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PSALM 19

STROPHE DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

READING CYCLE THREE (see "Bible Interpretation Seminar")

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT PARAGRAPH LEVEL

This is a study guide commentary which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

Read the chapter in one sitting. Identify the subjects (reading cycle #3). Compare your subject divisions with the five translations above. Paragraphing is not inspired, but it is the key to following the original author's intent, which is the heart of interpretation. Every paragraph has one and only one subject.

CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS

1. This Psalm is about how humans know YHWH. They cannot discover Him. He must reveal Himself and He has in several ways.
   1. natural revelation (i.e. creation, providence, cf. Ps. 19:1-6; Rom. 1-2)
   2. special revelation (i.e. Scripture)
   3. a family member (i.e. "a son," cf. Heb. 1-3; who is the ultimate revelation of YHWH, cf. John 14, esp. vv. 6-10)
      SPECIAL TOPIC: INSPIRATION
      SPECIAL TOPIC: WAYS OF REVELATION
      
      
2. YHWH's revelation must be personally received and implemented (i.e. conditional covenant)! It is not primarily a creed or a body of knowledge, but a personal faith relationship with the Creator.
   SPECIAL TOPIC: KNOW
   SPECIAL TOPIC: Seek the Lord
   SPECIAL TOPIC: COVENANT
   
   
3. This Psalm has been a great blessing to my life in several ways.
   1. Was the mercy of the God of creation available before Abraham?
      1. godly line of Seth, Gen. 4:26
      2. Noah and his family, Gen. 6:8-22
      3. Melchizedek, Gen. 14:17-24
      4. Job, an Edomite wiseman, Job
   2. Was the mercy of God available outside the covenant of Moses? (see my note at John 14:6)
      1. Jethro, Exod. 2:16-21; 18:10-12,17-23
      2. Naaman, 2 Kings 5
      3. Nineveh, Jonah
   3. it shows the trustworthiness and preciousness of Scripture (i.e. Ps. 19:7-10; see SPECIAL TOPIC: THE BIBLE (its uniqueness and inspiration))
   4. it gives a hope and peace amidst the daily struggle in a fallen world (i.e. Ps. 19:11-14; 1 John 1)
   5. The prayer of verse 14 is one I pray often!
   
   
4. Brief Outline
   1. General revelation ‒ YHWH reveals Himself in nature Ps. 19:1-6 (cf. Rom. 1:19-20; also note Rom. 2:14-15)
   2. Special revelation ‒ YHWH reveals Himself by what He does (i.e. salvation history, cf. parallel of line 2), which is recorded in the Bible
   3. Supremely in His Son, Ps. 19:7-11 (cf. John 1:1-14; 14:6,9; 2 Cor. 5:17-21; Heb. 1:1-3)
   4. A needed personal response, here, a prayer of surrender and daily availability ‒ Ps. 19:12-14
   
   
5. For a brief discussion about the MT superscriptions, see Introduction to the Psalms, IV, Authorship.

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: PSALM 19:1-6
 ¹The heavens are telling of the glory of God;
 And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.
 ²Day to day pours forth speech,
 And night to night reveals knowledge.
 ³There is no speech, nor are there words;
 Their voice is not heard.
 ⁴Their line has gone out through all the earth,
 And their utterances to the end of the world.
 In them He has placed a tent for the sun,
 ⁵Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber;
 It rejoices as a strong man to run his course.
 ⁶Its rising is from one end of the heavens,
 And its circuit to the other end of them;
 And there is nothing hidden from its heat.

19:1 "The heavens are telling of the glory of God" This is known in theology as "natural revelation." Romans 1:19-20 expresses the same truth that everyone can know something about the Creator from the physical creation (i.e. Isa. 6:3). Also notice Rom. 2:14-15 which asserts an inner moral witness in all humans.

Notice the number of words that relate to human oral communication in vv., 1-6.

1. telling, v. 1a (BDB 707, KB 765, Piel PARTICIPLE)
2. declaring, v. 1b (BDB 616, KB 665, Hiphil PARTICIPLE)
3. pours forth speech, v. 2a (BDB 615, KB 665, Hiphil IMPERFECT)
4. reveals, v. 2b (BDB 296 III, KB 295, Piel IMPERFECT)
5. no speech is heard, v. 3a (BDB 1033, KB 1570, negated Niphall PARTICIPLE)
6. nor words heard, v. 3a (same VERB as #5)
7. voice, v. 3b (BDB 876)
8. line (voice) goes out, v. 4a (BDB 422, KB 425, Qal PERFECT)
9. utterance (words), v. 4b (BDB 576)

Nature is speaking loudly, if only fallen mankind had eyes to see and ears to hear! YHWH wants us to understand His revelation!!

▣ "heavens" Note Ps. 8:1; 50:6 and how they relate to the theology of Rom. 1:19-20.

SPECIAL TOPIC: HEAVENS

▣ "glory" The Hebrew term is difficult to define. See BDB 458, #2, C, (2).

SPECIAL TOPIC: GLORY (OT)

The term (BDB 956, KB 1290) is used in Gen. 1:6,7 (thrice),8,14,15,17. It denotes the Hebrew concept of the atmosphere as a solid dome or stretched skin (i.e. tent, cf. Ps. 104:2; Isa. 40:22). The windows of heaven must be opened to allow moisture to fall.

Notice that "heavens" in line 1 is parallel to "expanse" in line 2.

SPECIAL TOPIC: THE CIRCLE OF THE EARTH

▣ "the work of His hands" This phrase is asserting the personal involvement of YHWH in creation (cf. Isa. 48:13; 64:8). It specifically reflects His personal creation of Adam in Gen. 2:7 (i.e. "formed," not spoken into existence).

From the NT we know this was the work of the pre-incarnate Jesus (cf. John 1:3,10; 1 Cor. 8:6; Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:2). He was God the Father's agent in creation.

SPECIAL TOPIC: ANTHROPOMORPHIC LANGUAGE TO DESCRIBE GOD

19:2-3 "day to day" Notice the personification of both the "day" and "night", both created by God in Gen. 1. The point is that creation continuously, though silently (cf. Ps. 19:3), is giving a revelation/message about the Creator God (i.e. a good modern proponent of this concept is the "Intelligent Design" movement).

19:2 "pour forth" This VERB (BDB 615, KB 665, Hiphil IMPERFECT) has the basic meaning of a "bubbling spring" (cf. Prov. 18:4). It came to be used as imagery for speaking

1. positively – Ps. 19:2; 119:171; 145:7; Prov. 1:23
2. negatively – Ps. 59:7; 94:4; Prov. 15:28

▣ "night to night reveals knowledge" Mankind has always looked in awe and sometimes idolatry at the starry heavens (cf. Deut. 4:19; 17:3; 2 Kgs. 23:5; Job 31:26-28; Ps. 8:1,3; Jer. 44:17; Ezek. 8:16).

SPECIAL TOPIC: MOON WORSHIP

19:3 "There is no speech" This refers to nature's silent, but powerful, witness.

The MT has קום (BDB 876 II, KB 1081 from קו), which denotes a "boundary line" or "musical melody" (cf. NEB). The theological thrust is that YHWH controls and directs the path of the sun, which was a major deity of the ANE.

The UBS Text Project gives the MT an "A" rating. However, the LXX, Peshsitta, and Jerome (Vulgate) have קולם (BDB 876, KB 1083 from קול) which means "speech," "word," "cry," which seems to fit the context best (same root in Ps. 19:3, i.e. "voice"). The early church used (i.e. quoted from) the LXX.

▣ "through all the earth. . .to the ends of the world" These first two lines of Ps. 19:4 are synonymous parallelism. The theological thrust is the universal availability of God's revelation to all humans (cf. Isa. 42:10; 49:6; 62:11). All are responsible for their knowledge of God (Rom. 1:18-3:18).
SPECIAL TOPIC: AGE OF ACCOUNTABILITY
SPECIAL TOPIC: YHWH'S ETERNAL REDEMPTIVE PLAN

Natural revelation (i.e. through the physical creation and an inner moral witness) results in a spiritual responsibility on the part of all humans (cf. Rom. 1:18-3:18,23). Once a person is saved it then becomes a way of wonder, praise, and worship of the God of creation (cf. Psalm 8; 104).

19:4c-6 "the sun" This imagery using the sun is not a scientific description or mythological account but typical OT language using popular descriptive idioms for natural phenomenon. Notice the imagery.

1. the sun has a tent (i.e. resting place), Ps. 19:4c
2. the sun is a bridegroom, Ps. 19:5a
3. the sun runs a set course, Ps. 19:5b (i.e. described in Ps. 19:6)

As the sun lights all the earth, so too, the revelation of YHWH's character, power, beauty, and design is universal (cf. Ps. 19:4a,b). Every human knows something about God. The only other place that "natural revelation" is used theologically to denote human responsibility is Rom. 1:18-3:18,23.

Paul also specifically used this verse in Rom. 10:18 in a context that denotes that the gospel had been preached throughout the Roman world. The rabbis of Paul's day often put several quotes together to make a point. Paul was trained in this procedure. Romans 10:16-21 has five OT quotes.

The psalmist possibly picked the sun as a servant of YHWH to critique the sun worship of the ANE. This Psalm, like Genesis 1, shows YHWH as creator and controller of the heavenly bodies (i.e. sun, moon, stars, planets, comets, etc.). They are not gods or angels that control, or even affect, the lives of humans! (i.e. asrology)

SPECIAL TOPIC: RABBINICAL HERMENEUTICS

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: PSALM 19:7-14
 ⁷The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul;
 The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
 ⁸The precepts 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 forever;
 The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous.
  altogether.
 ¹⁰They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold;
 Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.
 ¹¹Moreover, by them Your servant is warned;
 In keeping them there is great reward.
 ¹²Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults.
 ¹³Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins;
 Let them not rule over me;
 Then I will be blameless,
 And I shall be acquitted of great transgression.
 ¹⁴Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
 Be acceptable in Your sight,
 O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.

19:7 "the Lord" This is the covenant name for God, YHWH. It is from the Hebrew VERB "to be," cf. Exod. 3:14. The rabbis say it refers to God in His special covenant relationship to Israel.

SPECIAL TOPIC: NAMES FOR DEITY, D.

SPECIAL TOPIC: COVENANT

19:7-9 "law. . .testimony. . .precepts. . .commandment. . .fear. . .judgments" These are synonyms for YHWH's written revelation.

SPECIAL TOPIC: TERMS FOR GOD'S REVELATION

▣ "perfect. . .sure. . .right. . .pure. . .clean. . .true" These are characteristics of God's written revelation. The Bible is the only clear, self-revelation of the one true God. This is a crucial faith assertion. It is normally called "inspiration" (see Special Topic: Inspiration below). If you are interested in my evidence for this faith presupposition see link in the first paragraph on my website's home page (five videos). www.freebiblecommentary.org

SPECIAL TOPIC: INSPIRATION

19:7-11 "restoring. . .making. . .rejoicing. . .enlightening. . .enduring. . .righteous. . .more desirable. . .sweeter. . .warned. . .keeping" This is what the written revelation does for us. Oh, the value of Scripture for fallen humanity!

Notice the threefold parallels.

What powerful repetition and parallelism! YHWH's revelation is redemptive, informative, prescriptive, and a real blessing! Oh, thank God for revelation!

SPECIAL TOPIC: HEBREW POETRY

The MT has the ADJECTIVE (BDB 834, KB 989) which can be used positively (i.e. Ps. 116:6; Prov. 9:4,16), but usually in a negative sense (i.e. Prov. 1:32; 7:7; 9:6; 22:3; 27:12).

19:8-9 "righteous" The Hebrew root originally meant "a measuring reed." It speaks of a standard for judgment. YHWH Himself is that standard.

SPECIAL TOPIC: RIGHTEOUSNESS.

19:9 "fear" This FEMININE NOUN (BDB 432, KB 433) means "revere" or "with awe and respect." The concept is used often in Wisdom Literature (cf. Job 4:6; 6:14; 22:4; 28:28; Ps. 5:7; 34:11; 90:11; 111:10; 119:38; Prov. 1:7; 2:5; 8:13; 9:10; 10:27; 14:26-27; 15:16; 16:6; 19:23; 22:4; 23:17). The recurrent message is that awe/respect/fear are the beginning of wisdom! Without God there is no truth, just fallen human opinions and traditions (cf. Isa. 29:13).

SPECIAL TOPIC: FEAR (OT)

SPECIAL TOPIC: WISDOM LITERATURE

SPECIAL TOPIC: THE FALL OF MANKIND

▣ "enduring forever" This same truth is expressed by Jesus in Matt. 5:18; 24:35; Mark. 13:31; Luke 21:33.

19:10 "they are more desirable than gold. . .honey" Does this describe your attitude toward YHWH's revelation? Is your Bible your most precious possession?

19:11 "the servant is warned" YHWH has given us a guideline for a life of peace and joy, but it must be lived out! There is a divine path (see note at Ps. 1:1) and we must stay on it (cf. Matt. 7:13-14).

SPECIAL TOPIC: THE PATH, THE WAY

19:12-13 These verses are a recognition and prayer that amidst our current fallen ignorance and folly God will deal effectively with our fallen nature.

1. "Who can discern his errors?" (cf. Ps. 40:12). Only YHWH knows the heart. Only He can judge (cf. Ps. 139:23-24; 1 Cor. 4:4-5; Heb. 4:12-13).
2. "Acquit me of hidden faults." This is an IMPERATIVE of prayer (BDB 667, KB 720, Piel IMPERATIVE). Notice it is "hidden faults" (i.e. unknown), not open-eyed rebellion (cf. Lev. 4:2,22,27; 5:15-18; 22:14).
   SPECIAL TOPIC: UNINTENTIONAL SINS
3. "Keep back from presumptuous sins." This is another IMPERATIVE of prayer (BDB 362, KB 359, Qal IMPERATIVE). This is open-eyed rebellion.
    The ADJECTIVE "presumptuous" (BDB 267) is used several times in Psalm 119 (cf. Ps. 119:21,51,69,78,85,122) and translated "arrogant," which denotes an attitude of rebellion. In this context it refers to known sins.
4. "Let them not rule over me." This VERB is a Qal IMPERFECT but is used in a JUSSIVE sense. This is another point of prayer. Sin (personified) is a slave-master (cf. Rom. 5:21; 6:9,14,17,23).
    The last two lines of Ps. 19:13 state the requested results of the psalmist's prayer.
   1. I shall be blameless (see SPECIAL TOPIC: BLAMELESS, INNOCENT, GUILTLESS)
   2. I shall be acquitted of great transgression

The psalmist had great confidence in YHWH's desire and ability to forgive and forget sin/sins (cf. Isa. 1:18; 38:17; 43:25; 44:22; Micah 7:19). We only learn of the mechanism of this forgiveness in the NT record and interpretation of the life, teachings, death, resurrection, ascension, and return of Jesus the Christ (i.e. the gospel). As the Psalm extols the wonder and greatness of God's written revelation, only the NT reveals the splendor of God's incarnate revelation (i.e. the Living Word)! Jesus is the ultimate revelation of God (cf. John 1:1-14; Matt. 5:17-19,21-28; Col. 1:13-17; Heb. 1-3).

SPECIAL TOPIC: THE GOSPEL

19:14 In light of the power of YHWH's revelation and His marvelous forgiveness, the psalmist continues his prayer.

1. Let the words of my mouth (one VERB, BDB 224, KB 243, Qal IMPERFECT used in a JUSSIVE sense, also relates to #2,3)
2. Let the meditations of my heart (see SPECIAL TOPIC: HEART)
3. "Acceptable" (BDB 953) is
   1. a common sacrificial term in Leviticus
   2. a very common word in Wisdom Literature
      NIV translates it as
      
      (1) pleased/pleasing/pleasure

      (2) acceptable/accepted
      

      (3) favor/favored

      (4) fitting

      (5) delight

Once we know Him and are changed by Him, we want to live in a way that pleases Him. A way that brings others to Him. True forgiveness must issue in a changed and changing life of godliness (cf. Rom. 8:28-30; 2 Cor. 3:18; Gal. 4:19; Eps. 1:4; 4:13; 1 Thess. 4:3; 5:23; 2 Thess. 2:13; Titus 2:14; 1 Pet. 1:15)! The goal of biblical faith is not heaven when we die but Christlikeness now!

▣ Several descriptive titles close this Psalm as they started Psalm 18 (i.e. Ps. 18:2).

1. YHWH (i.e. ever-living, ever-present, only God; see SPECIAL TOPIC: MONOTHEISM)
2. Rock (cf. Ps. 18:2)
3. Redeemer (BDB 145, KB 169, Qal PARTICIPLE; see SPECIAL TOPIC: RANSOM/REDEEM)

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought-provoking, not definitive.

1. What is "general revelation"? What can it tell you about God?
2. What is included in "special revelation"? What can it tell you about God?
3. Why are two different names for God used in this Psalm?
4. Do you find as much joy in the Law of God as this Psalm describes?
5. List characteristics of the Law.
6. What should I do about unknown sins?
7. What are "presumptuous sins"? What is so serious about them in the OT?
8. What is the meaning of Ps. 19:14 to you?

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