John Calvin Commentary Psalms 33:8

"Let all the earth fear Jehovah: Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him." — Psalms 33:8 (ASV)

Let all the earth fear Jehovah. The Psalmist concludes that there is just reason why the whole world should reverently submit itself to the government of God, who gave it existence and who also preserves it. To fear Jehovah, and to stand in awe of Him, simply means to honor and reverence His mighty power.

It is a mark of great insensitivity not to bow before God’s presence, from whom we have our existence, and upon whom our condition depends. The prophet alludes to both these aspects, affirming that the world appeared as soon as God spoke, and that it is sustained in existence by His commandment. For it would not have been enough for the world to have been created in a moment if it had not also been sustained in existence by the power of God.

He did not employ a great array of means in creating the world. Instead, to demonstrate the inconceivable power of His word, He commanded that as soon as He, so to speak, pronounced the word, it would be done. The word command, therefore, confirms what I previously said: that His speech was nothing other than a nod or a wish, and that to speak implies the same thing as to command. It is important, however, to understand that in this nod or command, the eternal wisdom of God displayed itself.