Psalm 89:33-34
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God's promise here isn't just about not abandoning, but actively refusing to make void His steadfast love or lie about His faithfulness. This highlights an unyielding commitment, even when circumstances seem to contradict it, emphasizing God's active resolve to uphold His word, not merely a passive absence of withdrawal.
but I will not remove from him my steadfast love or be false to my faithfulness. I will not violate my covenant or alter the word that went forth from my lips.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This psalm is wrestling with a profound crisis. God had promised David an everlasting dynasty, an unbreakable covenant (2 Samuel 7). Yet, the current king and nation are suffering terribly, seemingly as if God has abandoned them. The psalmist is appealing to God, reminding Him of His powerful promises and contrasting them with the current dire reality, desperately seeking God's faithfulness despite the apparent collapse.
We often think of love as a feeling that comes and goes. But God’s love is different. It’s a deep commitment, a foundation for everything else.
The Hebrew word translated here as 'steadfast love' (often seen as 'lovingkindness' in older translations) is not merely an emotion. It signifies a powerful, committed, and enduring love that acts. It’s a loyalty that binds and endures, especially seen in covenant relationships.
When God speaks of His 'steadfast love' and 'faithfulness,' He's talking about the unbreakable bond He established, particularly with David and his lineage, which ultimately points to Christ. This love isn't dependent on David's perfect obedience but on God's own character and promises.
What happens when the covenant partner messes up? This verse reveals God’s unwavering response, even when His people falter.
Psalm 89, particularly this section, acknowledges the reality of sin and its consequences. The context (implied by commentators like Calvin and Poole) is that David's descendants would indeed fail, forsaking God's law and statutes.
Yet, God’s promise here is not, 'I will be faithful if you are.' It’s, 'I will not suffer my faithfulness to fail.' This means that even when humanity fails—even when kings and people sin grievously—God's commitment to His covenant remains. He will discipline, yes, but He will not abandon. This faithfulness is rooted in His oath and His unchanging character, guaranteeing the ultimate fulfillment of His promises through the lineage of David, in Christ.
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Understand the original words
chesed · Hebrew Noun
A unique biblical term denoting God's covenantal loyalty, steadfastness, mercy, and lovingkindness that He maintains toward His people despite their failures.
emunah · Hebrew Noun
Reliability, trustworthiness, and firmness; it describes God's character as being perfectly true to His word and promises, never changing or failing.
beriyth · Hebrew Noun
A solemn, binding agreement or formal relationship between God and humanity, characterized by mutual obligations, divine promises, and covenantal seals.
The fall of Jerusalem and the end of the Davidic monarchy, described in Psalm 89, severely tested faith in God's promises. This verse, however, reasserts God's unwavering faithfulness despite human failure and covenantal consequences.
c. 1010 BC
God's Covenant with David
God makes an unconditional covenant with King David, promising that his dynasty and kingdom will endure forever. This is recorded in 2 Samuel 7.
c. 931 BC
Division of the Kingdom
After Solomon's death, the united kingdom of Israel splits into the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah, weakening the Davidic monarchy.
c. 722 BC
Fall of the Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquers the Northern Kingdom of Israel, exiling its people and leaving only the Southern Kingdom of Judah with the Davidic king.
c. 586 BC— this verse
Fall of Jerusalem and Temple
The Babylonian Empire conquers Judah, destroys Jerusalem and the Temple, and exiles most of the remaining population, ending the Davidic monarchy's reign.
c. 539 BC
Cyrus the Great's Edict
The Persian Empire, under Cyrus the Great, conquers Babylon. His edict allows exiled peoples, including the Judeans, to return to their homeland.
c. 516 BC
Rebuilding of the Temple
Under Persian rule, the Jewish exiles return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Second Temple, but the Davidic monarchy is not restored.
This passage is the original promise made to David that God reiterates here, assuring him that His covenant love and faithfulness will endure despite the disobedience of David's descendants.
Romans 8:38-39This New Testament passage echoes the unshakeable nature of God's love, proclaiming that nothing can separate believers from the love of God in Christ Jesus, mirroring the psalmist's assurance of God's steadfast love.
Jeremiah 31:31-34This prophecy describes a new covenant where God's law will be written on hearts, and He will forgive their iniquity and remember their sin no more, reflecting the enduring faithfulness and mercy promised to David's line.
Hebrews 10:23This verse encourages believers to hold fast to their confession of faith because God is faithful to His promises, directly supporting the psalmist's declaration that God's faithfulness will not fail.
pulpitPsalms 89:33: "Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail."
Verse 33. - Nevertheless my loving kindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail. Compare the original promise (2 Samuel 7:15); and see also 1 Kings 11:12, 13, 34-39; 1 Kings 15:4, 5, etc. The seed of David was not allowed to fail, but was continued on, until, in the fulness of time, there was born into the world, of David's seed and in David's cit…
gillPsalms 89:33: "Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail."
Nevertheless, my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him,.... Or "make it void" (k), not from Christ, who always was, and ever will be, the dear Son of his love, even while he was obeying, suffering, and dying; nor from all those that are in him, loved and chosen in him, from everyone of his spiritual seed, who are all dear sons, and pleasant children; and the love of God…
God's promise here isn't just about not abandoning, but actively refusing to make void His steadfast love or lie about His faithfulness. This highlights an unyielding commitment, even when circumstances seem to contradict it, emphasizing God's active resolve to uphold His word, not merely a passive absence of withdrawal.
This psalm is wrestling with a profound crisis. God had promised David an everlasting dynasty, an unbreakable covenant (2 Samuel 7). Yet, the current king and nation are suffering terribly, seemingly as if God has abandoned them. The psalmist is appealing to God, reminding Him of His powerful promises and contrasting them with the current dire reality, desperately seeking God's faithfulness despite the apparent collapse.
This psalm is wrestling with a profound crisis. God had promised David an everlasting dynasty, an unbreakable covenant (2 Samuel 7). Yet, the current king and nation are suffering terribly, seemingly as if God has abandoned them. The psalmist is appealing to God, reminding Him of His powerful promises and contrasting them with the current dire reality, desperately seeking God's faithfulness despite the apparent collapse.
"but I will not remove from him my steadfast love or be false to my faithfulness. I will not violate my covenant or alter the word that went forth from my lips." — God's promise here isn't just about not abandoning, but actively refusing to make void His steadfast love or lie about His faithfulness. This highlights an unyielding commitment, even when circ…
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Last reviewed October 2026
