Psalm 19: The voices of nature and Scripture

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. (Psalm 19:1-2)

In his book, Reflections on the Psalms, C.S. Lewis wrote of Psalm 19, “I take this to be the greatest poem in the Psalter and one of the greatest lyrics in the world.”

Lewis appreciated the power of words and delighted in the wonders of creation, and he understood how these combine to draw the heart toward the beauty of God. In Psalm 19, these streams flow together into a perfect blend.

The opening of the psalm, along with the following verses, is one of the simplest yet most elegant statements of God’s relationship to his creation. The heavens, and by extension the entire natural world, exists to glorify God by reflecting some facet of his glory.

Of course, that’s only the first part of the psalm. The second part switches focus from the voice of nature to the voice of Scripture. Through a series of poetic parallels, the psalm extols the Word of God for its goodness, sweetness, and truth.

Such a meditation leads to a response from the heart, which is the subject of the third and final section of Psalm 19. As we read it, we’re invited to share in that deep meditation and response, and to listen more closely for God’s voice in his creation and in his Word.

The voice of nature

The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge.
They have no speech, they use no words;
no sound is heard from them.
Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.
It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
It rises at one end of the heavens
and makes its circuit to the other;
nothing is deprived of its warmth.
(Psalm 19:1-6)

Along with the lion’s share of the psalms, this one was written by David, who ruled Israel from about 1010 to 970 B.C. Like all Hebrew poetry, instead of rhyme, rhythm, or alliteration, Psalm 19 is built on couplets, and occasional triplets, that express parallel, complementary, or contrasting ideas. The psalm combines concise language with vivid metaphors to create its evocative imagery.

This metaphorical word painting is most evident in the first six verses, which make up the opening section of the psalm. David marshals his poetic talents to portray the wonders of creation and how they point us to the multifaceted glories of God.

He begins with the heavens; day after day, night after night, they speak volumes without words, and their voice is heard everywhere. Their message is simple but profound: “God made us, and everything about us reflects his beauty, power, and majesty.” Contemplating the heat of the sun from which nothing is hidden, David compares it to a bridegroom or a powerful athlete, running with joy across the sky each day at God’s command.

The surrounding cultures of the Ancient Near East (ANE) worshipped the sun, moon, and stars as gods, and their religious poetry reflects this. By contrast David, although in awe of the heavenly bodies, does not bow down to them. Rather he looks beyond them to their Creator, whose will they obey and whose glory they reveal.

When David wrote these words 3,000 years ago, there were no telescopes or scientific instruments with which to probe the deeper mysteries of the universe. There was only the milky expanse of stars splashed across the night sky, unobscured by modern light pollution. David didn’t know about galactic clusters or supernovae or black holes. He had no concept of the sun as a colossal roiling ball of burning hydrogen thousands of times the size of our world. In light of what God has allowed us to discover about his heavens, how much more can they speak to us now of his glory?

The voice of Scripture

The law of the Lord is perfect,
refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.
The precepts of the Lord are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.
The fear of the Lord is pure,
enduring for ever.
The decrees of the Lord are firm,
and all of them are righteous.
They are more precious than gold,
than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
than honey from the honeycomb.
By them your servant is warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.
(Psalm 19:7-11)

In the second section of Psalm 19, as David turns his gaze from God’s creation to God’s Word, he alters his poetic style to mark the shift. In place of the picturesque metaphors of the first section, these verses contain a set of six parallel couplets, each following a strict grammatical pattern. Together, they form a composite image of the qualities of God’s Word as well as its impact on those who obey it.

Each of the six statements begins with a synonym for the Word of the Lord, followed by a specific characteristic, and concluding with the outcome of its intended effect. The first of the six sets the pattern and serves as the cornerstone for the rest: “The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul.” In the Jewish mind, the law, or torah, which more generally means “instruction,” could be used to encapsulate all of God’s Word.

Nevertheless, in David’s time, apart from the books of Moses and perhaps some of the early historical books, the bulk of the Old Testament had yet to be written. Even so, David treasured what he knew of God’s Word as more precious than gold, sweeter than honey, and possessing ultimate value for knowing and following God’s will.

As with the heavens above, how much sweeter and more valuable can God’s Word be to us now, since we’re able to feast on the full banquet of Scripture, as well as on God’s ultimate Word, his Son Jesus Christ?

A response from the heart

But who can discern their own errors?
Forgive my hidden faults.
Keep your servant also from willful sins;
may they not rule over me.
Then I will be blameless,
innocent of great transgression.

May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.
(Psalm 19:12-14)

On close and careful reading, it’s easy to understand C.S. Lewis’ enthusiasm for Psalm 19. This ancient song masterfully evokes what later theologians such as Augustine would describe as God’s two books: nature and Scripture. It lays the theological groundwork for the apostle Paul, who wrote to the Roman church that we can see God’s eternal power and divine nature through his creation, but we can only know his character and saving grace through his Word (Romans 1).

A great poem needs a great ending, and this one cries out for a deep response from the heart, which David provides. His psalms are beautiful and edifying, but most of all, they’re personal expressions of his faith in God, and Psalm 19 is no exception.

Meditating on God’s creation and on God’s Word leads David to a shorter but no less profound meditation on his own heart before God. Through a final round of poetic couplets, he asks God to forgive his unknown sins and keep him from presumptuous ones, and he admits that it’s only by God’s grace that he’ll be blameless and kept from great sin.

David concludes his song of meditation by offering it to God for approval and declaring his faith in the Lord, who is his firm Rock and gracious Redeemer.

Psalm 19 is a majestic work of art and devotion, but it was God who gave David the talent to write it, and who inspired the words that he wrote. Guided by the Holy Spirit, David wasn’t just writing for his own time, but also for ours. As Paul later explained, “For whatever was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that we may have hope through endurance and through the encouragement from the Scriptures” (Romans 15:4).

By God’s design, Scripture speaks to us in a variety of ways. In the words of David, it refreshes our soul, makes us wise, gives joy to our hearts, and light to our eyes. When we read Psalm 19, we’re invited to join the psalmist in his meditation, to taste his words, to let them roll over in our mind and in our imagination. We can pray along with David that the meditation of our heart is acceptable to our Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer.

Sources and further reading

Nancy L. deClaisse-Walford, Rolf A. Jacobson and Beth LaNeel Tanner, The Book of Psalms, (New International Commentary on the Old Testament), Eerdmans, 2014.

Timothy Keller and Kathy Keller, The Songs of Jesus: A Year of Daily Devotions in the Psalms, Viking, 2015.

Derek Kidner, Psalms 1-72, (Kidner Classic Commentaries), IVP Academic, 2014.

C.S. Lewis, Reflections on the Psalms, HarperOne, 2017.

Tremper Longman III, Psalms: An Introduction and Commentary, (Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries), IVP Academic, 2014.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Hendrickson Academic, 1990.