English · ASV

Psalms 19

Listen to this chapter
0:00 0:00

God's Glory Revealed in Creation 1–6

1
The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament showeth his handiwork. ​
2
Day unto day uttereth speech, And night unto night showeth knowledge. ​
3
There is no speech nor language; Their voice is not heard. ​
4
Their line is gone out through all the earth, And their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, ​
5
Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, And rejoiceth as a strong man to run his course. ​
6
His going forth is from the end of the heavens, And his circuit unto the ends of it; And there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.

The Law of the Lord is Perfect 7–11

7
The law of Jehovah is perfect, restoring the soul: The testimony of Jehovah is sure, making wise the simple. ​
8
The precepts of Jehovah are right, rejoicing the heart: The commandment of Jehovah is pure, enlightening the eyes.
9
The fear of Jehovah is clean, enduring for ever: The ordinances of Jehovah are true, and righteous altogether. ​
10
More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the droppings of the honeycomb.
11
Moreover by them is thy servant warned: In keeping them there is great reward. ​

Prayer for Purity and Acceptance 12–14

12
Who can discern his errors? Clear thou me from hidden faults. ​
13
Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me: Then shall I be upright, And I shall be clear from great transgression. ​
14
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in thy sight, O Jehovah, my rock, and my redeemer. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Psalms 19

Verse 1

The heavens declare the glory of God — 'Declare' is saphar, to count or recount, as a scribe tells a tally. 'Handywork' is literally the 'work of his hands' (ma'aseh yadav). Paul draws on this witness: 'the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen' (Rom 1:20). Only El, 'God', is named in vv.1–6; 'the LORD' begins at v.7.

Verse 2

Day unto day uttereth speech — 'Uttereth' is naba, to gush forth like a spring, the verb of 'They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness' (Ps 145:7). Each day and each night passes the speech to the next, an order the LORD promised should 'not cease' (Gen 8:22). 'Sheweth' (chavah) is to declare.

Verse 3

There is no speech nor language — 'Speech' is the omer of v.2, and 'language' is dabar, words. The KJV reads the sentence as universal: no tongue exists in which the voice of the heavens is not heard. Deut 4:19 points the same way, calling the sun, moon and stars what the LORD 'hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven'.

Verse 4

Their line is gone out — Qav is a measuring cord (Job 38:5, 'who hath stretched the line upon it?'), the line that marks out a territory. Paul quotes the verse for the preaching of the gospel: 'their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world' (Rom 10:18). 'Tabernacle' is ohel, a tent: the sun has one pitched among the heavens.

Verse 5

a bridegroom coming out of his chamber — 'Chamber' is chuppah, the bridal room, as in Joel 2:16, 'let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber'. 'Rejoiceth' is the verb of Isa 62:5, where the bridegroom rejoices over the bride. 'Race' is orach, a path, as in Prov 4:18, 'the path of the just is as the shining light'.

Verse 7

The law of the LORD is perfect — Torah, instruction. Six names for the Word run through vv.7–9: law, testimony, statutes, commandment, fear and judgments. 'Perfect' is tamim, whole. 'Converting the soul' is the shub and nephesh of Ps 23:3, 'He restoreth my soul'. 'The simple' (pethi) are taught by it: 'it giveth understanding unto the simple' (Ps 119:130).

Verse 9

The fear of the LORD is clean — Tahor, the word used of the 'clean' beasts Noah offered (Gen 8:20). It is the fifth name in the list, and elsewhere is 'the beginning of wisdom' (Ps 111:10). 'Altogether' is yachdav, together: the judgments are righteous as a whole.

Verse 11

in keeping of them there is great reward — 'Warned' is zahar, to shine or give light by caution, the verb of a watchman's warning (Ezek 3:17). 'Reward' is eqev, literally 'heel', what follows at the heel, the result; it is the word of 'because thou hast obeyed my voice' (Gen 22:18). 'Thy servant' is David himself, as again in v.13.

Verse 12

secret faults — 'Secret' is from sathar, to hide, the verb of the LORD hiding his face in Isa 8:17. 'Errors' (shegi'ah) occurs only here and means a moral mistake. 'Cleanse' is naqah, the verb of 'innocent' in v.13. The plea answers Ps 90:8: 'our secret sins in the light of thy countenance'.

Verse 13

presumptuous sins — Zedim, the proud, whom the LORD rebukes in Ps 119:21. Num 15:27–31 sets sins through ignorance, for which atonement is made, against the soul that acts 'presumptuously' and so 'reproacheth the LORD'. 'Upright' (tamam) shares its root with 'perfect' in v.7: the servant asks to be made whole, as the law is whole.

Verse 14

the meditation of my heart — Higgayon, a murmuring, a noun of the verb hagah, 'meditate' (Ps 1:2). 'Acceptable' is ratson, the word for an offering taken in favour, as in Lev 1:3, 'of his own voluntary will'. 'Strength' is tsur, a rock (Ps 18:2), and 'redeemer' is go'el, the near kinsman who buys back what was sold (Lev 25:25).