TRV
Study This Verse
Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Psalms 19:1–6. His three-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
From the things that are seen every day by all the world the psalmist, in these verses, leads us to the consideration of the invisible things of God, whose being appears incontestably evident and whose glory shines transcendently bright in the visible heavens, the structure and beauty of them, and the order and influence of the heavenly bodies. This instance of the divine power serves not only to show the folly of atheists, who see there is a heaven and yet say, "There is no God," who see the effect and yet say, "There is no cause," but to show the folly of idolaters also, and the vanity of their imagination, who, though the heavens declare the glory of God, yet gave that glory to the lights of heaven which those very lights directed them to give to God only, the Father of lights. Now observe here,
1.What that is which the creatures notify to us. They are in many ways useful and serviceable to us, but in nothing so much as in this, that they declare the glory of God, by showing his handy-works, Psa 19:1. They plainly speak themselves to be God's handy-works; for they could not exist from eternity; all succession and motion must have had a beginning; they could not make themselves, that is a contradiction; they could not be produced by a casual hit of atoms, that is an absurdity, fit rather to be bantered than reasoned with: therefore they must have a Creator, who can be no other than an eternal mind, infinitely wise, powerful, and good. Thus it appears they are God's works, the works of his fingers (Psa 8:3), and therefore they declare his glory. From the excellency of the work we may easily infer the infinite perfection of its great author. From the brightness of the heavens we may collect that the Creator is light; their vastness of extent bespeaks his immensity;, their height his transcendency and sovereignty, their influence upon this earth his dominion, and providence, and universal beneficence: and all declare his almighty power, by which they were at first made, and continue to this day according to the ordinances that were then settled.
II.What are some of those things which notify this?
1.The heavens and the firmament - the vast expanse of air and ether, and the spheres of the planets and fixed stars. Man has this advantage above the beasts, in the structure of his body, that whereas they are made to look downwards, as their spirits must go, he is made erect, to look upwards, because upwards his spirit must shortly go and his thoughts should now rise.
2.The constant and regular succession of day and night (Psa 19:2): Day unto day, and night unto night, speak the glory of that God who first divided between the light and the darkness, and has, from the beginning to this day, preserved that established order without variation, according to God's covenant with Noah (Gen 8:22), that, while the earth remains, day and night shall not cease, to which covenant of providence the covenant of grace is compared for its stability, Jer 33:20; Jer 31:35. The counterchanging of day and night, in so exact a method, is a great instance of the power of God, and calls us to observe that, as in the kingdom of nature, so in that of providence, he forms the light and creates the darkness (Isa 45:7), and sets the one over-against the other. It is likewise an instance of his goodness to man; for he makes the out-goings of the morning and evening to rejoice, Psa 65:8. He not only glorifies himself, but gratifies us, by this constant revolution; for as the light of the morning befriends the business of the day, so the shadows of the evening befriend the repose of the night; every day and every night speak the goodness of God, and, when they have finished their testimony, leave it to the next day, to the next night, to stay the same.
3.The light and influence of the sun do, in a special manner, declare the glory of God; for of all the heavenly bodies that is the most conspicuous in itself and most useful to this lower world, which would be all dungeon, and all desert, without it. It is not an improbable conjecture that David penned this psalm when he had the rising sun in view, and from the brightness of it took occasion to declare the glory of God. Concerning the sun observe here,
(1.)The place appointed him. In the heavens God has set a tabernacle for the sun. The heavenly bodies are called hosts of heaven, and therefore are fitly said to dwell in tents, as soldiers in their encampments. The sun is said to have a tabernacle set him, no only because he is in continual motion and never has a fixed residence, but because the mansion he has will, at the end of time, be taken down like a tent, when the heavens shall be rolled together like a scroll and the sun shall be turned to darkness.
(2.)The course assigned him. That glorious creature was not made to be idle, but his going forth (at least as it appears to our eye) is from one point of the heavens, and his circuit thence to the opposite point, and thence (to complete his diurnal revolution) to the same point again; and this with such steadiness and constancy that we can certainly foretel the hour and the minute at which the sun will rise at such a place, any day to come.
(3.)The brightness wherein he appears. He is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, richly dressed and adorned, as fine as hands can make him, looking pleasantly himself and making all about him pleasant; for the friend of the bridegroom rejoices greatly to hear the bridegroom's voice, Joh 3:29.
(4.)The cheerfulness wherewith he makes this tour. Though it seems a vast round which he has to walk, and he has not a moment's rest, yet in obedience to the law of this creation, and for the service of man, he not only does it, but does it with a great deal of pleasure and rejoices as a strong man to run a race. With such satisfaction did Christ, the Sun of righteousness, finish the work that was given him to do.
(5.)His universal influence on this earth: There is nothing hidden from the heart thereof, no, not metals in the bowels of the earth, which the sun has an influence upon.
III.To whom this declaration is made of the glory of God.
It is made to all parts of the world (Psa 19:3, Psa 19:4): There is no speech nor language (no nation, for the nations were divided after their tongues, Gen 10:31, Gen 10:32) where their voice is not heard. Their line has gone through all the earth (the equinoctial line, suppose) and with it their words to the end of the world, proclaiming the eternal power of God of nature, Psa 19:4. The apostle uses this as a reason why the Jews should not be angry with him and others for preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, because God had already made himself known to the Gentile world by the works of creation, and left not himself without witness among them (Rom 10:18), so that they were without excuse if they were idolaters, Rom 1:20, Rom 1:21. And those were without blame, who, by preaching the gospel to them, endeavoured to turn them from their idolatry. If God used these means to prevent their apostasy, and they proved ineffectual, the apostles did well to use other means to recover them from it. They have no speech or language (so some read it) and yet their voice is heard. All people may hear these natural immortal preachers speak to them in their own tongue the wonderful works of God.
In singing these verses we must give God the glory of all the comfort and benefit we have by the lights of the heaven, still looking above and beyond them to the Sun of righteousness.
Historical interpretation
Two Centuries of Reception
6 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
By heavenly power and co-operation, like a sun ray, the saving Word quickly illumined the whole earth. Straightway, in accordance with the divine Scripture, the voice of its inspired Evangelists and apostles “went forth to the whole earth and their words to the end of the world.” And then in all the cities and villages, churches were quickly established, filled with multitudes of people, like a teeming threshing floor, and all those souls, bound through hereditary succession and original error by the ancient disease of idolatrous superstition, on being set free as it were from terrible masters and finding release from most difficult bondage by the power of Christ through both the teaching of his disciples and their wonderful works, rejected all demoniacal polytheism and confessed that there was one God alone, the Creator of all things, and this One they honored with the rites of true piety through inspired and rational worship that was implanted by our Savior in the life of people.
Christ fills his world with copious lights, since “his going out is from the end of heaven, and his circuit even to the end of it, and there is no one who can hide himself from his heat.” Benignly he gives light to all, wishing not to repel the foolish but to correct them and desiring not to exclude the hard of heart from the church but to soften them. Hence … Christ in the Gospel invites them, saying, “Come to me, all you who labor, and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke on you, and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart.”
“And there is not one who may hide himself from his heat.” Really there is none who does not have the seeds of the knowledge of God.
Someone lights a lamp.… That lamp, as far as regards the little flame that shines there, that fire has light in itself.… When the lamp was not there, your eyes were inactive and saw nothing. Now they, too, have light, but not in themselves. Accordingly, if your eyes turn away from the lamp, they are darkened. If they turn toward it, they are enlightened. But that fire, as long as it exists, emits light; if you wish to take the light away from the fire, you extinguish it also at the same time; for without light it cannot remain in existence. But the light, Christ, is inextinguishable and co-eternal to the Father, always glowing, always shining, always burning; for if he did not burn, would it be said in the psalm, “There is no one who can hide from his heat”?
"His going forth is from the highest heaven" [Psalm 19:6]. From the Father is His going forth, not that in time, but from everlasting, whereby He was born of the Father. "And His meeting is even to the height of heaven." And in the fullness of the Godhead He meets even to an equality with the Father. "And there is none that may hide himself from His heat." But whereas, "the Word was even made flesh, and dwelt in us," [John 1:14] assuming our mortality, He permitted no man to excuse himself from the shadow of death; for the heat of the Word penetrated even it.
As often as water is contracted by excessive cold, if the heat of the sun comes on it, it becomes melted; when the same sun departs, the water again becomes hard. Similarly the charity of many people freezes because of the excessive coldness of their sins, and they become as hard as ice; however, when the warmth of divine mercy comes on them again, they are melted. Surely that is the heat of which it is written, “Nothing escapes its heat.”
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Summary
Psalms 19:6 powerfully concludes the psalmist's profound meditation on God's general revelation through the cosmos, specifically highlighting the sun as a magnificent and tireless testament to divine glory and pervasive influence. This verse vividly portrays the sun's universal journey across the heavens and the inescapable reach of its warmth and light, serving as a profound metaphor for the Creator's omnipresent nature and His all-encompassing knowledge, from which nothing can be concealed.
Context
Literary Context
Psalms 19:6 serves as the climactic conclusion to the first major section of Psalm 19 (verses 1-6), which extols God's general revelation through the natural world. The preceding verses establish the heavens as silent yet eloquent proclaimers of God's glory and handiwork, communicating divine truth without spoken words. The psalmist declares that the heavens declare the glory of God, and their message goes out through all the earth. Verse 5 introduces the sun as a central figure in this cosmic display, likening it to a joyous bridegroom emerging from his chamber or a mighty hero eager to run his course. Verse 6 then expands on this imagery, emphasizing the sun's boundless journey "from the end of the heaven" to its "circuit unto the ends of it," underscoring its exhaustive reach and the universal impact of its "heat." This section beautifully sets the stage for the psalm's second part (verses 7-14), which shifts focus to God's special revelation through His perfect and life-giving law, demonstrating a seamless transition from the grandeur of creation to the perfection of divine instruction.
Historical & Cultural Context
In the ancient Near East, celestial bodies, particularly the sun, were frequently deified and worshipped as powerful gods (e.g., Ra in Egypt, Shamash in Mesopotamia). Against this pervasive polytheistic backdrop, Psalm 19 offers a radical theological corrective. It presents the sun not as a deity to be worshipped, but as a created entity, a magnificent servant of the one true God, meticulously fulfilling its Creator's command. The imagery of a "bridegroom" and "strong man" (verse 5) draws from common cultural archetypes of strength, beauty, and vitality, applying them to the sun's daily emergence and tireless journey. The understanding of the sun's "going forth" and "circuit" reflects the geocentric worldview prevalent at the time, where the sun was observed to travel across the sky from horizon to horizon. This is a poetic description of its apparent daily path rather than a scientific statement about its astronomical motion. The pervasive "heat" was crucial for life, agriculture, and daily existence in an agrarian society, making its universal presence a powerful and relatable symbol.
Key Themes
This verse powerfully contributes to several key themes within the psalm and broader biblical theology. Firstly, it highlights Universal Revelation, asserting that God's power, glory, and existence are broadcast to all humanity through the consistent and magnificent operations of creation, making His existence undeniable. As Paul later articulates, God's invisible attributes are clearly perceived through what has been made. Secondly, the phrase "there is nothing hid from the heat thereof" serves as a profound metaphor for Divine Omnipresence and Omniscience. Just as no part of the earth can escape the sun's warmth and light, so too nothing is concealed from God's all-seeing eye and all-knowing mind. This concept resonates with the biblical truth that all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we must deal. Finally, the sheer scale, consistency, and tireless operation of the sun, from its "going forth" to its "circuit," powerfully reflect the immense Power, Order, and Faithfulness of its divine Creator, demonstrating His meticulous design and unwavering sovereignty over all things, a theme echoed in passages like Job 38.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This term refers to a place of emergence or a point of origin, specifically used here for the sunrise or the place where the sun "comes out." It emphasizes the sun's beginning its daily journey from a specific, distant point, underscoring the vastness of its intended path and its reliable, consistent appearance.
This word denotes a revolution, a circuit, or the completion of a cycle. It conveys the idea of the sun's comprehensive and regular journey across the entire expanse of the heavens, returning to its starting point. It speaks to the sun's reliability, its exhaustive path, and the cyclical nature of its movement, signifying completeness and divine order.
This word directly means "heat" and, by implication, refers to the sun itself. In this verse, it signifies the sun's intense, pervasive, and inescapable warmth or light. It emphasizes the penetrating and all-encompassing nature of the sun's influence, leaving no place untouched by its radiant power, serving as a powerful metaphor for divine omnipresence.
Verse Breakdown
"His going forth [is] from the end of the heaven"
This clause describes the sun's majestic emergence, its starting point appearing to be at the furthest edge of the visible sky. It conveys the idea of a grand, cosmic journey initiated from a distant, unseen origin, emphasizing the vastness of the celestial dome it traverses and the divine orchestration of its daily appearance.
"and his circuit unto the ends of it"
This builds upon the first clause, detailing the sun's complete and exhaustive path. The "circuit" implies a full revolution, indicating that the sun's journey covers the entire expanse of the heavens, reaching every conceivable boundary or "end." This highlights the sun's pervasive and universal reach, demonstrating the thoroughness of its divinely appointed task.
"and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof"
This final clause draws a powerful conclusion from the sun's universal journey. Its pervasive "heat" (representing its light and warmth) leaves no part of the earth untouched or concealed. This is the central metaphorical statement, signifying that just as no earthly place can escape the sun's influence, so too nothing is hidden from the all-seeing, all-knowing presence of God, the Creator of the sun. It speaks to God's omniscience and omnipresence, leaving no aspect of creation or human life outside His perfect awareness.
Literary Devices
The psalmist employs several potent literary devices in Psalms 19:6 to magnify God's glory through creation. Personification is evident as the sun, an inanimate object, is imbued with the actions of a living being—it has a "going forth" and a "circuit," and its "heat" is so pervasive that "nothing is hid" from it, extending the imagery of the sun as a "bridegroom" and "strong man" from the preceding verse. The entire verse functions as a powerful Metaphor, where the sun's universal reach and inescapable influence serve as a tangible representation of God's omnipresence and omniscience. The sun's light and warmth, which penetrate every corner, symbolize God's truth and knowledge, which leave no aspect of creation or human existence unobserved. Furthermore, the phrase "nothing hid from the heat thereof" can be seen as a form of Hyperbole, an exaggeration used to emphasize the absolute and total pervasiveness of the sun's (and by extension, God's) influence. Finally, the structure of the first two clauses, "His going forth [is] from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it," demonstrates Synonymous Parallelism, where the second line reiterates and expands upon the idea of the first, reinforcing the concept of the sun's complete and far-reaching journey.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Psalms 19:6 profoundly articulates the concept of God's general revelation, asserting that the Creator's attributes are undeniably manifest in the created order. The sun, in its majestic and tireless journey, serves as a perpetual, universal witness to God's glory, power, and meticulous design. This verse underscores God's absolute sovereignty, demonstrating that even the most powerful celestial body is merely a servant, faithfully executing its divinely ordained role. The inescapable "heat" of the sun becomes a powerful theological statement about God's omnipresence and omniscience; just as no corner of the earth can escape the sun's light and warmth, so too no aspect of human life, thought, or deed can escape the all-seeing gaze of the Almighty. This truth simultaneously offers comfort in God's pervasive care and conviction in His perfect knowledge of all things, calling humanity to acknowledge and worship the Creator rather than the creation.
Reflection and Application
Psalms 19:6 invites us to pause and truly perceive the divine hand at work in the everyday miracle of the sun. It challenges us to move beyond mere observation to profound contemplation, recognizing that the sun's consistent and all-encompassing journey is a constant, silent sermon about God's character. For the believer, this verse provides immense comfort, reminding us that no matter how hidden our struggles, how silent our prayers, or how deep our pain, we are never outside the purview of God's watchful eye and His pervasive care. Just as the sun's heat reaches every corner, God's knowledge and love extend to every aspect of our lives. Conversely, this verse serves as a powerful reminder of accountability. "Nothing hid from the heat thereof" implies that our secret thoughts, hidden motives, and private actions are fully known to God. This truth should inspire us to live lives of integrity, transparency, and holy reverence, knowing that we walk in the light of His perfect knowledge and pervasive glory. It calls us to worship the Creator of the sun, not the created sun itself, and to live in awe of His boundless power and unwavering presence.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Does this verse imply a geocentric view of the universe?
While the language "His going forth [is] from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it" describes the sun's apparent motion from an earthly observer's perspective, it does not necessarily imply a scientifically geocentric cosmology. Biblical poetry often uses phenomenological language, describing things as they appear to the human eye, rather than offering scientific treatises. The psalmist's intent is theological, not astronomical; he is using the observable, universal journey of the sun to illustrate the pervasive glory and inescapable knowledge of God, not to provide a scientific model of the solar system. The enduring truth is about God's omnipresence, regardless of the Earth's position relative to the sun. The Bible consistently speaks of God's creative power and the order He established, as seen in passages like Genesis 1 and Job 38.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
While Psalms 19:6 speaks of God's general revelation through the sun, the ultimate and most profound fulfillment of this pervasive light and inescapable influence is found in Jesus Christ. He is not merely a created light but the true Light, which enlightens everyone who comes into the world. Just as the sun's "going forth" is from the "end of the heaven" and its "circuit" reaches "unto the ends of it," so Christ, the radiance of God's glory and the exact imprint of His nature, came forth from the Father to accomplish His redemptive "circuit" on earth, from His incarnation to His ascension. He is the Light of the World, whose truth and grace penetrate every dark corner of human existence, leaving "nothing hid" from His transformative power and saving knowledge. Through Him, the invisible God is made visible (Colossians 1:15), and His pervasive "heat" is manifest in the warmth of His love, the purifying fire of His Spirit, and the inescapable truth of His gospel, which calls all people to Himself (Matthew 11:28). In Christ, God's revelation is not just general but personal, redemptive, and eternally illuminating, revealing the Father fully (John 14:9).