INTRODUCTION
In Psalm 19 the author, David, marvels at the revelation of God in Nature and in the Law. As he thinks of how the Sun illuminates and dominates the natural world he reflects on how the Law (torah) dominates and illuminates the spiritual life. In verses 1-6 the psalmist maintains that the universe itself points beyond Creation to its Creator. The heavens do not speak in human language yet they continually and universally proclaim God’s glory. Verses 1-4 deal with the heavens in general and vv.5-6 with the sun in particular. The psalm is usually categorised as a hymn of praise although it does not begin with the typical call to praise.
STRUCTURE
Psalm 19 divides into three sections:
1-6 THE REVELATION OF GOD IN THE SKY
7-9 THE REVELATION OF GOD IN THE SCRIPTURES
10-14 THE RESPONSE TO THE WORD OF GOD IN THE SERVANT
EXPOSITION
1-6 THE REVELATION OF GOD IN THE SKY
(1) The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handiwork.
The psalm begins with the witness of the heavens to the glory of God. Verse 1 has a chiastic structure. Each of the two parts of the line contains a subject (heavens and firmament) a predicate (declares, announces) and a direct object (glory of God, his handiwork). Since these are parallel we thus understand that the glory of God is not an abstract concept. The glory of God is Creation. Creation is not divine but it manifests something of God’s wisdom, power and majesty.
The firmament means the expanse of the heavens and since it bears the marks of its Creator it proclaims his ‘handiwork’. Many of the words in the first three verses are associated with speech. The heavens publish God’s glory because it is he who has made them. In the context of this verse ‘the work of his hands’ probably refers to the planets and stars. This verse encourages us to not just contemplate Nature but to look beyond the Creation to its Creator.
(2) Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge.
Using linear parallelism the poet shows that not only are the heavens and the firmament publishing and proclaiming God’s glory and handiwork but they are always doing this. Their witness is ongoing, constant and perpetual. Day unto day (i.e. every day, one day after another) and night unto night (i.e. every night) they pour out speech about God and communicate knowledge by the splendour of the sky.
(3) There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.
This verse may be interpreted in two ways:
a) There is no speech – this seems paradoxical because the previous verse says that they pour out speech but the idea here is that their speech is not articulate, i.e. they do not speak using human language. Where their voice is not heard. – their voice is inaudible, Therefore, creation’s speech is non-verbal and inaudible. It communicates silently but nevertheless its message is clear.
OR
(b) There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. There is nowhere their message is not received. No nation or culture is excluded from the experience of viewing the sun, moon and stars, Creation invites everyone in every generation to marvel and to seek the Creator. Its witness is perpetual and universal.
(4a) Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.
Their refers to the heavens and the firmament. Line is the usual word for ‘measuring line’ but may also be translated ‘sound.’ Some translate it as ‘rays.’ The idea of ‘going out’ is present in verses 4, 5 and 6. Their sound goes out through all the earth and their words ‘go out’ (the verb is not repeated but is understood) to the end of the world. In Romans 10:18 the apostle Paul uses this verse to illustrate the progress of the gospel throughout the world.
(4b-5) In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race.
The psalm now moves on from the heavens in general to focus on the sun in particular. He, referring to God (v.1), has put a tent in them (the heavens) for the sun. Which (‘and it’, i.e. the sun) is like a bridegroom going forth from his chamber (bridal tent in which bride and groom spend their wedding night, cf. Joel 2:16) and he is like a strong man (warrior) rejoicing to run his path. Many worshipped the Sun in those days but the psalmist emphasises that it has been created and placed in orbit by God (El). On this verse the New International Commentary On The Old Testament (NICOT) maintains:
In the ancient Near East, the sun was worshipped as the god of justice. Both iconographic and literary data from Israel’s neighbors establish the fact that the poet of Psalm 19 was playing off of this idea. A Sumerian hymn calls the sun-god the “hero who goes out” (here, the Hebrew word often translated “hero” is translated as strong man in v. 5), an Akkadian/Sumerian bilingual hymn refers to the sun-god as a “warrior” who enters his bed chamber with his wife, and the sun-god was often called “bridegroom” in Akkadian. Such examples could be multiplied literally many times over, but these few examples should serve to make the point that the polytheistic idea of the sun as a god does lie behind this psalm. But in terms of understanding Psalm 19, the question to ask is: “What point is the psalm writer scoring by using this imagery?” In Psalm 19, the answer is that the poet employs this familiar imagery in order to continue the polemic against creation worship, especially worship of the sun. This psalm stresses that the sun is not a god but something created by God. It is God who set it in the heavens. The sun runs the circuit that God has appointed for it.
As the most illustrious of the heavenly bodies the sun emerges with all the splendour, joy and gladness of a bridegroom leaving his bridal tent and like a champion or hero travels its course with energy and purpose.
(6) His 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.
The sun exits its tent at the end of the horizon (i.e. sunrise) and having completed its circuit enters its tent again (i.e. sunset). The word ḥammāh used here (which can mean the sun itself or the sun’s heat or glow) probably refers more to the sun’s brightness than its heat, as in Song of Solomon 6:10. The sun has universal reach; its light and heat reach the whole world, and yet it does not speak.
There now comes an abrupt change at Psalm 19:7. The probable link between the Sun and the Law is that everything is exposed before them, nothing is hidden.
SUMMATION
Psalm 19:1-6 teaches us that the natural world is a constant, silent witness to the glory of God. The sky proclaims the work of God’s hands and communicates that message across the whole world, regardless of language or culture. This is sufficient to show humanity that there is an intelligent, powerful Creator. There are, however, limitations to what nature can reveal. While Creation points to God’s existence and power it cannot communicate in words the specifics of God’s plans and demands. That deeper knowledge is found in God’s written Word, to which the psalmist now turns in the following verses.
For thoughts on vv.7-9 THE REVELATION OF GOD IN THE SCRIPTURES and vv.10-14 THE RESPONSE TO THE WORD OF GOD IN THE SERVANT please see my earlier blog post;
PSALM 19:7-14
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Declaissé-Walford, N.L., Jacobson, R.A., and Tanner, B. L., (2014). The Book of Psalms in NICOT, Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.
