This psalm has no title prefixed to it, and it is not possible to determine with certainty who was the author, or on what occasion it was written. There is nothing in the psalm that has any special allusion to David, nor is there reference to any circumstances which would enable us to determine when it was composed. It has, indeed, no particular allusion to the Jewish religion, or to the prevailing mode of worship in that land, and is, in fact, so “general” in its sentiments and in its descriptions, that it might have been written at any period of the Jewish history, or even in any land. As it is found “among” the Psalms of David, and is between psalms which are both ascribed to David, we may presume that it was believed to have been composed by him; and there is nothing in it that is at variance with that belief. It is really but a carrying out of the sentiment with which the preceding psalm closes; and it has been conjectured that the intimate relation of the two psalms may have been the reason why the title to the latter of them was omitted.
The psalm properly consists of three parts:
I. an exhortation to praise God;
II. reasons why he should be praised; and
III. the expression of a purpose thus to praise Him.
I. An exhortation to praise God, Psalms 33:1-3. In this there is a call on the righteous to praise Him with songs and with musical instruments - the harp, the psaltery, the instrument of ten strings; a call to make use of the best powers of music in all its varied forms in His service.
II. Reasons for thus praising Him, Psalms 33:4-19.
(1) His general character for goodness and truth, Psalms 33:4-5.
(2) The fact that He made the universe; or, the wisdom and power displayed by Him in creation, Psalms 33:6-9.
(3) The stability of His counsel or purposes, Psalms 33:10-11.
(4) The blessings which He bestows upon those who acknowledge Him to be their God - blessings of care, protection, and deliverance in danger, Psalms 33:12-19.
III. The purpose of the writer, and of those who were associated with him, thus to praise God, Psalms 33:20-22.
The psalm is thus one that is appropriate to the people of all lands and times, and will be better appreciated in proportion as people become more and more acquainted with God in the wisdom, the power, and the skill which He has shown in the works of creation, and in His providential government of the world.