Psalm 33:10 kjv
The LORD bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: he maketh the devices of the people of none effect.
Psalm 33:10 nkjv
The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect.
Psalm 33:10 niv
The LORD foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.
Psalm 33:10 esv
The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; he frustrates the plans of the peoples.
Psalm 33:10 nlt
The LORD frustrates the plans of the nations
and thwarts all their schemes.
Psalm 33 10 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference Note |
|---|---|---|
| Job 5:12 | He frustrates the devices of the crafty, so that their hands... | God thwarts human schemes |
| Ps 2:1 | Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? | Nations futilely rage against God |
| Ps 20:7 | Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name... | Futility of relying on human strength |
| Ps 33:11 | The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of His heart... | God's counsel endures |
| Ps 115:3 | Our God is in the heavens; He does all that He pleases. | God's sovereign will is always done |
| Ps 146:5-6 | Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the... | Trust in God, not in princes |
| Prov 16:9 | The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps. | God directs human steps despite planning |
| Prov 19:21 | Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose... | God's purpose prevails over human plans |
| Isa 8:9-10 | Plot together, but it will come to nothing; speak a word, but it... | Nations' plans will be thwarted |
| Isa 14:24-27 | The Lord of hosts has sworn: “As I have planned, so shall it be..." | God's specific plans for nations prevail |
| Isa 43:13 | ...when I act, who can reverse it? | No one can overturn God's actions |
| Isa 44:25 | who frustrates the signs of liars and makes fools of diviners... | God brings human schemes to nothing |
| Isa 46:9-10 | ...My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all My purpose... | God's counsel and purpose are ultimate |
| Lam 3:37 | Who is he who speaks and it comes to pass, unless the Lord has... | Nothing happens without God's command |
| Dan 2:44 | And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a... | God's kingdom overcomes earthly kingdoms |
| Acts 4:27-28 | for truly in this city there were gathered together against Your... | Human rulers' plans align with God's purpose |
| Rom 9:16 | So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God... | Salvation not by human will but God's mercy |
| Eph 1:11 | In Him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined... | God works all according to His purpose |
| Heb 2:8 | ...“You put everything in subjection under his feet.” Now in putting... | God's ultimate authority over all things |
| Jam 4:13-15 | Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such..." | Futility of planning without God's will |
| 1 Cor 1:19-20 | For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the... | God destroys the wisdom of the world |
| Zech 4:6 | Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of hosts. | Divine power supersedes human might |
Psalm 33 verses
Psalm 33 10 Meaning
Psalm 33:10 proclaims the absolute sovereignty of God over all earthly powers and human endeavors. It asserts that while nations and peoples may devise plans and purposes, the Lord Yahweh, by His divine will and power, can render them null and void. This verse highlights the futility of human rebellion against God's ultimate plan and underscores His unmatched control over world affairs, ensuring that only His intentions will prevail.
Psalm 33 10 Context
Psalm 33 is a song of praise emphasizing God's universal dominion and sovereign acts. It moves from extolling God as Creator and Sustainer of the cosmos (vv. 6-9) to proclaiming His supreme authority over human history and geopolitical affairs (vv. 10-12). Verse 10 stands as a crucial statement of divine control, directly contrasting God's unassailable will with the limited, often futile, schemes of human rulers and nations. The preceding verses establish God's powerful word and deeds in creation, providing the foundation for understanding His ability to thwart any human plans. It is set against the backdrop of ancient Near Eastern powers, where empires rose and fell, and leaders constantly sought to extend their influence through conquest and strategy. The psalm asserts that the true power behind historical events is not human strength or cleverness but the omnipotent God of Israel.
Psalm 33 10 Word analysis
- The Lord (יהוה - YHWH): Refers to the personal, covenantal name of God, indicating His self-existent, eternal, and all-powerful nature. This emphasis highlights that it is the one true God, Israel's God, who exercises ultimate authority, not any pagan deity or human king.
- frustrates (הֵפִיר - hephir, Piel perfect of פָּרַר - parar): To break, make void, annul, nullify. It implies rendering something ineffective, dissolving its force, or bringing it to nothing. The active verb signifies God's deliberate intervention to cause plans to fail.
- the plans (עֲצַת - 'atsath, from עֵצָה - 'etsah): Counsel, advice, purpose, plan. These are the carefully thought-out strategies and intentions formulated by the nations.
- of the nations (גּוֹיִם - goyim): Gentile nations, often carrying a connotation of those distinct from or even opposed to Israel and God's chosen people. It implies political and military powers outside of God's direct covenant.
- He thwarts (יָנִיא - yaniya', Hiphil imperfect of נוּא - nu'): To cause to fail, annul, bring to nothing, or hinder. This term reinforces the previous verb, emphasizing God's capacity to stop purposes from being carried out, highlighting His decisive action against them.
- the purposes (מַחְשְׁבוֹת - machshevot, from מַחֲשָׁבָה - machashavah): Thoughts, designs, schemes, intentions. This word encompasses a broader range of human intellectual and strategic efforts.
- of the peoples (עַמִּים - 'ammim, from עַם - 'am): Peoples, tribes, human communities. While similar to "nations," it can sometimes have a broader or more inclusive sense, but in this parallelism, it serves to reinforce the scope of God's dominion over all human communities, whether political entities or broader populations.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- The Lord frustrates the plans of the nations: This phrase immediately establishes God's absolute executive power. The "plans of the nations" represent human attempts to assert control, expand influence, or defy divine will. God's act of "frustrating" shows His ability to render even the most formidable human strategies useless. This is a direct challenge to any idea that human strength or intelligence can operate independently of God's overarching authority.
- He thwarts the purposes of the peoples: This parallel phrase reinforces the previous statement. "Thwarts" emphasizes actively blocking or bringing to naught, and "purposes" includes the deepest intentions and long-term designs of all humanity. The parallelism is a literary device to underscore the comprehensive nature of God's control – no plan, whether a specific strategic action ("plans") or an underlying intention ("purposes"), escapes His scrutiny and ultimate power to overturn. The dual expression stresses that God's sovereignty is complete, not limited to certain types of nations or specific types of plans.
Psalm 33 10 Bonus section
The strong parallelism in this verse ("frustrates...plans of the nations" / "thwarts...purposes of the peoples") emphasizes the comprehensiveness of God's control. It’s not just some plans or some nations, but all their machinations. This contrasts sharply with ancient and modern pagan fatalism, which suggests an impersonal force or chaotic array of deities; here, a personal, omnipotent God actively intervenes in world affairs. It also functions as an antithesis to human pride and self-sufficiency, suggesting that human wisdom, political cunning, or military power cannot withstand the divine will. The language echoes divine judgment, reminding that God not only prevents but actively dismantles intentions that run contrary to His righteous character and established purpose.
Psalm 33 10 Commentary
Psalm 33:10 powerfully asserts the absolute sovereignty of the God of Israel over all human endeavors and national ambitions. It highlights a fundamental theological truth: God's ultimate plan will always prevail, irrespective of the counsel, strategies, or might of earthly rulers and nations. This verse serves as a crucial reminder that the trajectory of history is not determined by human design but by divine decree. Any schemes concocted by nations that oppose God's will, or even those undertaken in ignorance but diverging from His ultimate purposes, are ultimately vain and doomed to failure. This truth offers comfort to believers, assuring them that amidst political turmoil or global uncertainty, a supreme Power is in control, orchestrating events according to His unchangeable divine counsel, as further stated in Psalm 33:11. For believers, this truth encourages trust in God's providence and dissuades from reliance on human might or worldly solutions without divine consideration.