Ps 33 with commentary

Ps 33 with commentary by Dr Noel Donnelly

Psalm 33 Commentary. (Peter and Paul).

I wonder if the writer of Psalm 33 had been out camping when this was composed. You can imagine a happy group of friends gathered round the camp fire, feeling good now that they had everything set up and they were now ready for a meal and a good sing-song together.

The writer imagines their camp surrounded by angels, (see verse 7), keeping everyone safe from all fears, surrounding each one with the caring presence of God. As they pass round the food from the camp fire they pray a kind of grace before meals as they sing, “O taste and see that the Lord is good!” The writers of our song must have had some fun as they composed this song because they decided that every line should begin with the successive letters of the alphabet. It’s called an “acrostic” psalm.

Strangely there is no direct address to God in this psalm. Instead we are given three reasons for offering a prayer of thanksgiving: first, God is watching over us (verse 15); then, God is “near to the broken-hearted” (verse 18); and thirdly God has answered us in the past by delivering us from many fearful experiences (verse 4). The writers realise that they deserve absolutely nothing: they are the lowly ones who are to “bless the Lord at all times”, very much like Mary later on in her hymn of praise, the Magnificat. As verse 3 puts it, “O magnify the Lord with me, let us exalt God’s name forever!”

At our weekend liturgy, our psalm links back to the dramatic reading from Acts about the freeing of Peter by an angel from Herod’s prison. It reaches forward to Peter in turn doing significant freeing himself: when commissioned by Jesus as the Rock on which the church is to be, Peter is given the keys to bind or loosen. These joyful readings are so appropriate as we celebrate the solemnity of the feast of Peter and Paul.

Psalm 33 is indeed a great camp-fire song on our journey through the liturgical year, especially when we gather for sacramental food around God’s altar!