Psalm 33 17

Psalm 33:17 kjv

An horse is a vain thing for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength.

Psalm 33:17 nkjv

A horse is a vain hope for safety; Neither shall it deliver any by its great strength.

Psalm 33:17 niv

A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save.

Psalm 33:17 esv

The war horse is a false hope for salvation, and by its great might it cannot rescue.

Psalm 33:17 nlt

Don't count on your warhorse to give you victory ?
for all its strength, it cannot save you.

Psalm 33 verses

Psalm 33 17 Meaning

Psalm 33:17 conveys the truth that military might, symbolized by a horse, offers only a false and ineffective hope for deliverance. Despite its impressive power and capability in warfare, the horse inherently lacks the true ability to grant salvation or rescue. This verse asserts the vanity and unreliability of human strength and resources when seeking ultimate security or liberation, subtly pointing to the exclusive ability of God to deliver.

Psalm 33 17 Context

Psalm 33 is a hymn of praise to Yahweh, celebrating His creative power, providential rule, and covenant faithfulness. It moves from a general call to praise (v. 1-3) to a declaration of God's character (v. 4-5) and His powerful word in creation (v. 6-9). The psalm then transitions to highlight God's sovereignty over nations and their plans, contrasting His enduring counsel with human schemes (v. 10-11). It then shifts to affirm the blessedness of the nation whose God is the LORD (v. 12), underscoring God's omnipresent knowledge of humanity (v. 13-15). Verse 17 directly follows verse 16, which states that kings are not saved by large armies and warriors are not delivered by their great strength. Thus, Psalm 33:17 amplifies the point of the preceding verse by using a specific, potent example of ancient military power: the warhorse. Historically, horses were the primary instrument of military might, representing national security and offensive capability in the ancient Near East, as seen in Egypt and other empires. The verse functions as a polemic, asserting that Israel's true hope and defense lie solely in God, directly contradicting the worldly temptation to place trust in military superiority or physical prowess, a common practice among surrounding nations and a recurring temptation for Israel itself.

Psalm 33 17 Word analysis

• A horse (סוּס - sus):

  • Meaning: Literally, a male horse. In the ancient world, horses were not primarily for transport or agriculture but for warfare. War-horses pulled chariots and were integral to military might and national defense.
  • Significance: It serves as a potent symbol of human-made power, military technology, and worldly strength, representing all human endeavors, strategies, and resources designed for security or victory apart from God.

• is a vain hope (שֶׁקֶר לִתְשׁוּעָה - sheqer litshu'ah):

  • שֶׁקֶר (sheqer): Falsehood, deception, lie, vanity, emptiness. It denotes something that lacks substance, is unreliable, or fails to fulfill its promise.
  • לִתְשׁוּעָה (litshu'ah): For deliverance, salvation, or help. It implies being saved from danger, distress, or enemies.
  • Significance: This phrase vividly declares that any reliance placed on human or material strength for ultimate deliverance is founded on a lie or an illusion. It is empty, deceptive, and will ultimately prove ineffective, regardless of how strong it appears.

• despite all its great strength (וּבְרֹב חֵילוֹ - uv'rov cheilo):

  • וּבְרֹב (uv'rov): And in greatness, abundance, or multitude of.
  • חֵילוֹ (cheilo): Its strength, might, vigor, or army/wealth. The root suggests a fort, a rampart, or military force, thus encompassing physical prowess and military capability.
  • Significance: This acknowledges the observable and undeniable power of the war-horse or military force. The psalmist is not denying the horse's physical strength or tactical value in battle but is emphasizing that even its greatest strength is utterly insufficient for true, ultimate salvation or security when God is not the source. It counters the pragmatic argument for human reliance.

• it cannot save (לֹא יְמַלֵּט - lo yemallet):

  • לֹא (lo): Not. A strong negative.
  • יְמַלֵּט (yemallet): He/it will deliver, escape, rescue, or save oneself. This verb suggests liberation from danger, peril, or death.
  • Significance: This is the definitive pronouncement of the verse. It declares the absolute inability of any worldly power, no matter how formidable, to achieve ultimate deliverance or salvation. True saving power resides exclusively elsewhere, pointing by contrast to God. It highlights the boundary and limitation of human capabilities.

• Words-group analysis:

  • "A horse is a vain hope for deliverance": This phrase sets up the primary claim, establishing that external, human-centered means of security are fundamentally flawed. The hope placed in such things is deceptive, as they cannot achieve what is genuinely needed.
  • "despite all its great strength, it cannot save": This second part qualifies the first, confirming that the futility is not due to weakness but inherent incapacity for spiritual or ultimate deliverance. It asserts a limit to physical might and challenges human assumptions about true security. This forms a crucial cause-and-effect relationship, highlighting the paradox of apparent strength yielding no ultimate salvation.

Psalm 33 17 Bonus section

The "horse" in ancient Israel's context was not merely a military asset but often carried strong symbolic ties to Egypt (e.g., Exod 14, 1 Kgs 10:28), implying a reliance on a foreign superpower rather than Yahweh. Thus, "a horse is a vain hope" could also implicitly warn against forming alliances or copying the military structures of powerful pagan nations, thereby highlighting a key theological and political temptation of the era. This verse echoes a pervasive theme in prophetic literature, especially in Isaiah and Hosea, warning against turning to human powers or foreign entities for help instead of seeking the Lord. The Septuagint (Greek translation) renders שֶׁקֶר (sheqer) as "false" or "lying" and "hope" in one phrase, emphasizing the deceptive nature of the reliance. This highlights that trusting in earthly power is not merely insufficient but inherently misleading, promising what it can never deliver.

Psalm 33 17 Commentary

Psalm 33:17 succinctly encapsulates a foundational biblical truth: human ingenuity and might, represented by the warhorse, are ultimately ineffective in securing true deliverance or salvation. The horse, the apex of ancient military technology, symbolizes the most formidable worldly power and resources. Yet, the psalmist declares it a "vain hope" – a sheqer, a deception or falsehood – for saving. This isn't a critique of the horse's physical strength but a profound theological statement that even maximum human strength falls infinitely short of providing ultimate security from life's gravest threats, such as war, famine, or death, which only God can avert or deliver through. The verse stands as a strong polemic against the idolatry of national strength, military alliances, or self-reliance, which were pervasive temptations for ancient Israel and remain so today. It directly contrasts with the prior verse that no king is saved by his army, and immediately precedes the next verses affirming that the LORD's eyes are upon those who fear Him, to deliver them. The point is absolute: real salvation, lasting security, and true help come exclusively from the sovereign Creator and Sustainer of the universe, Yahweh, not from any created thing, however mighty it may seem. It challenges believers to align their trust not with the visible, tangible, and apparently powerful, but with the invisible, faithful, and omnipotent God.