Notes—Hans

Back to Psalm 19 overview page.

Welcome to the DRAFT Verse-by-Verse Notes for Psalm 19!

The Verse-by-Verse Notes present scholarly, exegetical materials (from all layers of analysis) in a verse-by-verse format. They often present alternative interpretive options and justification for a preferred interpretation. The Verse-by-Verse Notes are aimed at consultant-level users.

The discussion of each verse of this psalm includes the following items.

1. A link to the part of the overview video where the verse in question is discussed.
2. The verse in Hebrew and English.
3. An expanded paraphrase of the verse.
4. A grammatical diagram of the verse, which includes glosses for each word and phrase.
5. A series of notes on the verse, which contain information pertaining to the interpretation of the psalm (e.g., meaning of words and phrases, poetic features, difficult grammatical constructions, etc.).

Superscription (v. 1)

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-Clear
2a	לַמְנַצֵּ֗חַ מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִֽד׃	For the Director; a Psalm; by David.

Expanded Paraphrase

v. 2 - For the Director; a Psalm; by David.

Grammatical Diagram

Speaking Sky (vv. 2–7)

It is unlikely anyone could read through Psalm 19, even for the first time, and fail to notice how verses 2-7 stand out as a distinct section in marked contrast to the following section(s) in verses 8-11(12-15). The content, syntax, line length and groupings of verses 2-7 combine to delimit it as a unit within the larger psalm. The theme of the first part (vv. 2-5) of this opening unit is the sky's witness to its Creator, with the focus then narrowing to the sun and its circuit (vv. 6-7). Both sky and sun are depicted in ways that portray God as glorious on account of his creative genius and power. The terminology and succession of declarative sentences in verses 2-7 contribute to this through a series of stating (v. 3), clarifying (v. 4a), explaining (v. 5ab), comparing (v. 6), and specifying (v. 7ab) illocutions. The resultant global speech act is that of a theological contemplation of the sky and the sun. This contemplation advances the poem into the second (vv. 8-11) of the poem's three sections suggestively through a comparison between the sun, which subjects all things to its heat (v. 7c) by its complete circuit (vv. 6-7ab), and the Law of YHWH (vv. 8-11) which is "complete" (תמימה) in its perfection.

• According to Genesis (1:1, 6-8a, 14-18, 31), God is the sovereign creator of all that exists and made everything "exceedingly good." Moreover, God demonstrated his supreme authority by designating all things' proper places and functions (Gen 1:4-5, 6-8a, 9-12, 14-18, 20-22, 24-31; e.g., the "expanse" [רקיע] is to "separate the waters which were below. . . and above" [Gen 1:6-8a], the sun to "separate between day and night" and mark time thereby [Gen 14-18]), etc.; cf. Ps 19:2-3, 5c-7).

This story triangle is to be read from bottom left, ascending the to the top and finishing on the bottom right corner.

• Though this opening unit of Psalm 19 (vv. 2-7) makes use of universal imagery (sky/expanse, day/night cycles, the sun, etc.), the superscription makes it likely that the Israelites were the intended addressees.
• The most noteworthy emotions of this unit appear to be awe at the impressive display of God's powerful artistry in the sky, confident that God created the sky, expanse, and sun, as well as appointing their roles, and being contemplative concerning the theological implications of the sky and sun.

vv. 2-5b

• Verses 2-5b constitute a subsection within the first unit (vv. 2-7) of Psalm 19.

• The two subsections (vv. 2-5b and 5c-7) are distinguished from one another by line structure and content. In verses 2-5b there are four balanced two-line groupings and the focus is on how the sky and day/night cycles witness to God's glory. By contrast, verses 5c-7 consist of two three-line groupings and focus on the sun and its circuit through the sky, but without the overt theme of witnessing.

v. 2

Watch the Overview video on v. 2.

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-Clear
2a	הַשָּׁמַ֗יִם מְֽסַפְּרִ֥ים כְּבֽוֹד־אֵ֑ל	The skies are proclaiming the glory of God;
2b	וּֽמַעֲשֵׂ֥ה יָ֝דָ֗יו מַגִּ֥יד הָרָקִֽיעַ׃	and the expanse is making known the workmanship of his hands.

Expanded Paraphrase

v. 2 - The skies (in their beauty) are proclaiming the glory of God (by displaying God's creative power and genius to humanity); and the expanse (which God also created and where God determined the sun would be set) is making known the workmanship of his hands (because it further emphasizes God's creative ability) (and is seen and appreciated by people).

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

Verse 2 is a neatly ordered chiasm.

• The first word of the poem, השמים ("the sky" v. 2), functions as subject to a predicative participle (מספרים) in announcing the psalm's opening theme (i.e., God's creative glory). This thematic word (השמים) is repeated in the final verse of the first unit (v. 7).
• The articles ("the" ה) in verse 2 mark the "unique referent" of both the sky (השמים) and the expanse (הרקיע) which were considered to be two distinct entities in ancient cosmological thought.
• The expanse was understood to be "the gigantic heavenly dome which was the source of the light that brooded over the heavenly ocean and of which the dome arched above the earthly globe." This outmoded cosmological concept may be why many modern translations avoid words that are overly literal (i.e., "dome" or "vault") or archaic (i.e., "firmament"). "Expanse," in the CBC, complements "the sky," with which it is aptly paralleled.
• Naming "the expanse" in addition to "the sky" develops the cosmological, and specifically celestial, focus (Gen 1:6-8, 14-15, 17, 20) which is the empirical basis for David's awe. "The vb. [רקע] describes God’s creative actions of spreading out the earth (Ps 136:6; Isa 42:5; 44:24) or the skies (שְׁחָקִים, Job 37:18)." Such a description evokes the impressive display of God's power.

• The continuous aspect of the participles in verses 2 (מספרים and מגיד) reflects the (figurative) activity carried on by the sky and expanse; that is, their very existence is a testimony to God's creative brilliance (i.e, glory).
• SDBH glosses כבוד as "honor; power; dignity," of which "power" seems to be the most apt choice in verse 2. Even so, "power" fails to include the beauty and artistry on display in the skies. For this reason "glory" features in the CBC, as well as many modern translations.

• The singular מעשה ("work") conveys well the idea of God's "hands-on" artistry in specifically creating the expanse, which has connotations of having been "beat[en/spread] out." However, the abstract "workmanship" better portrays the expanse as an exemplar of what God can do (i.e., make impossibly huge and beautiful things) which the expanse is figuratively portrayed as making known.

v. 3

Watch the Overview video on v. 3.

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-Clear
3a	י֣וֹם לְ֭יוֹם יַבִּ֣יעַֽ אֹ֑מֶר	Day to day pours out speech
3b	וְלַ֥יְלָה לְּ֝לַ֗יְלָה יְחַוֶּה־דָּֽעַת׃	and night to night imparts knowledge.

Expanded Paraphrase

v. 3 - (Because God loves humanity and humanity has the capacity for communication,) day to day pours out speech (and thereby communicates a message concerning God's glory; that is, God's goodness, knowledge, wisdom, and power as Creator); and night to night imparts knowledge (in a similar manner and for the same reason).

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• "Speech" (אמר) first features here in verse 3, is repeated in verse 4, and then again at the end of the psalm (v. 15), thus linking the first and last sections of Psalm 19 together with this key theme of God-glorifying communication. The concluding prayer (v. 15) that David's "speech" would be "pleasing" to YHWH points back to how the day cycle pours out "speech" that, in light of the preceding context (v. 2), can be said to glorify God.
• The fronted (non-default word order) noun phrases (יום ליום and לילה ללילה) indicate the marked topic of the clauses which highlights what they are about (viz., day/night cycles).
• There is a grammatical issue in verse 3 concerning the function of “day” (יום) and “night” (לילה). Due to the paralleled content of the verse in its context (i.e., the development of "proclaiming" [v. 2]/"pours out speech" [v. 3] and "making known" [v. 2]/"imparts knowledge" [v. 3] respectively), it appears that they are subjects jointly with ליום and ללילה respectively.
• The day/night cycles are synonymous participants in Psalm 19, along with "the sky" and "expanse" of verse 2 and the "sun" in verse 5c. They have an identical function (viz., to testify to God's glory).
• The CBC reads the day/night cycles as present habitual (i.e., present-in-the-present). The reference point for the verbs in verse 3 is determined by the semantic context; that is, the day/night cycles (intrinsically habitual events) are what communicate (i.e., "pour out speech"/"impart knowledge").
• The sky's variations throughout the day/night cycles provide humanity with knowledge about God.
• David's contemplation of the sky, expanse, and day/night cycles extends beyond a mere aesthetic appreciation of their beauty for its own sake and is evidently theological in nature. Along with the explicit mention in verse 1 that it is "the glory of God" (כבוד־אל) which the sky proclaims, elsewhere in the psalms "knowledge" (דעת) is portrayed as coming from God (Pss 94:10; 119:66; 139:6).

• The emotional character of this verse is interested, confident, and contemplative.

v. 4

Watch the Overview video on v. 4.

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-Clear
4a	אֵֽין־אֹ֭מֶר וְאֵ֣ין דְּבָרִ֑ים	There is no speech and there are no words
4b	בְּ֝לִ֗י נִשְׁמָ֥ע קוֹלָֽם׃	whose voice is not heard.

Expanded Paraphrase

v. 4 - (Because God loves humanity and has enabled his created order to convey something of his glory,) there is no speech and there are no words whose voice is not heard (which means that the sky's witness to God is intelligible to rational beings).

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• The tense of the nominal clauses in verse 4a is inferable from the wider context (vv. 2-3, 5ab). Their "action" of communicating information has a present reference point, simultaneous relative tense, and is continuous in aspect.

• On account of the context of verses 2-5b, it seems best to render verse 4b as an asyndetic relative clause (see CBC). This reading is supported by the thematic unity and coherence of verses 2-7, as this depends on the consistent use of its vocabulary (e.g., אמר) which the relative clause enables. For a detailed treatment of the issue, see Exegetical Issue
• The marked word order of the participle clause in verse 4b (whose voice is not heard) appears to be for poetic/ironic effect (viz., the clause employs three negatives to affirm something). The rarer negative particle בלי is the third and final negative in verse 4, after the twice repeated אין (there is no), which affirms the comprehensive efficacy of the sky's witness to God's glory.
• "Whose voice" (קולם) as a verbal notion borrows from context (i.e., witnessing), however, the construct relationship is perhaps better classified as relating an "entity" (voice) with an "origin" (the antecedent)

• As a speech act, verse 4 clarifies the universal intelligibility of what can be inferred from contemplating the sky.
• As with verses 3, the emotional tenor of verse 4 is that of being confident about the communicative nature of the sky and contemplative regarding the implications of its universal intelligibility.

Legends

Grammatical diagram

The grammar layer visually represents the grammar and syntax of each clause. It also displays alternative interpretations of the grammar. (For more information, click "Grammar Legend" below.)

Grammar Legend

Visualization	Description
	The clause is represented by a horizontal line with a vertical line crossing through it, separating the subject and the verb.
	The object is indicated by a vertical line that does not cross the horizontal line of the clause. Infinitives and participles may also have objects. If the direct object marker (d.o.m.) is present in the text, it appears in the diagram immediately before the object. If the grammar includes a secondary object, the secondary object will appear after the object, separated by another vertical line that does not cross the horizontal line of the clause.
	The subject complement follows the verb (often omitted in Hebrew) separated with a line leaning toward the right. It can be a noun, a whole prepositional phrase or an adjective. The later two appear modifying the complement slot.
	When a noun further describes or renames the object, it is an object complement. The object complement follows the object separated by a line leaning toward the right.
	In a construct chain, the noun in the absolute form modifies the noun in the construct form.
	Participles are indicated in whatever position in the clause they are in with a curved line before the participle. Participles can occur as nominal, where they take the place of a noun, predicate, where they take the place of a verb, or attributive, where they modify a noun or a verb similar to adjectives or adverbs.
	Infinitives are indicated by two parallel lines before the infinitive that cross the horizontal line. Infinitive constructs can appear as the verb in an embedded clause. Infinitive absolutes typically appear as an adverbial.
	The subject of the infinitive often appears in construct to it. In this situation, the infinitive and subject are diagrammed as a construct chain.
	The object of the infinitive is indicated by a vertical line that does not cross the horizontal line of the infinitival clause.
	Modifiers are represented by a solid diagonal line from the word they modify. They can attach to verbs, adjectives, or nouns. If modifying a verb or adjective, it is an adverb, but if modifying a noun, it is an adjective, a quantifier, or a definite article. If an adverb is modifying a modifier, it is connected to the modifier by a small dashed horizontal line.
	Adverbials are indicated by a dashed diagonal line extending to a horizontal line. These are nouns or infinitives that function adverbially (modifying either a verb or a participle), but are not connected by a preposition.
	Prepositional phrases are indicated by a solid diagonal line extending to a horizontal line. The preposition is to the left of the diagonal line and the dependent of the preposition is on the horizontal line. They can modify verbs (adverbial) or nouns (adjectival).
	Embedded clauses are indicated by a "stand" that looks like an upside-down Y. The stand rests in the grammatical position that the clause fulfills. Extending from the top of the stand is a horizontal line for the clause. If introduced by a complementizer, for example כִּי, the complementizer appears before the stand. Embedded clauses can stand in the place of any noun.
	When clauses are joined by a conjunction, they are compound clauses. These clauses are connected by a vertical dotted line. The conjunction is placed next to the dotted line.
	Within a clause, if two or more parts of speech are compound, these are represented by angled lines reaching to the two compound elements connected by a solid vertical line. If a conjunction is used, the conjunction appears to the left of the vertical line. Almost all parts of speech can be compound.
	Subordinate clauses are indicated by a dashed line coming from the line dividing the subject from the predicate in the independent clause and leading to the horizontal line of the subordinate clause. The subordinating conjunction appears next to the dashed line.
	Relative clauses also have a dashed line, but the line connects the antecedent to the horizontal line of the relative clause. The relative particle appears next to the dashed line.
	Sentence fragments are represented by a horizontal line with no vertical lines. They are most frequently used in superscriptions to psalms. They are visually similar to discourse particles and vocatives, but most often consist of a noun phrase (that does not refer to a person or people group) or a prepositional phrase.
	In the body of the psalm, a horizontal line by itself (with no modifiers or vertical lines) can indicate either a discourse particle or a vocative (if the word is a noun referring to a person or people group). A discourse particle is a conjunction or particle that functions at the discourse level, not at the grammatical level. Vocatives can appear either before or after the clause addressed to them, depending on the word order of the Hebrew.
	Apposition is indicated by an equal sign equating the two noun phrases. This can occur with a noun in any function in a sentence.

Hebrew text colors
Default preferred text	The default preferred reading is represented by a black line. The text of the MT is represented in bold black text.
Dispreferred reading	The dispreferred reading is an alternative interpretation of the grammar, represented by a pink line. The text of the MT is represented in bold pink text, while emendations and revocalizations retain their corresponding colors (see below).
Emended text	Emended text, text in which the consonants differ from the consonants of the Masoretic text, is represented by bold blue text, whether that reading is preferred or dispreferred.
Revocalized text	Revocalized text, text in which only the vowels differ from the vowels of the Masoretic text, is represented by bold purple text, whether that reading is preferred or dispreferred.
(Supplied elided element)	Any element that is elided in the Hebrew text is represented by bold gray text in parentheses.
( )	The position of a non-supplied elided element is represented by empty black parentheses. For example, this would be used in the place of the noun when an adjective functions substantivally or in the place of the antecedent when a relative clause has an implied antecedent.

Gloss text colors
Gloss used in the CBC	The gloss used in the Close-but-Clear translation is represented by bold blue text.
Literal gloss >> derived meaning	A gloss that shows the more literal meaning as well as the derived figurative meaning is represented in blue text with arrows pointing towards the more figurative meaning. The gloss used in the CBC will be bolded.
Supplied elided element	The gloss for a supplied elided element is represented in bold gray text.

Shapes and colours on grammatical diagram

(For more information, click "Phrase-level Legend" below.)

Phrase-level Legend

Visualization	Description
	The prepositional phrase is indicated by a solid green oval.
	The construct chain is indicated by a solid yellow oval.
	When the conjunction ו appears at the phrase-level (not clause-level), it is indicated by a solid light purple oval.
	The article is indicated by a solid blue oval.

Expanded paraphrase

(For more information, click "Expanded Paraphrase Legend" below.)

Expanded Paraphrase Legend

Expanded paraphrase legend
Close but Clear (CBC) translation	The CBC, our close but clear translation of the Hebrew, is represented in bold text.
Assumptions	Assumptions which provide background information, presuppositions, entailments, and inferences are represented in italics.

Bibliography

Calvin, John. Psalms.

Craigie, Peter C. and Marvin E. Tate. 1983. 2nd ed. Psalms 1-50. WBC. Volume 19 Zondervan Academic.

Dahood, Mitchell S. J. 1966. Psalms 1: 1-50. AB. Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Company, Inc.

deClaissé-Walford, Nancy, Rolf A. Jacobson and Beth LaNeel Tanner. 2014. The Book of Psalms. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

Delitzsch, Franz. 1883. A Commentary on the Book of Psalms. Volume 1. Astor Place, New York: Funk and Wagnalls.

Fishbane, Michael A. 1998. Biblical Text and Texture: A Literary Reading of Selected Texts. Oxford: Oneworld Publications.

Fokkelman, J. P. 2000. Major Poems of the Hebrew Bible: At the Interface of Prosody and Structural Analysis (Vol 2: 85 Psalms and Job 4–14). Volume 2. Studia Semitica Neerlandica. Assen, Drenthe: Van Gorcum.

Goldingay, John. 2006 'Psalms; Volume 1: Psalms 1-41. BCOT. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.

Haiman, John. 1985. Natural Syntax: Iconicity and Erosion. Cambridge Studies in Linguistics 44. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Kiraz, George, and Joseph Bali and Richard A. Taylor and George Kiraz and Joseph Bali. 2020. The Psalms According to the Syriac Peshitta Version with English Translation. Georgia Press.

Lugt, Pieter van der. 2006. Cantos and Strophes in Biblical Hebrew Poetry: With Special Reference to the First Book of the Psalter. Volume 1. Oudtestamentische Studiën. Leiden: Brill.

Lunn, Nicholas P. 2006. Word Order Variation in Biblical Hebrew Poetry: The Role of Pragmatics and Poetics in the Verbal Clause. Paternoster Biblical Monographs. Milton Keynes: Paternoster.

Regt, L. J. de. 2013. “Participant Reference in Discourse: Biblical Hebrew.” Encyclopedia of Hebrew Language and Linguistics Online. Brill.

VanGemeren, Willem, A. 2017. Rev. ed. Psalms. EBC. Zondervan.

Sarna, Nahum. 1965. "Psalm XIX and the Near Eastern Sun-god Literature." Proceedings of the Fourth World Congress of Jewish Studies 4, no. 1, 171-175.

Seely, Paul H. 1991. "The Firmament and the Water Above Part 1: The Meaning of Raqia' in Gen 1:6-8" WTJ 53, 227-240.

Stec, David M. 2004. The Targum of Psalms. The Aramaic Bible. Vol 16. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press.

Wal, Jenneke van der. “Diagnosing Focus.” 2016. Studies in Language 40, 259-301.

Watson, Wilfred G. E. 1986. Classical Hebrew Poetry. JSOT. Sheffield: JSOT Press.

Wilson, Gerald H. 2014. The NIV Application Commentary: Psalms Volume 1. Zondervan Academic.