Psalm 33:4

For the word of the LORD is right; and all his works are done in truth.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(4) Right.—The first inspiring cause of praise for a faithful Israelite is the righteousness of the God of the Covenant. But the pregnant expression, “word of Jehovah,” naturally leads him on from the thought of its truth to the thought of its power, and in Psalm 33:6-7 we have praise of the creative act of the Almighty.

Benson Commentary

Psalm 33:4-5. The word of the Lord is right — All God’s counsels and commands, whether contained in the Scriptures, or given forth in his providence, for the government of the world, are wise, and just, and good, without deceit or defect. All his works are done in truth — All his dispensations of providence agree with his word, and are no other than the accomplishment of his promises, or threatenings, or other declarations of his mind and will in his word; although sometimes, for a season, they may seem contrary to it. He loveth righteousness and judgment — That is, just judgment: or righteousness may relate to the sentence, and judgment to the execution of it. He not only doth justice to all men, but, which is more, he loves and delights in it. The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord — He not only doth no man wrong, but he is very kind and merciful to all men in the world, on whom he bestows many favours, and to whom he gives many invitations to his love and service.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

33:1-11 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, which to us is most surprising, the eternal counsel of God, nor can any thing prevent its coming to pass.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For the word of the Lord is right - The command; the law; the promise of God. Whatever he "says" is right; or, is true. It is worthy of universal belief; and should, therefore, be a reason for praise. The fact that God says a thing is the highest proof that it is true.

And all his works are done in truth - Or rather, "in faithfulness." That is, All that he does is executed faithfully. He does all that he promises, and all that he does is such as to claim universal confidence. Whatever he does is, from the very fact that He does it, worthy of the confidence of all his creatures. None, however they may be affected by what he does, have any reason to doubt that it is perfectly right. God is the only Being of whom we have any knowledge, concerning whom we can feel this certain assurance.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

4-9. Reasons for praise: first, God's truth, faithfulness, and mercy, generally; then, His creative power which all must honor.

The Treasury of David

4 For the word of the Lord is right; and all his works are done in truth.

5 He loveth righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.

Psalm 33:4

"For the word of the Lord is right." His ordinances both natural, moral, and spiritual, are right, and especially his incarnate Word, who is the Lord our righteousness. Whatever God has ordained must be good, and just, and excellent. There are no anomalies in God's universe, except what sin has made; his word of command made all things good. When we look at his word of promise, and remember its faithfulness, what reasons have we for joy and thankfulness! "And all his works are done in truth." His work is the outflow of his word, and it is true to it. He neither doth nor saith anything ill; in deed and speech he agrees with himself and the purest truth. There is no lie in God's word, and no sham in his works; in creation, providence, and revelation, unalloyed truth abounds. To act truth as well as to utter it is divine, let not children of God ever yield their principles in practice any more than in heart. What a God we serve! The more we know of him, the more our better natures approve his surpassing excellence; even his afflicting works are according to his truthful word.

"Why should I complain of want or distress,

Affliction or pain? he told me no less;

The heirs of salvation, I know from his word,

Through much tribulation must follow their Lord."

God writes with a pen that never blots, speaks with a tongue that never slips, acts with a hand which never fails. Bless his name.

Psalm 33:5

"He loveth righteousness and judgment." The theory and the practice of right he intensely loves. He doth not only approve the true and the just, but his inmost soul delights therein. The character of God is a sea, every drop of which should become a wellhead of praise for his people. The righteousness of Jesus is peculiarly dear to the Father, and for its sake he takes pleasure in those to whom it is imputed. Sin, on the other hand, is infinitely abhorrent to the Lord, and woe unto those who die in it; if he sees no righteousness in them, he will deal righteously with them, and judgment stern and final will be the result. "The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord." Come hither, astronomers, geologists, naturalists, botanists, chemists, miners, yea, all of you who study the works of God, for all your truthful stories confirm this declaration. From the midge in the sunbeam to leviathan in the ocean all creatures own the bounty of the Creator. Even the pathless desert blazes with some undiscovered mercy, and the caverns of ocean conceal the treasures of love. Earth might have been as full of terror as of grace, but instead thereof it teems and overflows with kindness. He who cannot see it, and yet lives in it as the fish lives in the water, deserves to die. If earth be full of mercy, what must heaven be where goodness concentrates its beams?

Matthew Poole's Commentary

All God’s counsels and commands, either contained in the Scriptures, or given forth in his providence, for the government of the world, are wise, and just, and good, without deceit or defect: and all his works of providence agree with his word, and are no other than the accomplishment of his promises or threatenings, or other declarations of his mind and will in his word, although sometimes for a season they may seem contrary to it.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

For the word of the Lord is right,.... The revealed word of God: the law of God is right; its precepts are holy, just, and good; its sanction or penalty is righteous; it is impartial unto all; it is just in condemning the wicked, and in acquitting believers on the account of Christ's perfect righteousness, by which it is magnified and made honourable: the Gospel part of the word is right; it publishes right and good things; it directs to the right way, to heaven and happiness; it makes men right when it works effectually in them; it engages them to walk in right ways; and its doctrines are right or plain to them that have a spiritual understanding given them; and all this is matter of joy and praise;

and all his works are done in truth; his works of creation are done in the truth of things, with the utmost exactness and accuracy, and are a wonderful display of his power, wisdom, and goodness: his works of providence are according to the counsel of his own will, and are done in the wisest and best manner; and his work of redemption is a proof of his veracity and faithfulness to his covenant oath and promise; and his work of grace upon the hearts of his people is truth in the inward parts; and which, as he has promised to carry on and finish, he is faithful and will do it; in short, his way of acting both towards the godly and ungodly agrees with his promises to the one and his threatenings to the other, and so is in truth; and the whole of this is a reason why the saints should praise the Lord.

Geneva Study Bible

For the {c} word of the LORD is right; and all his {d} works are done in truth.

(c) That is, counsel or command in governing the world.

(d) That is, the effect and execution.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

4, 5. The moral attributes of Jehovah. Jehovah’s word is upright: the same word as in Psalm 33:1; cp. Psalm 19:8; Psalm 25:8; Psalm 92:15; Hosea 14:9 : and all his work is in faithfulness: cp. Deuteronomy 32:4; Psalm 36:5; Psalm 92:2. Word and work need not be limited; they include all the expressions of the Will of Him Who is always consistent with Himself (James 1:17).

4–11. The grounds of praise.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 4. - The psalmist proceeds to give reasons why God is to be praised, and puts in the forefront this reason: For the word of the lord is right; i.e. the revealed will of God is exactly in accord with the eternal rule of right. We cannot imagine it otherwise, for God would contradict his own nature, if he ordained by a positive law anything contrary to that rule. But still we maybe thankful that there is no such contradiction - that "the Law is holy, just, and good" (Romans 7:12). And all his works are done in truth (comp. Psalm 111:7, 8, "The works of his hands are verity and judgment; all his commandments are sure. They stand fast for ever and ever, and are done in truth and equity"). All God's working (מעשׂה), all his dealings with his creatures have truth and equity and faithfulness for their basis. He can be thoroughly trusted. This is a second and very strong ground for thanksgiving. Psalm 33:4

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

Now beings the body of the song. The summons to praise God is supported (1) by a setting forth of His praiseworthiness

(Note: We have adopted the word "praiseworthiness" for the sake of conciseness of expression, in order to avoid an awkward periphrasis, in the sense of being worthy to be praised. - Tr.)

(a) as the God of revelation in the kingdom of Grace. His word is ישׂר, upright in intention, and, without becoming in any way whatever untrue to itself, straightway fulfilling itself. His every act is an act in אמוּנה, truth, which verifies the truth of His word, and one which accomplishes itself. On אהב, equivalent to אהב הוּא, vid., Psalm 7:10; Psalm 22:29. צדקה is righteousness as conduct; משׁפּט is right as a rule of judgment and a state or condition. חסד is an accusative, as in Psalm 119:64 : misericordia Domini plena est terra (the introit for Misercordias Sunday or the second Sunday after Easter).