John Calvin Commentary Psalms 33:18

"Behold, the eye of Jehovah is upon them that fear him, Upon them that hope in his lovingkindness;" — Psalms 33:18 (ASV)

Behold, the eye of Jehovah is upon them that fear him. Having shown that what people consider their best defenses often do not profit them at all, or rather are utterly worthless, when people depend on them, the Psalmist now shows, on the other hand, that believers, although they are neither people of great power nor of great wealth, are nevertheless sufficiently protected by God’s favor alone and will be safe forever.

His meaning is considerably illustrated by this comparison: that kings and giants derive no aid from their invincible strength, while God supports the life of the saints in famine and scarcity, as truly as if He were to restore them to life when dead. We consequently understand better why the prophet lays low all the strength of the world; not, certainly, that people should lie prostrate or be so heartbroken as to pine away in despair, but rather that, laying aside their pride, they should fix their thoughts on God alone and persuade themselves that their life depends on His protection.

Moreover, in saying that the eye of God is focused on those who fear Him to save them, he expresses more than if he had said that His hand and power were sufficient to preserve them. A doubt might creep into the minds of the weak about whether God would extend this protection to every individual. But when the Psalmist introduces Him as keeping watch, so to speak, over the safety of the faithful, there is no reason why any one of them should tremble or hesitate a moment longer, since it is certain that God is present with them to assist them, provided they remain quietly under His providence.

From this, it also appears still more clearly how truly he had said a little before, that the people are blessed whose God is Jehovah. This is because, without Him, all the strength and riches we may possess will be vain, deceitful, and perishing; whereas, with a single look, He can defend His people, supply their wants, feed them in a time of famine, and preserve them alive when they are appointed to death.

The whole human race, no doubt, is maintained by the providence of God. But we know that His fatherly care is specially vouchsafed to none but His own children, so that they may feel that their needs are truly regarded by Him.

Again, when it is affirmed that God, in times of famine and scarcity, has remedies ready to preserve the lives of the godly, we are taught that the faithful only pay due honor to His providence when they do not allow their hearts to despond in extreme destitution but, on the contrary, raise their hopes even from the grave.

God often allows His servants to be hungry for a time so that He may afterwards satiate them, and He overspreads them with the darkness of death so that He may afterwards restore them to the light of life. Indeed, we only begin to place our trust firmly in Him when death presents itself before our eyes; for, until we have known by experience the vanity of the world's aids, our affections remain entangled in them and wedded to them.

The Psalmist characterizes believers by two marks, which encompass the whole perfection of our life:

1. That we reverently serve the Lord.
2. That we depend upon His grace.

Hypocrites may loudly boast of their faith, but they have never tasted even a little of the divine goodness, so as to be induced to look to Him for what they need. On the contrary, when the faithful give themselves with their whole heart to the service and fear of God, this affection springs from faith; or rather, the principal part of right worship, which the faithful render to God, consists in this: that they depend upon His mercy.