Commentary on Psalm 19

“I take this to be the greatest poem in the Psalter and one of the greatest lyrics in the world.” So wrote C. S. Lewis in his Reflections on the Psalms in 1958. Many hearers and readers of the text would resonate with that judgment. 

Scholars of the Older Testament in recent centuries have, however, had a different perspective on the psalm. Several 20th-century commentators treated the text as two separate psalms on different subjects. Psalm 19A is a creation psalm as delineated as verses 1–6; Psalm 19B is a Torah psalm taken up with verses 7–14. The psalm is distinctive in that it is very difficult to settle the question of what type of psalm it is; it deals with three different subjects: creation, Torah, and the concluding section of the psalm (verses 11–14) articulating a powerful prayer.  

Most recent interpreters of the text have concluded that the psalm is most meaningfully interpreted as a single lyric. The sections of the psalm are unified by themes that connect with each other and by common vocabulary. The recent treatment of the text by Rolf Jacobson in the New International Commentary on the Old Testament (2014) provides a fine example of this approach and aligns with the C. S. Lewis quote above.  

The subject in verses 1–6 is creation and fits with the praise of God in the Psalms. Verses 7–10 emphasize Torah as divine instruction for covenant living, and the concluding verses 11–14 reflect on this instruction, leading to a petition for help from the covenant God. The psalm teaches about divine revelation—in creation, in Torah, and in prayer. We will consider the psalm in its three parts and how they connect to design a meaningful poem.

Part I: Revelation in creation

The psalm begins directly with an artful example of Hebrew poetic parallelism: The skies are revealing the glory of God (line 1), and the sky declares the divine handiwork (line 2). The term “glory” indicates the presence and activity of God in the world. The name used for God is, interestingly, the generic title El. In a remarkably artistic way, these lines proclaim that creation reveals God. 

The broad introductory statement moves to images unfamiliar to contemporary hearers/readers. The days and nights of creation gush forth speech to communicate, and yet there is no speech, no word, no voice. The beauty of creation goes throughout all the earth in the midst of silence and reveals the Creator who makes this beauty possible. The power of the silence of the amazing creation communicates divine presence and activity.  

Verses 4–6 move to an additional creation word-picture. The focus is now the sun. The image is of God’s having placed a tent in the skies above for the sun, who is now acting out the part of the groom who comes from the tent as a wedding canopy and celebrates marriage, and now in strength the sun, as a hero, joyfully runs the whole course from sunrise to sunset, covering all of creation. The creation reveals God even when there is no speech to declare it and reveals God to the whole of the world even when there is no vision to see it, for nothing is hidden from the heat of the sun. 

The Babylonian sun god is Shamash; the Hebrew word for “sun” is shemesh; both terms come from the same root word. The play on words suggests that the poetic image here is a mild polemic indicating that while the Babylonians worship the sun, God created the sun. Creation teaches about God.  

Part II: Revelation in Torah

Verses 7–9 provide six terms as synonyms for Torah, best translated as “covenant instruction,” and the impact of this instruction for persons. These six lines again illustrate Hebrew poetic synonymous parallelism. The six terms for divine instruction are all associated with the Hebrew proper divine name YHWH. God’s teaching revives the person; God’s decrees bring wisdom. God’s precepts bring rejoicing to the mind; God’s commandments enlighten vision. Fear of God is the term for reverence for YHWH; it endures. Whom one reveres, one obeys. And God’s ordinances support right relationship with God and neighbor.  

Verse 10 imagines the value of Torah as that of much fine gold and its sweetness as that of the honeycomb. My imagination goes back to the sweet honey from the honeycombs my grandfather dripped on the delicious biscuits my grandmother served from the wood-burning stove in her delightful kitchen. Divine instruction is even sweeter than such delicacies! This instruction again reveals God and the wholeness of life God gives.  

Part III: Revelation in prayer

The final section of the psalm moves to the worshiper’s petition to YHWH, who is now “my rock and my redeemer.” God’s Torah helps worshipers avoid missteps, and the two final verses petition God to keep worshipers from hidden troubles and to make possible wholeness in relationship with God and neighbor. The final petition is that the worshiper’s words and thoughts be acceptable. The term is the one for an acceptable sacrifice. In the psalm, the plea is that the prayer will be an acceptable sacrifice.  

Reflections on Psalm 19

Psalm 19 appears in Book I of the Hebrew Psalter. This first book is dominated by lament psalms. The first hymn readers/hearers of the Psalter encounter is Psalm 8, a creation psalm. The next one is Psalm 19, the first part of which is about creation. This psalm is surrounded by royal psalms (Psalms 18, 20, and 21). Perhaps the placement of the psalm suggests that the Davidic kings attend to creation, Torah, and prayer for divine aid. Creation, divine instruction, and prayer weave together a remarkable prayed poem with the focus on divine revelation. It inspires, and teaches, and petitions the covenant God. The psalm renders poetic beauty and caring words; the psalm calls us all into full relationship with God and neighbor.