Albert Barnes Commentary Psalms 89:33

"But my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, Nor suffer my faithfulness to fail." — Psalms 89:33 (ASV)

Nevertheless my loving-kindness—My mercy; my favor. I will not utterly cast him off. He will not be in the condition of those who are my enemies, or who are entirely forsaken.

Will I not utterly take from him—The margin says, “I will not make void from.” The Hebrew word—פרר pârar—means to break, to break in pieces; then, to violate, as a covenant; then, to make vain, to bring to nothing, to frustrate; then, to annul, to abolish. The idea here is that of making entirely vain, wholly removing from, or taking completely away. The meaning is that He would not wholly take away His favor; He would not entirely abandon him; He would not allow him to become wholly apostate; He would not leave him to ruin. The covenant once made would be accomplished; the promise given would be carried out.

Nor suffer my faithfulness—My faithfulness as pledged in the covenant or promise—To fail. The margin says, “lie.” I will not prove false, or deal falsely in the pledge which I have made. It will not appear at last that I have made a promise which has not been kept. This passage contains a very important principle regarding the dealings of God with His people. The principle is that if people are converted, if they in fact become His people—He will never allow them wholly to fall away and perish. They may be allowed to backslide; they may fall into sin, but they will not be allowed to go so far as to apostatize wholly.

They will be brought back again. Whatever method may be necessary for this will be adopted. Commands, warnings, entreaties, and remonstrances; their own experience, the admonitions of others, and the influences of the Holy Spirit; judgments, calamities, sickness, loss of property, bereavement, disappointment, and disgrace—any of these, or all of these, may be used to bring them back; but they will be brought back. God, in mercy and in love, will so visit them with sorrow and trouble that they will be recovered, and that their spirit shall be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.