Psalms 33:16
in Psalms 33No king is saved by his vast army; no warrior is delivered by his great strength.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
There is no king saved by the multitude of a host: A mighty man is not delivered by great strength.
KJV
There is no king saved by the multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength.
⋯
This verse in Psalms 33
Commentary
11 notes on this verseThere is no king saved by the multitude of an host,.... He may be at the head of a numerous army, and yet not get the victory over a lesser one, nor escape safe, but be taken by it: there have been such instances; and if he is saved, or gets the victory, it is not owing to the multitude with him, but to the Lord, that gives salvation to kings, Psa 144:
This site's exposition
No king is saved
on Psalms 33:16-17
The psalm turns to what kings actually trust, the size of an army and the strength of a warrior. The horse was the chief weapon of that world, and Deuteronomy 17:16 already told a king of Israel to acquire no more of them. Neither army nor horse can save.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
"A king shall not be saved by much strength:" he shall not be saved who rules his own flesh, if he presume much upon his own strength. "Neither shall a giant be saved by much strength" [Psalm 33:16]: nor shall he be saved whoever wars against the habit of his own lust, or against the devil and his angels, if he trust much to his own might.
The king is not saved through much strength. In vain we care for the strength of the body, and we rashly judge our power from the ones near us, friends and money: for nothing except help sent from heaven is able to save us. Take …
All things that are at once human, when compared with the true power, are weakness and infirmity.
The Medieval Church1 voice
"The king is not saved." Above, the Psalmist showed the dignity of the saints from the certainty of divine judgment, by which he intends to prove the dignity of the saints. Now in this part he shows the vanity of human prosperity. And concerning this …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Neither the firmness and activity of his body nor the stoutness and resolution of his mind will stand him in any stead, any further than God is pleased to give him success. Let not the strong man then glory in his strength, but let us all strengthen ourselves in the Lord our God, go forth, and go on, in his strength. (4.) The strength of a horse is nothing without God (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
4 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century4 voices
There is no king saved by the multitude of an host. Mortal power is a fiction, and those who trust in it are dupes. Serried ranks of armed men have failed to maintain an empire, or even to save their monarch's life when a decree from the court of heaven has gone forth for the empire's overthrow. The all seeing God preserves the poorest of his people when they are alone and friendless, but ten thousand armed men cannot ensure safety to him whom God leaves to destruction. A mighty man is not delivered by much strength.
There is no king saved by the multitude of an host. Mortal power is a fiction, and those who trust in it are dupes. Serried ranks of armed men have failed to maintain an empire, or even to save their monarch's life when a decree from the court of heaven has gone forth for the empire's overthrow. The all seeing God preserves the poorest of his people when they are alone and friendless, but ten thousand armed men cannot ensure safety to him whom God leaves to destruction. A mighty man is not delivered by much strength. So far from guarding others, the valiant veteran is not able to deliver himself. When his time comes to die, neither the force of his arms nor the speed of his legs can save him. The weakest believer dwells safely under the shadow of Jehovah's throne, while the most mighty sinner is in peril every hour. Why do we talk so much of our armies and our heroes? the Lord alone has strength, and let him alone have praise.
There is no king saved by the multitude of a host - Even in the midst of the most powerful and numerous army, no king is in safety unless he have God’s protection. A king is but a man, and may as easily lose his life as one of his common soldiers. A mighty man is not delivered by much strength - There are times in which his might can be of no avail to him: and unless the mighty, the wise, the honorable, etc., have the protection of God, there is no time in which their might may not be turned into weakness, their wisdom into folly, and their dignity into disgrace.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
There is no king saved by the multitude of an host - By the number of his armies. His safety, however numerous and mighty may be his forces, is in God alone. He is the great Protector, whatever means men may use to defend themselves. The most numerous and the best organized armies cannot secure a victory. It is, after all, wholly in the hands of God. A wasting sickness in a camp may defeat all the plans of war; or success in battle may depend on contingencies which no commander could anticipate or provide against. A mutiny in a camp, or a panic on the battlefield, may disconcert the best-laid schemes; or forces may come against an army that were unexpected; or storm and tempest may disarrange and frustrate the entire plan of the campaign. See Ecc 9:11. A mighty man - A strong man; a giant - as Goliath of Gath. “Strength” is not the only thing necessary to secure a victory. Is not delivered by much strength - By the mere fact that he is strong. Other things are needed to ensure success; and God has power so to arrange events that mere strength shall be of no avail.
The words behind it
10 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| אֵֽין־ | ʾein- | not | H369 → | 789 times |
| הַ֭מֶּלֶךְ | hamelekh | <the> king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| נוֹשָׁ֣ע | nosha' | [is] saved | H3467 → | 206 times |
| בְּרָב־ | berov- | by greatness of | H7230 → | 149 times |
| חָ֑יִל | chayil | army | H2428 → | 246 times |
| גִּ֝בּ֗וֹר | gibor | a warrior | H1368 → | 158 times |
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יִנָּצֵ֥ל | yinatzel | he is delivered | H5337 → | 212 times |
| בְּרָב־ | berov- | by greatness of | H7230 → | 149 times |
| כֹּֽחַ׃ | koach | strength | H3581 → | 126 times |
אֵֽין־not
ʾein-H369 →789 times
הַ֭מֶּלֶךְ<the> king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
נוֹשָׁ֣ע[is] saved
nosha'H3467 →206 times
בְּרָב־by greatness of
berov-H7230 →149 times
חָ֑יִלarmy
chayilH2428 →246 times
גִּ֝בּ֗וֹרa warrior
giborH1368 →158 times
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
יִנָּצֵ֥לhe is delivered
yinatzelH5337 →212 times
בְּרָב־by greatness of
berov-H7230 →149 times
כֹּֽחַ׃strength
koachH3581 →126 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Jeremiah 9:23This is what the LORD says: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, nor the strong man in his strength, nor the wealthy man in his riches.
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 1:27–29
But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Isaiah 5:21
Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight.
- Ecclesiastes 9:11
I saw something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong; neither is the bread to the wise, nor the wealth to the intelligent, nor…
- Romans 1:22
Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools,
- 1 Corinthians 3:18–20
Let no one deceive himself. If any of you thinks he is wise in this age, he should become a fool, so that he may become wise.
- 1 Corinthians 1:27–29
Through
Judges 7:2Then the LORD said to Gideon, “You have too many people for Me to deliver Midian into their hands, lest Israel glorify themselves over Me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’
it leads to
- 2 Corinthians 4:7
Now we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this surpassingly great power is from God and not from us.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Deuteronomy 8:17
You might say in your heart, “The power and strength of my hands have made this wealth for me.”
- 2 Corinthians 4:7
Through
Psalms 44:3For it was not by their sword that they took the land; their arm did not bring them victory. It was by Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your face, because…
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 7:7–8
The LORD did not set His affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than the other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples.
- Deuteronomy 7:7–8
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Psalms
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, Exposition on Psalm 33; Basil of Caesarea, HOMILIES ON THE PSALMS 15:9 (PS 33); Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Vol. 2; Hesychius of Jerusalem, LARGE COMMENTARY ON PSALMS 33:16; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Exposition on the Psalms of David.