Notes—Tyler

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)

• Verse 1 provides critical clues for determining Psalm 19's participants. For example, apart from the superscription, the psalm never explicitly refers to the speaker or audience. However, the superscription credits David with writing the psalm (see this article for a discussion of לדוד). Additionally, the superscription refers to the choirmaster, which suggests that the worshipping community is the audience in view for this psalm. However, even when the addressee shifts to YHWH at the end of the psalm, the larger audience remains the Israelite worshipping community. The table below illustrates the speaker and addressees in Psalm 19.

Creation's Praise (vv. 2-7)

• Psalm 19 divides into two larger sections (vv. 2-7 and 8-15). Both of these sections, however, subdivide into two smaller units (vv. 2-5b, 5c-7, 8-12, 13-15). The distribution of repeated roots supports this outline. The table below illustrates the stair-step nature of the psalm.

• People living in the ancient Near East frequently believed parts of creation (e.g., sky, sun, moon, stars, etc.) represented deities. This psalm personifies the sky, the day/night, and the sun, but subordinates them to YHWH by insisting they declare YHWH's honor.

• Coordinating conjunctions (ו; "and") also support the proposal that Psalm 19 divides into two major sections. They figure prominently in the first half of the psalm: 7 times in verses 1-7. By contrast, only one coordinating vav conjunction occurs in verses 8-15.

• Verses 2-7 form the first major section of the Psalm. The section's focus is on multiple aspects of creation that are visible in the sky (שׁמים, רקיה, יום, לילה, שׁמשׁ) hold the verses together. The psalmist begins by stating that the heavens (שׁמים) declare God's glory. The section ends by describing how the sun moves across the heavens (שׁמים and 3mp suffixes referring to the heavens).

• Verses 2-5b emphasize speech that praises God. This theme disappears until v. 15 where it reappears at the conclusion of the poem. Verses 2-5b state that creation declares God's glory. In verse 15, the psalmist prays that his words will be pleasing to God.

• For the majority of the psalm David is contemplative and confident (vv. 2-11). The psalm does not give us much explicit indication of emotion. The majority of the psalm's claims are made as simple fact. The primary section on the Torah (vv. 8-10) are copulative sentences. The psalmist simply asserts the truthfulness of his observations. The clearest indication of the psalmist's emotion appears in vv. 12-15. While at first he may appear to have some anxiety about his potential sinfulness, he expresses his desire through the use of imperatives and jussives. He knows YHWH can pardon him and so he implores YHWH to do exactly that. He longs to be found innocent. The graph below illustrates the psalm's emotional range.

David hears the heavens communicate God's glory (vv. 2-5b)

v. 5ab

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-Clear
5a	בְּכָל־הָאָ֨רֶץ ׀ יָ֘צָ֤א קַוָּ֗ם.	Their communication goes through all the earth.
5b	וּבִקְצֵ֣ה תֵ֭בֵל מִלֵּיהֶ֑ם.	and their words [go out] to the end of the world.

Expanded Paraphrase

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• The global description of the heavens' praise (i.e., their communication has gone out in all the earth and their words have gone out to the end of the world) is not a one-time event. Instead, it is habitual.
• The phrase through all the earth appears before the verb in this sentence to specify the extent to which the world's communication goes out.
  • The ב preposition can describe areas moved through . Therefore, the phrase in 5a should be translated as through all the earth. The same is true for the end of the world.
  • In this context, ארץ refers to the world. Since there is only one world, the definite article marks it as a unique referent (i.e., all the earth).
  • Additionally, when כל appears with a singular, definite noun, it refers to every part of the entity described (i.e., the earth).
  • The concept of "all the earth" is frequently associated with YHWH's rule over the whole world. This concept appears several times with the specific Hebrew term in this verse.
• The text-critical issue with their communication (קַוָּם) is the primary issue in this verse. There are two options.
  • First, the word may reflect the original form of the text as it is seen in the Masoretic Text tradition. In this case, it may a have had some onomatopoeic quality as seen in Isa 28:10.
  • Second, some translations choose to emend the text to read קוֹלָם. This assumes the scribe accidentally omitted the lāmed. The LXX (φθόγγος) and Symmachus (ἦχος) appear to support this reading. Additionally, scholars who opt for this reading argue the meaning of קַו is unclear and does not seem to fit the context.

David sees that the sun illuminates everything (vv. 5c-7)

vv. 5c-6

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-Clear
5c	לַ֝שֶּׁ֗מֶשׁ שָֽׂם־אֹ֥הֶל בָּהֶֽם׃.	He placed a tent for the sun in them.
6a	וְה֗וּא כְּ֭חָתָן יֹצֵ֣א מֵחֻפָּת֑וֹ.	And it is like a bridegroom who goes out from his chamber.
6b	יָשִׂ֥ישׂ כְּ֝גִבּ֗וֹר לָר֥וּץ אֹֽרַח׃.	It rejoices like a warrior to run its course.

Expanded Paraphrase

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• The sun binds these verses (5c-7) together. Following the reference to שׁמשׁ in v. 5c, third-person singular verbs and 3ms suffixes repeatedly refer back to the sun in vv. 6-7. It has important connections with the second half of the psalm (vv. 8-15) as illustrated in the following table and described further below.

• The law, which figures prominently in vv. 8-11 (תורה, עדות, פקוד, מצוה, ירא יהוה, and משׁפט), is described in terms that carry multiple resonances. On one level, they refer to attributes commonly associated with the law. On another level, they resemble attributes associated other ANE sun deities. Like the sun, the Torah gives life (v. 8a - משׁיבת נפשׁ). Like the sun, the Torah is permanent and reliable (נאמנה - v. 8b) Like the sun, the Torah's brilliance (ברה - cf. LXX τηλαυγής) illuminates one's vision (v. 9b - מאירת עינים). The fear of the Lord (יראת יהוה) is not just pure, but radiant (טהורה - cf. Ex 24:10; Ps 139:45). The Torah lasts forever, just as the sun does (v. 10a - עומדת לעד - cf. Ps 72:5; 89:36-37). The desirability of the Torah is compared to things in nature that are golden like the sun: gold (זהב) and honey (דבשׁ).
• Terms associated with the sun also appear in vv. 12-13. The psalmist is warned/illuminated by the teaching of the Torah (זהר). In the end, no sins can be hidden (v. 13) from the Torah just as nothing hides from the suns heat (v. 7).
• When the many double entendres of vv. 8-11 are recognized, the unity of the Psalm is heightened and its theological value for ancient Near Eastern audiences is elevated. While the sun and the law seem like two unrelated topics, vv. 8-12 repeatedly draw attention to their similar effects on humanity. In the ancient Near East, sun deities (e.g., שׁמשׁ) were frequently described in ways similar to Psalm 19. The sun is like a warrior and bridegroom moving across the sky. Additionally, the sun is the arbiter of justice over the earth.
• Several features suggest v. 5c belongs with v. 6.
  • For the sun (לַ֝שֶּׁ֗מֶשׁ) appears before the verb, which marks a topic shift in the psalm. The clause answers the question, "What about the sun?"
  • V. 6 begins with a vav conjunction (and) that coordinates the clause with the preceding line (i.e., 5c). The sun (שׁמשׁ) is the antecedent of the pronoun in v. 6 (ה֗וּא).
  • 5C According to the Masoretic tradition, לַ֝שֶּׁ֗מֶשׁ שָֽׂם־אֹ֥הֶל בָּהֶֽם belongs with the two preceding lines as evidenced by the sôp̄ pāsûq (:) following the final mem. Modern translations either treat 5c as the first in a tricola with v. 6 (cf., NIV, ESV, JPS 1985, DHH), or treat 5c as a monocola (NCV, NRSV). Conceptually, the line makes more sense with v. 6-7 whose subject is the sun's movement. Additionally, the macro-structure of the Psalm supports treating 5c-6 as a tri-colon. The first section of the Psalm (v. 2-7) ends with two tricola (vv. 5c-6, 7) and the final section of the Psalm likewise ends with two tri-cola (vv. 14-15).

• Sun worship was common in the ancient Near East. The descriptions of the sun in this psalm are common tropes found in other ANE cultures designed to extol the greatness of the sun itself. Psalm 19, however, uses these tropes to provide an example of how creation declares YHWH's honor.
  • Notice that YHWH and the sun are distinct. The sun dwells in the skies, which YHWH made for it
  • Furthermore, the sun does not warrant its own glory. Instead, it represents an example of how the skies declare God's glory (cf., v. 2).
• This term (חֻפָּת) is commonly translated as "bridal chamber." It is not well-attested in the Hebrew Bible (Isa 4:5; Joel 2:16; and Ps 19:6). In Isa 4:5, YHWH places a canopy (חֻפָּה) over all of Jerusalem. He does so to protect the city from heat during the day and from storms (Isa 4:6). The reference to widows looking for marriage in Isa 4:1 and the reference to the daughters of Zion suggest that the bridal chamber is in view even in this verse. חֻפָּה is in parallel with חֶדֶר in Joel 2:16. In that verse, the bridegroom is in the “room” (חֶדֶר) and the bride is in the bridal chamber (חֻפָּה).
  • In addition to its usage in marriage contexts, חֻפָּה occurs with שֶּׁמֶשׁ in Egyptian literature. In “Prayer to the Gods of the Night,” an Old Babylonian prayer contains the following line: “Shamash has betaken himself to his chamber.” Alfred Jeremias argues this passage refers to Shamash returning to Aya at night after leaving every morning. This image is similar to the sun's movement as described in the next verse.
• YHWH or some act of his is always the object of the word for rejoices (יָשִׂ֥ישׂ) in the Psalter (Ps 35:9; 40:17; 68:4; 70:5; 119:14; 119:162). The psalmist or the people are usually the subject of the verb. In Psalm 19:6, however, שֶּׁמֶשׁ is the implied subject. Rolf Jacobson argues this instance "is an allusion to the praise that creation gives to its Creator".
• The word for warrior (גִבּוֹר), in its various forms, occurs frequently in the Hebrew Bible (328 times). As John Oswalt notes, the term is well-attested across various Semitic languages and its meaning is stable relating to being strong, especially concerning warfare.
  • The comparison between the sun (שֶּׁמֶשׁ) and the warrior (גִבּ֗וֹר) in this verse is similar to descriptions of the sun deity in Assyrian and Egyptian literature . This image is captured best with translations like “champion” (NIV, NJB, TOB, PDV, NFC, and “hero” (CEV, JPS 1985, Luther 2017, HFA, NGB, ELB, ZUR, S21), or “warrior/victor” (NBS, GNB, BDS, NVI). Translations that use “athlete” or “runner” (GNT, NLT, DHH, BTX4) draw out the sun’s movement in the passage. Mirroring the LXX (γίγας), the Vulgate translates this word as giants (gigans). Symmachus, however, has ἰσχυρός which can refer to the strength of transcendent beings.

v. 7

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-Clear
7a	מִקְצֵ֤ה הַשָּׁמַ֨יִם ׀ מֽוֹצָא֗וֹ	Its starting point is from the end of the skies.
7b	וּתְקוּפָת֥וֹ עַל־קְצוֹתָ֑ם	and its turning point is to their end.
7c	וְאֵ֥ין נִ֝סְתָּ֗ר מֵֽחַמָּתוֹ׃	and nothing is hidden from its heat.

Expanded Paraphrase

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• The critical apparatus of the BHS proposes emending על to עד so as to better capture the terminus of the sun's movement. While there is no verb of movement in this clause, the sun's movement is clearly intended by תקופת. Waltke notes "With some verbs of motion על has a terminative sense.”

• In verse 7, the psalmist says that nothing can be hidden (סתר) from the heat of the sun. In verse 13, the psalmists asked to be considered innocent of hidden sins. The psalmist knows that God is like the sun and no hidden sin will escape his judgment. Therefore, the psalmist asks to be considered innocent of any errors or hidden sins.

• The psalmist emphasizes the sun's movement across the sky by placing from the end of the skies before the verb in v. 7a.

• This verse plays an important role in the message of Psalm 19. David describes the trajectory of the sun and recognizes its all-encompassing reach. Since he was likely aware of how other cultures deified the sun, David recognized similarities between YHWH's all-encompassing presences and the sun's global reach. Just as David feels unable to hide from the sun's heat, he knows that God knows all of his sins: even the hidden ones. By the end of this psalm, David will long to be pardoned by YHWH and to please YHWH with his speech. That longing is born out of his observation in v. 7.

Legends

Grammatical diagram

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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

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	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

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