.
2nd, We have,
1. The blessedness of God’s believing people. Their God beholds all the sons of men; their thoughts are naked and open before him. Though some wickedly say, ‘God hath forsaken the earth,’ his eyes go to and fro in it, and none of the devices of the ungodly are unknown or unnoticed by him. He fashioneth their hearts: as the God of the spirits of all flesh, he must needs be acquainted with the work of his own hands; and he over-rules all the imaginations that they entertain, directing them all in such a way as to be subservient to the purposes of his own glory; and considereth all their works; the deeds of the wicked, to reserve them for judgment; and of the righteous to reward them. Nor can any creature act independently of him, either to save or to destroy: in which consideration, the people of God may take the greatest satisfaction. The greatest kings, with the most numerous hosts, avail nothing if God prosper them not: the strength of a giant is weakness if God be against him, as David had experienced: and all the horses prepared for battle cannot protect or save their riders if the Lord be not on their side: so that, while all creature-dependence must be renounced by us, all creature-opposition need not be feared, if the Lord be our God. And his eyes are upon them that fear him; whilst in general he regards and governs all the rest, with peculiar favour he looks upon his faithful children, whose trust is placed on his rich mercy in Christ; and whose fear is, lest they offend him. Against these, though kings and armies, and mighty men and horses of war, rise up, they cannot hurt or destroy them: God will deliver their soul from death, from temporal death, from spiritual death, from eternal death. In time of public calamity, when famine stalks through the land, they shall have bread to eat; and when the famine of the word prevails, and they are deprived of the ministry of the word and ordinances, they shall be fed with secret supplies of grace, and their souls shall live. Note; (1.) They are truly blessed and happy who are God’s people, whom he regards with love, and who regard him with confidence and reverential filial fear. (2.) Whatever thoughts are in a man’s heart,the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand. (3.) The thought of the universal power, influence, and operations of God, should ever engage our quiet and contented resignation of ourselves into his hands.
2. Having described the blessedness of the people of God, he directs them in their duty. Our soul waiteth for the Lord, in patient hope, expecting the fulfilment of his promises. He is our help and our shield, the strength on which we depend, and the protection under which we are safe. For our heart shall rejoice in him; as we are bound to do under the rich experience of his grace and love, and in hope of the glory which shall be revealed in us, because we have trusted in his holy name, which trust itself originates in his grace and the operations of his ever-blessed Spirit. Therefore, let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, as we are ever called to pray; for in this way we must expect those gracious supplies which he has promised; according as we hope in thee, renouncing every other hope, and expecting by faith and prayer to be made partakers of thy present mercy in every time of need, and of thy eternal mercy when all our requests shall be finally and fully accomplished.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Psa 33:19 To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.
Ver. 19. To deliver their soul ] Freedom from troubles he promiseth not; but deliverance in due time he assureth them; and support in the mean while, to keep them alive in famine.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
deliver = rescue.
their soul = them themselves. Hebrew. nephesh (App-13),
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
To deliver: Psa 91:3-7, Psa 91:10, Joh 10:28, Joh 10:30
to keep: Psa 37:3, Psa 37:19, Job 5:19-22, Pro 10:3, Isa 33:16, Mat 6:31-33
Reciprocal: Gen 7:1 – thee Gen 41:34 – and take Ezr 8:22 – The hand Est 6:4 – to speak Job 5:20 – famine Psa 41:2 – preserve Psa 66:12 – but thou Psa 132:15 – I will satisfy Pro 19:23 – fear Isa 58:11 – and satisfy Jer 37:21 – and that Eze 14:20 – by Mat 6:11 – General Heb 2:15 – deliver