Psalm 19 English Standard Version
1 For the choir director. A Psalm of David. The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.
2 Day to day pours forth speech, And night to night reveals knowledge.
3 There is no speech, nor are there words; Their voice is not heard.
4 Their line has gone out through all the earth, And their utterances to the end of the world. In them He has placed a tent for the sun,
5 Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber; It rejoices as a strong man to run his course.
6 Its rising is from one end of the heavens, And its circuit to the other end of them; And there is nothing hidden from its heat.
7 The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.
8 The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.
9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether.
10 They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.
11 Moreover, by them Your servant is warned; In keeping them there is great reward.
12 Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults.
13 Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins; Let them not rule over me; Then I will be blameless, And I shall be acquitted of great transgression.
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer.
Study Questions
- Read Psalm 19 several times. Look for key words and repeated phrases; contrast and comparisons; answer the “5Ws and H” (who, what, when, where, why and how).
- Psalm 19 is a hymn written by King David. Divide the psalm into stanzas.
- Who or what is called to praise God or brings praise in each stanza? What are the reasons for the praise?
- What do you learn about God from Psalm 19? What names for God are used in this psalm?
- Explain the two metaphors (verses 4b-6). What do you think they mean?
- What do you learn about God’s Word (verses 7-10)?
- What is David’s response to verses 1-10?
- What is your response to these verses?
For more detail and explanation, please listen to the podcast.
Teacher: Libby Taggart
Part of the Series: Understanding Psalms
Resources: Understanding Hebrew Poetry
Photo used here under Flickr Creative Commons.