Wisdom & Poetry · Old Testament
Psalms 19
Psalm 19: the heavens declare, the law converts, and secret faults are confessed
General context
The psalm says the heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows his handiwork; day utters speech to day and night shows knowledge to night. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard, and their line has gone out through all the earth. In the heavens God has set a tabernacle for the sun, which comes out like a bridegroom from his chamber and rejoices like a strong man running a race, going from one end of heaven to the other so that nothing is hidden from its heat. The psalm then turns to the law of the Lord, perfect and converting the soul; the testimony, sure and making wise the simple; the statutes, right and rejoicing the heart; the commandment, pure and enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord, clean and enduring for ever; the judgments, true and righteous altogether. They are more desired than fine gold and sweeter than honey; by them God's servant is warned and in keeping them there is great reward. The speaker asks who can understand his errors, prays to be cleansed from secret faults and kept from presumptuous sins so they do not have dominion, and so be innocent of the great transgression. He closes by asking that the words of his mouth and the meditation of his heart be acceptable to the Lord, his strength and redeemer.
Cited passages: Psalms 19:1, Psalms 19:2, Psalms 19:3, Psalms 19:4, Psalms 19:5, Psalms 19:6, Psalms 19:7, Psalms 19:8, Psalms 19:9, Psalms 19:10, Psalms 19:11, Psalms 19:12, Psalms 19:13, Psalms 19:14
Psalms 19 (KJV)
1The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.
2Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.
3There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.
4Their 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,
5Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race.
6His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.
7The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
8The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
9The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
10More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
11Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.
12Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults.
13Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.
14Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.
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Historical context
The text as printed carries no heading, so no author or instrument is stated in this source. The first six verses speak of God in the third person as "God"; from verse 7 the name "the Lord" is used six times in three verses, and from verse 11 the speaker addresses God directly as "thy servant". The psalm does not explain how the heavens "declare" while having "no speech nor language"; it states both. "The law", "testimony", "statutes", "commandment", "fear" and "judgments" are named as six terms without citing any particular command. "The great transgression" of verse 13 is not identified. Verse 4 is quoted in Romans 10:18, "their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world", with "sound" where the psalm has "line", applied there to the preaching of the gospel. The speaker calls himself "thy servant" twice but gives no name. There is no Selah.
Cited passages: Psalms 19:1, Psalms 19:11, Psalms 19:3, Psalms 19:13, Romans 10:18, Psalms 19:4
Literary context
The psalm has three movements. Verses 1-6 are about the sky, with speech, voice, words and line as its way of telling, and the sun personified twice, as a bridegroom and as a strong man; its circuit reaches everything and nothing is hid from its heat. Verses 7-10 are about the law in six matched lines, each naming a term, an adjective and an effect (perfect, converting; sure, making wise; right, rejoicing; pure, enlightening; clean, enduring; true and righteous), and then two comparisons, gold and honey. Verses 11-14 turn inward to the servant, and the sun's exposing heat is answered by "secret faults" that need cleansing. Hiddenness runs through it: nothing hidden from the sun, errors no one can understand, secret faults, presumptuous sins. The poem ends with a prayer about its own words and meditation, and the last title, "my redeemer", is the most personal name in a poem that began with the whole sky.
Cited passages: Psalms 19:2, Psalms 19:5, Psalms 19:6, Psalms 19:7, Psalms 19:10, Psalms 19:12, Psalms 19:14
Key moments
- The heavens declare (Psalms 19:1). The heavens declare God's glory and the firmament shows his handiwork.
- Voice without language (Psalms 19:3). There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.
- The sun as bridegroom (Psalms 19:5). The sun comes out like a bridegroom and runs its course like a strong man.
- The perfect law (Psalms 19:7). The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.
- Sweeter than honey (Psalms 19:10). The Lord's judgments are more desired than gold and sweeter than honey.
- Secret faults (Psalms 19:12). The speaker asks to be cleansed from faults he cannot understand.
- Acceptable words (Psalms 19:14). He asks that his words and meditation be acceptable to his redeemer.
For reflection
After praising a law that rejoices the heart and enlightens the eyes, the speaker asks who can understand his own errors; what does the poem suggest the law shows a person that the sky does not?
