Psalms 146:3
Psalms 146:33Put not your trust in princes, in mortal man, who cannot save.
receives general devotional treatment in JW publications: trust in Jehovah, not in human authorities or political leaders. The verse fits the JW posture of political neutrality and the broader Watchtower critique of Christendom's entanglement with secular powers. The verse is rarely turned inward to test trust placed in the Governing Body.
Hold up against the Berean test of . The Bereans were praised for verifying apostolic teaching against Scripture; they did not put unconditional trust in Paul's words. Pair with ("cursed is the man who trusts in mankind") and (Scripture makes the man of God "fully competent, completely equipped"). The Watchtower's claim that Witnesses cannot understand the Bible without Governing Body interpretation is the very kind of "trust in princes" Psalm 146 warns against. The shift from "trust in Jehovah" to "trust in Jehovah's organisation" is small in language but enormous in practice — and it places between the believer and the Father exactly the human mediation forbids.