Notes—Katia

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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.).

Enlighten(-ed/-ing) Creation (vv. 1-6)

Psalm 19 could be divided into three main parts:

"Connection" and "Solidarity" as the Overall "Feel" of Psalm 19:1-6

In Psalm 19, the psalmist meditates on creation and the Torah. Inspired and convicted, he seeks to align his life with the Torah through prayer. Overall, his meditations lead him to a wide range of emotive responses and experiences, with the sense of "connected-ness" or "solidarity" being, arguably, one of the prominent outcomes of his theological musings.

• In vv. 1–6, the psalmist is the speaker. In this capacity, he “stands outside” the text and can be seen as a non–agentive participant. He receives proper agency in section 3 (vv. 11–14), where he becomes both a subject participant (e.g., as the grammatical subject of the verbs “to be warned/illumined”, “to be vindicated”, and “to be whole/blameless”) and a predicative participant (i.e., as the recipient of divine actions; vv. 12–14). Notwithstanding this, in vv. 1–6, 7–10, and 11–12 he can be viewed as being presupposed in other entities or as being implied, however partially, by other participants. Thus in section 1 (vv. 1–6), he is part of the whole “earth/world” where the witness of the celestial spheres travels and who receive their message.
• Furthermore, in vv. 1–6, the psalmist generously uses personification for various agents in creation, indicating that the non-human world is not entirely unlike the world of humanity.
  

  Stele of Shedsunefertem, the High Priest of Ptah. In the top register, baboons raise their arms to the sun. "The Egyptians believed that the jabbering of the baboons at dawn was a hymn of praise to the sun god Ra."
  • Thus, in vv. 1–6, creation bears witness to God and his glory; it shares knowledge about him with everyone in the cosmos. Similar ideas are found elsewhere in the Psalter, whereby the non-human creation tends to be articulate, joyful, and worshipful. It also speaks of music making and/or praising in nonhuman communities (Pss 50:6; 65:9 [8]; 65:13–14 [12–13]; 93:3; 104; 148).
  • Moreover, ANE iconography and musical artifacts depict “animals, zoomorphic musical instruments, and representations of animal musicians/orchestras.” In Egypt, all creation praises the creator god/solar deity Re: “from the highest heights of heaven to the uttermost parts of the earth and to the lowest depths of the sea.”
• Also, if the superscription is taken into account and David is the speaker, then the rhetoric of warfare, running, matrimony related to the sun (vv. 4-5), and dominion (present implicitly here [i.e., luminaries governing time; v. 3-6] and explicitly later [i.e., sins ruling humans; vv. 11-13]) further indicates a sense of solidarity the speaker might be experiencing with the subjects of his meditations. If the speaker is David, then he was a warrior and a hero and can relate to the sun’s mighty presence and activity in the sky. If the speaker is David, then as a family man he can sense connection with the sun’s joyful appearance at the horizon as a bridegroom. If it is him, then as a ruler, he can relate to the implicit and explicit rhetoric of authority and dominion. If it is him, then as a king responsible for upholding justice, he would have been associated with the solar symbolism.

Observing how the cosmos is built, how it operates, and how it communicates, the psalmist admires it and its creator. In his meditation on creation's praise of God, the psalmist could be viewed as contemplative, reverent, inspired, instructed/edified, and worshipful. Moreover, his reflections on the world make the poet feel profoundly connected to it. So, the sense of solidarity with creation could be part of the psalmist’s emotional profile here. And although at this juncture his reflections are outward-looking, they will eventually lead him to introspection. His overall cognitive and emotional state, as well as his actions at this juncture, could be represented as follows:

Psalm 19 and the "Interrelated-ness" of its Participants

Within the Psalm's three sections, a host of inter-related participants can be identified. Representing different realms (non-human, human, and divine), these participants engage with and impact one another in a variety of ways and to various degrees. Schematically, their interactions can be depicted in this way:

v. 4

Watch the Overview video on v. 4.

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-Clear
4a	בְּכָל־הָאָ֨רֶץ יָ֘צָ֤א קַוָּ֗ם	(In fact,) their voice (or their measuring line) goes out into all the earth;
4b	וּבִקְצֵ֣ה תֵ֭בֵל מִלֵּיהֶ֑ם	and their words (travel all the way) to the end of the world.
4c	לַ֝שֶּׁ֗מֶשׁ שָֽׂם־אֹ֥הֶל בָּהֶֽם׃	In them (the heavens), (God) has set up a tent for the sun.

Expanded Paraphrase

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

The psalm can be divided into three major parts (vv. 1–6, vv. 7–10, and vv. 11–14; see the image below); each of these further subdivides into a longer section followed by a shorter one (vv. 1–4ab and 4c–6; vv. 7–9 and 10; vv. 11–13 and 14).

• • NB: departing from the MT verse structure, v. 4c should be grouped with vv. 5–6 as their beginning due to the appearance of a new actor/subject (i.e., the sun). Together with v. 5ab, v. 4c forms a “triplet” of lines about the sun which is personified as a bridegroom and a hero (v. 5), who possesses a dwelling place in the sky (v. 4c). Such grouping turns vv. 4c-6 into two more or less balanced triplets (with 3+4+4 and 3+2+3 prosodic words respectively; see the image below).
  • The presence of triplets in turn often indicates the end of a section or of a poem.
• The psalm as a whole is framed by an inclusio:
  • its opening and concluding sections contain divine names/epithets (El, YHWH); references to solid entities linked to God (the “firmament” created by God; the “rock” which is God); mentions of body parts; and terms of speech/communication about/or with God.

• In the first section, vv. 1–6 are bound together by similarity in content (celestial spheres and the sun declaring God’s glory) and similarity in vocabulary (“the heavens”, “go out”, “end/s”, the particles of nonexistence/negation).
  • first subsection: vv. 1–4ab exhibit similarity in content (celestial spheres bearing witness to God’s glory), similarity in language (e.g., verbs of speaking and terms of speech), and similarity in number of lines (2 lines). The beginning (heavens/sky) and end (earth/world) encompass the whole universe.
  • second subsection: vv. 4c–6 show similarity in content (the sun bearing witness to God’s glory), similarity in language (terms of motion and terms of end/extremity), and similarity in number of lines (3 lines). The beginning (the sun in the sky) and end ("nothing is hidden") encompass the whole universe.

As an overall theme of Psalm 19, communication is prominently developed in v. 4. Here, the heavens’ “words” go into all the corners of the earth and all the world (the former can signify both the [whole] earth and the underworld; the latter can represent the inhabited part of the mainland and be used as a parallel to “dry land”.)

• • The lexeme “their words”/מליהם consists of 3mp suffix + “words”. The word מלה tends to appear in poetic texts, signifying “a single distinct meaningful element of speech or writing, used to form sentences with others” (SDBH). The lexeme rendered here as “their voice” is MT’s קום, which is one of the best-known text-critical and exegetical cruxes in HB.
  • The voice is said to go out (qatal) into all the world. At times, actions represented by qatal forms, can be shown to continue into the present (JM§122e).

V. 4 contains several construct phrases (CP; on these see further the Grammatical Diagram above):

• • the colocation "voice of them"/קום, as a CP, represents the "product–source" type; alternatively it could be "origin" or "possession–possessor".
  • the "words of them"/מליהם is the "product–creator, source, origin" type.
  • the "end of the world"/קצה תבל represents the "possession (characteristic/constituent element?)–possessor" type; alternatively it could be "possession (concrete object/constituent element?)–possessor".
  • the colocation "pavilion of him"/חפתו represents the "possession (concrete object)–possessor" type.

V. 4 contains a few prepositional phrases (PP; on these see further the Grammatical Diagram above):

• • "into all/whole the earth"/בכל־הארץ, wherein the preposition ב conveys “the idea of being or moving within some definite region, or some sphere of space” (GK§119h).
    • “the earth” in this PP is singular and definite; כל can be glossed as "all"; the reference here is to the entirety of/or every member of an identifiable group.
  • "in/at the end of the world"/בקצה תבל, wherein the preposition ב conveys “the idea of being or moving within some definite region, or some sphere of space” (GK§119h).
  • "in them"/בהם, wherein the preposition ב represents the idea of being in the domain of something (GK§119i); alternatively, it could function instrumentally, i.e., “the instrumental use of בְּ, which represents the means or instrument or even the personal agent, as something with which one has associated himself in order to perform an action” (GK§119o).
    • In Psalm 19, the two uses coincide, i.e., the heavens serve as a site for the sun's dwelling place and as material/substance out of which the dwelling place is constructed.
  • "for the sun"/לשמש, wherein ל/"to, for" indicates that the sun is the recipient of God’s actions, i.e., his pitching a tent for the sun (GK§102c).

In v. 4a and 4b, two prepositional phrases (“into all the earth” and “to the end of the world”) are fronted, describing a point in place (i.e., everywhere) or a manner (i.e., comprehensiveness) of a discourse active event (i.e., the heavens’ witness) (BHRG §47.2.1 [2]). This non-default word order echoes v. 2; although here it is locative, but in v. 2 it is temporal. “The information structure is the same as verse 3 [2], though the syntax 4b displays the additional feature of gapping. Having stated the fact of the revelation of God in the universe (v. 2 [1]), the psalmist then expands upon this through these two bicola giving salience firstly to the time (day and night, v. 3 [2]) and then place (everywhere, v. 5 [4]) where this revelation is discernible. The initial M constituent in each instance is therefore made the dominant focal element.” The resultant focus is identificational indicating spatial “exhaustivity” (i.e., not partial witness but thoroughgoing/comprehensive, traveling “into all the earth” and “to the end of the world”.

The clause in v. 4b exhibits parallelism and the gapping of the verb יצא from v. 4a, which is not fronted.

The non-default word order in v. 4c. indicates a shift in topic. The fronted “for the sun” activates yet another actor/witness among other witnesses who proclaim God’s glory. Here “the sun” is part of “a set of entities that are involved in the same discourse context” (BHRG §47.2.1[b]), and the activity of this new entity (the sun) is the subject of vv. 5–6.

V. 4c states that God builds the sun a dwelling place. In Gen 1:16, God places the sun in the sky, where it is most visible and perfectly positioned to bear witness.

• • In ANE, solar deities have a dwelling place/chamber in the sky, which they share with their spouses. E.g., in Mesopotamia, Shamash (Sun/husband) has a spouse (Aya/Light). Aya is called kalatu/bride.

As noted previously, communication is a prominent theme in Psalm 19, but more can be said about the peculiar nature of the communication the psalmist envisages in God's cosmos.

Poetic Feature: God's Cosmos and Multi-Sensory Communication within It

Feature: Imagery

The first section (vv. 1–6) utilizes terminology related to speech and thus having aural impact (“declare”, “proclaim”, “pouring out speech/speaking,” “voice”, “words”, etc.). Even “rejoicing” (v. 5) is often coupled with songs of praise (cf. Ps. 68:3; 119:14) and so can be audible. Yet, the entities involved in such verbal and/or aural communication are normally thought of as “visual” communicators (the celestial spheres and the sun); they are normally observed with the eyes. Hence, what is traditionally creation’s visual witness/revelation is related through the vocabulary of speaking and hearing.

The second section (vv. 7–10, cf. v. 11) deploys terminology that describes God’s Torah as a visual phenomenon/entity that produces visual effect, i.e., emanating light. Thus, it is “clear” (v. 8), “pure/radiant” (v. 9); it “enlightens the eyes” (v. 8) and illuminates (v. 11); it could, like the sun, be thought of as having golden/yellow colour (v. 10). Even the ability “to bring joy” (v. 8) could be associated with making someone or something “shine” or “beam” (Ps 97:11; Prov 13:9). Hence, what is traditionally thought of as verbal communication is related here in a manner that would require the use of vision.

The last section (vv. 11–14) contains a prayer which involves “the words of the psalmist’s mouth” (verbal/audible) and “the mediation of his heart” (may or may not be articulate/audible), but they are asked to be “before the Lord’s face” (not in his ears, according to the conventional biblical petition “hear me/us, oh Lord, incline your ear to my/our pleas”; e.g., Ps 17:6; 71:2; 86:1, etc). Hence, the conventional verbal communication in prayer is expected to be engaged with through visual perception. Visually, it can be represented as follows:

Effect

The seemingly confused and confusing representation of communication (and entities involved in it) in Psalm 19 is a case of literary synaesthesia. In a clinical sense, synaesthesia is a psychological condition whereby individuals experience “one kind of sensory stimulus simultaneously as [or instead of] another”. In other words, it is a conflation or confusion of senses. In literature (ancient [HB included] and modern), this phenomenon is created, for a variety of reasons and a variety of purposes, through the “use of metaphors in which terms relating to one kind of sense-impression are used to describe sense-impressions of other kinds.”

Literary/poetic synaesthesia can achieve a variety of goals, including the creation of unexpected (and hence aesthetically arresting) images and features. In HB, it can also be theologically significant. Reading Ps 19:3c as indicating inarticulate/inaudible witness, for example, J. Burnside notes that the combination of “wordless speech” (vv. 1–6) and “speechless words” (vv. 7–10) reduces the difference between the heavenly witness and the Torah (Burnside 2019, 186). This in turn links the revelation envisaged in Psalm 19 to the giving of the Law at Sinai, where through a synaesthetic experience, the Israelites “saw” the divine voice (Ex 19:18 [MT]).

But if in vv. 1–10 humanity is invited to engage in a multi-sensory process to perceive and embrace God’s glory and His moral standards communicated through creation and the Torah, then in v. 14, God himself is invited to a synaesthetic form of communication with humanity. There, He is asked to keep humanity’s articulate prayers and (inarticulate/internal?) meditations before His very “face/eyes (?)”. Spread across the three sections of Psalm 19, the image of synaesthesia reduces the “difference” in communication strategies within the whole cosmos—i.e., all entities/agents within it (celestial, human, and divine) are encouraged and, in fact, expected to engage in a full-fledged, multi-sensory form of communication and fellowship. In this model of relating, agents activate all their senses to maintain the attitude of awe and to be better attuned to the other in creation... Thus, the aesthetics of the psalm enhances and deepens its theology/ethics—i.e., it advances a sort of democratic, inter-related, and thoroughgoing relations within a cosmic community.

As Psalm 19 contains terminology and poetic strategies (synaesthesia/multi-sensory engagement with life) often used in HB’s wisdom literature, and since “[w]isdom functions as a major component in the structural schematic of the passage [Psalm 19]”, the form of communication within the cosmos it advances can only be viewed as a wise way of being in the world.

v. 5

Watch the Overview video on v. 5.

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-Clear
5a	וְה֗וּא כְּ֭חָתָן יֹצֵ֣א מֵחֻפָּת֑וֹ	And (the sun) is like a bridegroom, who emerges from his pavilion.
5b	יָשִׂ֥ישׂ כְּ֝גִבּ֗וֹר ׀ לָר֥וּץ אֹֽרַח׃	It rejoices like a hero in order to run (its) course.

Expanded Paraphrase

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

In v. 5, the "wedding" imagery presupposes the conflation of two events---the bridegroom's going out of his chamber on the day of his wedding (which, ideally, happens once in his life) and the sun's reenactment of that action on a daily basis.

• • The word rendered here as "bridegroom" has a number of meanings related to kinship, but here it signifies a "man who is about to be married or has just been married; [the word is] often associated with joy" (SDBH).
  • The word rendered here as "a hero" is גבור. As an adjective or a noun, it can be used to describe animal, human, and divine subjects. Often rendered with terms such as a champion, a great one, a mighty one, a valiant one, a vigorous man, a hero, etc. In the animal kingdom, it is applied to the lion, who is the mightiest among beasts (Prov 30:30). In reference to God, it can be used as part of a divine title or epithet (Isa 9:5) or connote a divine attribute, i.e., God supporting and or fighting for his people (Ps 24:8; Deut 10:17; Neh 9:32; Isa 10:21; Jer 32:18). In reference to human subjects, it can represent strong, valiant men either in hunting or warfare (Josh 10:2; Gen 6:4; 10:8; Jdg 5:13, 23; 1 Sam 2:4; 1 Kgs 1:8, 10; 2 Kgs 24:16; 1 Chr 1:10; Ezra 7:28; Job 16:14; Pss 33:16; 45:4; 52:3; 78:65; 89:20; 120:4; 127:4; Prov 16:32; 21:22). Ps 103:20 speaks of divine messengers/angels as mighty ones (cf. 1QH viii 11; x 33f; cf. iii 35f) (HALOT, 172). Relatedly, the collocation גבור חיל can signify either “a warrior”, “champion”, a mighty man in a military sense (Jdg 11:1; 1 Sam 9:1; 16:18; 1 Kgs 11:28; 2 Kgs 5:1) or someone of substantial means and significant social status (e.g., Ruth 2:1) (HALOT, 172).

Here the sun is imaged as a hero/warrior, running a race joyfully across the sky. This depiction coheres well with biblical and extrabiblical metaphorization of the sun and other luminaries.

• • In HB, celestial bodies are strong warriors (e.g., Isa 40:26; Ps 103:20, 21; Jdg 5:20).

Part of a stone relief from Ninurta's temple at Kalhu (c. 883-859 BCE).

• • In Egypt, the solar deity is a conquering hero, who overthrows his enemies. He engages with his foes every day as a youthful and mighty warrior (Sarna 1965, 172).
  • The ability to run fast without getting tired was the prerogative of gods and deified kings (e.g., the moon god Sin is “a swift agalu-donkey whose legs do not weary, [and] who blazes the trail for the gods, his brothers”; CAD A/2, 101). The image to the right portrays the god Ninurta in pursuit of, and attack on Anzu, a hybrid semi-divine monster.
  • Joy and running were often linked, as seen, for example, from a hymn to Shulgi of Ur (r. c. 2094 BC–2046 BCE): “... the mighty king, superior to all, because I am a powerful man who rejoices using his thighs [i.e., who rejoices in his running].” (Šulgi A; 2.4.2.02; ll. 26–28). On the link between warfare, warriors, and speed, see 2 Sam 1:23, where Saul and Jonathan are said to be swifter than eagles.
  • In Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Hatti, solar deities are often portrayed running a daily course. E.g., the Mesopotamian sun god Shamash is a hero who joyfully “travels the courses of heaven and earth.” The Egyptian sun-god Re is “the great runner swift of step” and is a “Runner, Racer, Courser.” The Hittite solar deity Istanu is a king, who strides through the four eternal corners.

• As previously noted, the metaphorization of the sun as a hero, as a bridegroom, and as the one responsible for justice (see notes for v. 6) would have made the (royal?) psalmist feel connected to the great luminary.

V. 5 contains three prepositional phrases (PP; on these see further the Grammatical Diagram above):

• • "like a bridegroom"/כחתן and "like a mighty hero"/כגבור, wherein the preposition כ/"like, as, according to" (“the remnant of a substantive with the meaning of matter, kind,” etc.) represents comparison (GK§102c).
  • In the prepositional phrase "from/out of its chamber"/מחפתו, the preposition carries the sense of motion away from something (GK§119v), here the sun's chamber (see further the Grammatical Diagram above).

v. 6

Watch the Overview video on v. 6.

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-Clear
6a	מִקְצֵ֤ה הַשָּׁמַ֨יִם מֽוֹצָא֗וֹ	Its course begins at one end of the heavens
6b	וּתְקוּפָת֥וֹ עַל־קְצוֹתָ֑ם	and reaches its end at their other extremity.
6c	וְאֵ֥ין נִ֝סְתָּ֗ר מֵֽחַמָּתוֹ׃	And there is nothing hidden from the sun's heat.

Expanded Paraphrase

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

The two cola (vv. 6a and 6b) echo v. 1, in that they inverse their clause components (ab//ba), resulting in the centering of the beginning and the end/turn of the sun’s daily course. As in vv. 4a and 4b, the marked word order in v. 6a is locative, highlighting the scope of the sun’s race across the sky. As in v. 4, the focus here is identificational indicating spatial “exhaustivity”.

V. 6 contains several construct phrases (CP; on these see further the Grammatical Diagram):

• • the colocation "going out of it"/מוצאו, as a CP, represents the "verbal notion–subject" type;
  • the phrase "edge of the heavens"/קצה השמים, as a CP, belongs to the "possession (characteristic/constituent element?)–possessor" type;
  • the "circuit of it"/ותקופתו represents the "verbal notion–subject" type;
    • "location where the sun has reached the end of its circuit and from where it is expected to move back to its beginning point -- turning point (of the sun)" (SDBH).
  • the "ends of them"/קצותם represents the "possession (characteristic/constituent element?)–possessor" type;
    • the two uses of "end" in vv. 4 and 6 creates a double entendre; "end" is the “edge” of the earth and "end" as “expiration.” Just as the heat of the sun reaches the end of the earth, divine judgment can reach even to the end of life.
  • the "heat of it"/חמתו represents the "product–source, origin; or possession (characteristic)–possessor" type;
    • in poetic texts, the word "heat" ("state in which the sun produces an extremely high temperature"; SDBH) is synonymous with, or used instead of, "the sun" (Job 30:28; Isa 24:23; 30:26 [2x]; Song 6:10; cf. "the heavenly body from which the earth derives its light and warmth; ≈ associated with light and, by extension, with happiness--sun" SDBH). It can mean “heat” and “wrath”; the sun’s heat can lead to the sense of a thirst. since the Sun is a god of judgment, his heat can signify divine wrath.
    • "nothing is hidden from the sun's heat": "to be hidden" is "a state by which the effect of something is not perceived physically -- to be hidden > to feel not" (SDBH).

V. 6 contains several prepositional phrases (PP; on these see further the Grammatical Diagram):

• • "from (one) end of the heavens"/מקצה השמים signifies “the idea of distance, separation or remoteness from something, and “that of motion away from something, hence also descent, origin from a place” (GK§119v); here it sets parameters for the sun’s journey across the sky, i.e., it starts at one end and finishes at another.
  • "at/to the other end of them"/על־קצותם: the preposition על can be used interchangeably with אל/to/towards, (e.g., 1–2 Samuel; see also JM§133b, f).
  • the preposition in "from its heat"/מחמתו (i.e., in "nothing is hidden from the sun’s heat") signifies that the heat reaches or impacts everything and everyone. “[O]n the sense of motion away from anything depends the use of מִן after such ideas as to take away from, to beware, to be afraid of, to flee, to escape, to hide oneself from”, see GK§119z.  

V. 6 mentions "the sun's heat", which as previously noted can be linked to judgment. Notably, in ANE and HB, the sun was associated with law, justice, and judgment.

The Sun God tablet of Nabu-apla-idinna (c. 860–850 BCE; BM 91000).

• • In ANE (e.g., Ugarit, Mesopotamia, Hatti, and Egypt), solar deities acted as judges overseeing the moral order.
    • E.g., Shamash was regarded as the “judge of heaven and earth” and “the judge of gods and men”. As he oversaw the moral order, ANE law codes appealed to him (cf. Code of Ḫammurapi i:32–44).
    • E.g., the sun-god Istanu in Hatti is said to establishes “the custom and law of the lands”; he is “a just lord of government.”
    • E.g., Re in Egypt “judges the wicked from the just” and “the weak and the injured”. He is “maker of righteousness”. Re's daughter, Maat, embodies truth, justice, law and order.
  • Similarly in HB, the sun, sunrise, and light often represented law and justice (Hos 6:5; Zeph 3:5; Mic 7:9; Ps 37:6; Isa 51:4; 58:8; 62:1; Mal 3:20). In 2 Samuel 12, David is promised to be punished for his sins publicly, "before this sun” (vv. 11; 12). “This sun” may signify an object containing the sun emblem in David’s throne room representing YHWH or David as a guardian of justice.

As the imagery of movement is prominent in v. 6, a few words are in order on its distribution and function elsewhere in the Psalm.

Poetic Feature: God's Servants and Their Movement

Feature: Imagery

The first section (vv. 1–6) implicitly or explicitly utilizes terminology related to kinesthesis, i.e., body movement. E.g., the voice/witness of the heavenly spheres “goes out” to travel throughout the world; the sun “comes out” of its tent “to run a course”; the distance of its daily race is related through statements that mark its beginning and end—its “going out” at one end of the heavens and its “coming around/turning around” at another end.

The second section (vv. 7–10) continues this imagery, yet it shifts its focus and meaning significantly. Here, the Torah is said to act on human subjects by (literally) “turning” or “turning around” their lives (or souls); in other words, it puts them back on trek (i.e., it restores them; the path-image underlies this action). Hence, like the sun in the first section, human subjects are imaged as undertaking a journey. Notably, however, the Torah’s action towards them, presupposes that their journey involves faulty locomotion. Radically different from the kinesthesis of the sun and humanity is the Torah’s own kinesthesis—God’s Law (represented here as either “the word of YHWH” [BHS] or “[Torah’s] reverence of YHWH”) is not on a course; it is not moving; it “stands” forever (v. 9a).

The third section (vv. 11–14) also deploys the movement language, envisaging yet again faulty, compromised movement. Here, the psalmist muses about “errors” (i.e., questionable deeds which are committed without premeditation [SDBH]); but the root meaning of “errors” has to do with “staggering” or “straying” (on or from a path; HALOT, 1413–14). The psalmist wonders who can be aware of such actions and proceeds to ask God to keep him from sins of various degrees of seriousness and premeditation. Visually, it can be represented as follows:

Effect

Psalm 19 is a wisdom hymn, in which “[w]isdom functions as a major component in the structural schematic of the passage”. Notably, ANE and HB wisdom traditions utilize metaphors related to “ways/paths/roads/journeys” and different types of locomotion to speak of socially acceptable/wise and unacceptable/foolish behaviour. In these traditions, wise living is associated with paths which are “straight” and “established” and locomotion which is disciplined, controlled, orderly, unwavering, etc. (e.g., Prov 3:16–17, 4:10–13). Foolish and destructive way of living is metaphorized through “paths” that are “crooked”, “twisted”, and “wandering” and movements that are uncontrolled, unrestricted, unhinged, etc. In Prov 4:14–19, for example, “[e]very track the wicked go on, ... , snakes erratically through rough and dark territory... Its meanderings are erratic, but its end is certain: death.”

Of pertinence for Psalm 19 is that the metaphor of “straight/disciplined/controlled” locomotion as a wise way of being in the world draws its inspiration from creation. The ethical concepts of control, boundaries, and limits are rooted in principles of order established by God at the time of creation. Using divinely ordained limits and parameters in nature, HB’s sages (e.g., Proverbs 1–9) advocate reserve, moderation, and self-restraint in human society; these in turn are seen as markers of wisdom (Prov 25:28).

In light of this, the image of kinesthesis in Psalm 19 is striking in that the text casts a variety of actors on the move. Some entities move within limits and boundaries ordained for them by God (i.e., the sun in v. 6). Through its prescribed and repeated locomotion, the sun honours its creator and witnesses to His glory. By contrast, some entities in the psalm are also on the move, yet they exhibit a potential for faulty/compromised locomotion, i.e., they can turn away from (or stumble or fall on?) their path (v. 7b) and need restoration (putting back on trek). Moreover, these agents can “stagger” on or “stray” from their path (v. 11), and again require help. Notably, in Psalm 19, this faulty/compromised kinesthesis characterizes only human subjects, setting them apart within creation.

Furthermore, within God’s cosmos, the Torah, God’s Law, is also profiled in kinesthetic terms; yet, in the Torah's case it is static kinesthesis/static balance. That is, while everything and everyone are on the move, God’s Torah “stands” securely and in perpetuity (v. 9a). Like its God (cf. the rock imagery in v. 14c), the Torah is reliable; it is unchangeable; it is eternal. Like its God, it is immovable. Positioned in the centre of the Psalm, it is an axis which holds everything together, guides everyone, and restores them back to life (back to their ordered and orderly locomotion). In fact, in Psalm 19, the only agent capable of faulty kinesthesis (i.e., the psalmist) aspires to be like the Torah (perfect/blameless; v. 13).

Linking the three sections within Psalm 19, the imagery of movement is deeply theological, i.e., it points human subjects to creation and the Torah as sources of inspiration on how to achieve an orderly, balanced, and life-giving position in the world.

Legends

Grammatical diagram

For legend, click "Expand" to the right

Grammatical Term	Definition	Diagram	Example
Clausal Additions
Subject	The subject performs the action of the active verb or receives the action of a passive verb. With intransitive verbs	Indicated at the beginning of the main clausal line, and followed by a vertical line that crosses over the main clause line (separating the subject from the predicate).
Direct Object	Object that receives the direct action of a (transitive) verb	Indicate with a vertical line up from main clausal line
Predicate adjective/ Subject complement	A word used with a linking verb (ex. "to be"), renaming or restating the subject. Can be a whole prepositional phrase.	Indicate with a vertical slanted line up from the main clausal line. It can be on a stand if it is an embedded clause.
Object Complement	Word following a direct object to state what it has become.	Indicate with a vertical slanted line up from the main clausal line.
Infinitives	Can be subject, adverbial, or an infinitive construct.	Indicate with double vertical lines that cross the main clausal line. If used adverbially (ie. an embedded clause), place on a stand.
Participles	A verbal noun/adjective that can be used in three positions: (1) substantival; (2) attributive; (3) predicative.	Indicate with a round vertical line. Substantival participles are placed on a stand (they are embedded). Attributive participles are placed with a rounded line underneath what is modified.
Modifiers
Adjectives	A word modifying a noun to indicate quality, quantity, extent, or differentiating something from something else.	Indicate with a slanted line down from what is modified.
Adverbs	A word that modifies a verb, adverb, adjective, prepositional phrase, clause, or sentence to express a relation (ex. manner, quality, or time).	Indicate with a slanted line down from what is modified.
Construct relationships	Construction can express many different relationships between two (or more) nouns. English grammarians call this construction a ‘Construct’ (our term) or ‘Genitive’ phrase; Hebrew grammarians call it smīḵūt (סְמִיכוּת).	Indicate with a stair-step down from the modified word/clause/phrase.
Prepositional phrases	A phrase that consists of a preposition and its object and has adjectival or adverbial value	Indicate with a slanted vertical line connecting to a new clause.
Connectives	(1) Coordinating conjunctions join together words or word groups of equal grammatical rank (2) Subordinating conjunctions join a main clause and a clause which does not form a complete sentence by itself.	Indicate with a dashed line down from a vertical line marker.
Embedded clause	A clause inside another clause which can include substantival participles, adverbial infinitives, and prepositional phrases.	Indicate using stilts.
Particles
Subordinating particle	Indicates a dependent clause.	Indicate with a dashed line down from the antecedent to the pronoun.
Apposition	A word that is functioning as an explanatory equivalent as another in the sentence	Place on a line apart from the diagram but next to the word it is the equivalent of with an equal sign in between.
Vocative	Indicating a person being addressed (usually with a 2nd person verb)	Place on a line apart from the diagram next to the '()' indicating the gapped subject an equal sign in between.

Master Diagram

Shapes and colours on grammatical diagram

For legend, click "Expand" to the right

	Prepositional phrase	Construct chain	Construct chain within a prepositional phrase	Phrase-level waw	Article and כֹּל
Diagram Shading
Definition	- A prepositional phrase consists of a preposition plus its object. The phrase usually modifies the clause or another constituent in the clause.	- A construct chain, also called a 'genitive phrase', is a grammatical encoding of the relationship 'A of B,' in which A is a phonologically modified noun (in the construct state), and B is a phonologically unmodified noun (the absolute state).	- Some construct chains occur within prepositional phrases	- A waw conjunction can join units of all sizes. Phrase level waw join units at the word or phrase level (i.e., below the level of the clause).	- Definite articles tell you something about the identifiability or inclusiveness about the word it is attached to - כֹּל is a quantifier that tells you about the scope of a word it is attached to

Expanded paraphrase

For legend, click "Expand" to the right

• Close but Clear (CBC) translation
• Assumptions which provide the most salient background information, presuppositions, entailments, and inferences

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