Psalm 19 Niv (2024)

FAQs

What is the main point of Psalm 19? ›

Psalm 19 is dedicated to God's revelation of Himself to humanity. We've all heard verse one, which says, "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth His handywork." The first six verses of this Psalm speak to us about the revelation of God in nature.

The theme of Psalm 19 is the glory of God displayed through the world He created (19:1–6) and the Word He spoke (19:7–14)—or through what we call natural and special revelation.

The metaphors of the speechless voice in Psalm 19

Psalm 19 acknowledges that the heavens tell of the glory of God; day to day pours forth speech; night to night declares knowledge. Then verse 3 informs us there is no speech, nor are there words, their voice is not heard.

The prior verse referred to "hidden sins," meaning those a person may commit without realizing it until later. Here, however, David prays the Lord will restrain him from committing willful sins, called "presumptuous sins" in this case. Willful sins are committed with the eyes wide open.

Psalms 19:7-11 Amplified Bible (AMP)

¶The law of the LORD is perfect (flawless), restoring and refreshing the soul; The statutes of the LORD are reliable and trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, bringing joy to the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.

Oh Lord my God, “The heavens declare your glory, Oh God; the skies proclaim the work of your hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them.

INTRO: God desires for every person on the face of the earth to have a relationship with Him and so He has revealed Himself through HIS WORK OF CREATION AND HIS WONDERFUL WORD. Psalm 19 is one passage of scripture where BOTH GOD'S WORK AND WORD come together to show HIS GLORY.

Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight: David closed this glorious psalm with a humble surrender of his mouth and heart to God. He knew that real godliness was not only a matter of what a man did, but also of what he said and thought in his heart.

Psalm 19 1

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.

The second phrase of Psalm 19:1 uses the device of personification: And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. Here the stars and other heavenly bodies are personified as speaking. They preach. They are declaring the work of His hands.

What is the imagery of Psalm 19? ›

In the first part of Psalm 19 the the sun is used as an image. It clearly stands out and a reference to its rising and setting both are given. On the one hand we have a "bridegroom coming out of his chamber." We think this is the joy and delight of a man who has secured his bride.

In the first section (verses 1-6), the focus is on creation, the genre is similar to a hymn, the poetry is flexibly fluid, and the generic name for God (El) is used.

In effect, the Psalm could be construed as saying “The heavens may tell of God's glory, but it is only after God gives torah that the believer can make enough sense of the creation to recognize sin, to cry out for forgiveness, and to place all hope and trust in God's grace.

The sun's warmth and rays touch everything on earth (Psalm 19:2–6). As well as nature, God can be seen in the inspired Word He gives mankind. God's revelation in Scripture is perfect, trustworthy, right, pure, clean, and true.

Psalms 19:9-10 King James Version (KJV)

The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

Throughout its many pages, Psalms encourages its readers to praise God for who He is and what He has done. The Psalms illuminate the greatness of our God, affirm His faithfulness to us in times of trouble, and remind us of the absolute centrality of His Word.

Psalm 1 proclaims truths echoed in the book of Proverbs: that following the wisdom of God is the best and wisest way to live. Like Proverbs, this psalm declares that those who obey God's teachings can avoid consequences arising from sin and disobedience.