Albert Barnes Commentary Psalms 19

The heavens declare the glory of God — They announce, proclaim, make known his glory. The word "heavens" here refers to the material heavens as they appear to the eye — the region of the sun, moon, and stars. The Hebrew word is used in the Scriptures uniformly in the plural number, though in our common translation the singular number is often used (Genesis 1:1, 1:8-9, 1:14, 1:17, 1:20; Genesis 6:17; Genesis 7:11, 7:19, 7:23; and often).

The plural, however, is often retained, but without any special reason why it should be retained in one place rather than in another (Genesis 2:1, 2:4; Deuteronomy 10:14; Ezra 9:6; Psalms 2:4; Psalms 8:1, 8:3; Psalms 18:13). The original idea may have been that there was one heaven above another — one in which the sun was placed, another in which the moon was placed, then the planets, the fixed stars, etc. Above all was supposed to be the place where God dwells.

The word "glory" here means that which constitutes the glory or honor of God — his wisdom, power, skill, faithfulness, benevolence — as seen in the starry worlds above us, the silent, but solemn movements by day and by night.

The idea is that these convey to the mind a true impression of the greatness and majesty of God. The reference here is to these heavens as they appear to the naked eye and as they are observed by all people. It may be added that the impression is far more solemn and grand when we take into account the disclosures of modern astronomy, and when we look at the heavens, not merely with the naked eye, but through the revelations of the telescope.

And the firmament — See the note at Daniel 12:3. The word rendered "firmament" — רקיע (râqı̂ya‛) — means properly “an expanse” — that which is spread out — and is applied to the heavens as they appear to be spread out or expanded above us. The word occurs elsewhere in the following places and is always rendered “firmament” in our common version: Genesis 1:6, 1:7 (twice), 1:8, 1:14, 1:15, 1:17, 1:20; Psalms 150:1; Ezekiel 1:22–23, 1:25-26; Ezekiel 10:1; Daniel 12:3.

The word “firmament” — that which is firm or fixed — is taken from the word used by the translators of the Septuagint, στερέωμα (stereōma) — from the idea that the heavens above us are a solid concave.

In the Scriptures, the stars are represented as placed in that expanse, so that if it should be rolled together as a tent is rolled up, they would fall down to the earth. See the note at Isaiah 34:4. The reference in the passage before us is to the heavens as they appear to be spread out over our heads, and in which the stars are fixed.

Showeth his handywork — The heavens make known the work of his hands. The idea is that God had made those heavens by his own hands, and that the firmament, thus adorned with sun, and moon, and stars, showed the wisdom and skill with which it was done. Compare Psalms 8:3.

Day to day - One day to another; or, each successive day. The day that is passing away proclaims the lesson it had to convey from the movements of the heavens about God; and in this way, the knowledge of God accumulates as time moves on. Each day has its own lesson regarding the wisdom, power, and goodness of God, and that lesson is conveyed from one day to another. There is a perpetual testimony thus given to the wisdom and power of the Great Creator.

utters speech - The word here rendered 'utters' properly means to pour forth; to pour forth copiously like a fountain (Proverbs 1:23; Proverbs 15:2, 28). Hence, the word means to utter, to declare. The word "speech" properly means "a word;" and then, "a lesson;" or "that which speech conveys." The idea is that the successive days thus impart instruction or convey lessons about God. The day does this by the returning light, by the steady and sublime movement of the sun in the heavens, and by all the disclosures made by the light of the sun in its journeys.

And night to night shows knowledge - Knowledge respecting God. Each successive night does this. It is done by the stars in their courses: in their order, their numbers, their ranks, their changes of position, their rising, and their setting. There are as many lessons conveyed to people about the greatness and majesty of God by the silent movements of each night as there are by the light of successive days. In a similar way, there may be as many lessons conveyed to the soul about God in the dark night of affliction and adversity as there are when the sun of prosperity shines upon us.

There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard – The margin reads, "Without these their voice is heard." The Hebrew is, “without their voice heard.” The idea in the margin, which is adopted by Prof. Alexander, is that when the heavens give expression to the majesty and glory of God, it is not by words – by the use of language such as people employ. That is, there is a silent but real testimony to the power and glory of their great Author. DeWette substantially adopts the same idea. So Rosenmuller renders it, “There is no speech to them, and no words, neither is their voice heard.”

High as these authorities are, yet it seems to me that the idea conveyed by our common version is probably the correct one. This is the idea in the Septuagint and the Latin Vulgate.

According to this interpretation, the meaning is: “There is no nation, there are no people, whatever their language may be, to whom the heavens do not speak, declaring the greatness and glory of God. The language they speak is universal; and however various the languages spoken by people, however impossible it may be for them to understand each other, yet all can understand the language of the heavens, proclaiming the perfections of the Great Creator. That is a universal language that does not need to be expressed in the forms of human speech but conveys great truths alike to all humankind.”

That the passage cannot mean there is no speech, no words, or no language in the lessons conveyed by the heavens seems clear to me from the fact that both in the previous verse (Psalms 19:2) and in the following verse (Psalms 19:4), the psalmist says that they do use speech or language: Day unto day uttereth speech; their words unto the end of the world. The phrase “their voice” refers to the heavens (Psalms 19:1). They utter a clear and distinct voice to humankind; that is, they convey to people true and just notions of the greatness of the Creator.

The meaning, then, it seems to me, is that the same great lessons about God are conveyed by the heavens, in their glory and their revolutions, to all nations; that these lessons are conveyed to them day by day, and night by night; that however great the diversities of Speech among people may be, these convey lessons in a universal language understood by all humankind; and that thus God is constantly making Himself known to all the inhabitants of the earth.

All people can understand the language of the heavens, though they may not be able to understand the language of each other. Of the truth of this no one can doubt; and its beauty is equal to its truth.

Their line - This refers to the heavens. The word used here—קו qav—properly means a cord or line:

• A measuring line (Ezekiel 47:3; Job 38:5; Isaiah 44:13); and then
• A cord or string, like that of a lyre or other musical instrument, and therefore, a sound.

So it is rendered here by the Septuagint, φθόγγος phthongos; by Symmachus, ἦχος ēchos; and by the Vulgate, sonus. DeWette renders it Klang, sound. Professor Alexander dogmatically says that this is “entirely at variance with the Hebrew usage.” That this sense, however, is demanded in the passage seems clear, not only from the meaning given to it by the ancient versions but also by the parallelism, where the term “words” corresponds to it:

“Their line is gone out through all the earth;
Their words to the end of the world.”

Besides, what could be the meaning of saying that their line, in the sense of a measuring line or cord, had gone through all the earth? The plain meaning is that sounds conveying instruction, and here connected with the idea of sweet or musical sounds, had gone out from the heavens to all parts of the world, conveying the knowledge of God. There is no allusion to the notion of the “music of the spheres,” for this concept was unknown to the Hebrews; rather, the idea is that of sweet or musical sounds, not harsh or grating, which proceed from the movements of the heavens and convey these lessons to humankind.

And their words - The lessons or truths which they convey.

To the end of the world - To the uttermost parts of the earth. This language is derived from the idea that the earth was a plane and had limits. However, even with our correct knowledge of the earth’s shape, we use similar language when we speak of the “uttermost parts of the earth.”

In them - That is, in the heavens (Psalms 19:1). The meaning is that the sun has its abode or dwelling-place, as it were, in the heavens. The sun is particularly mentioned, doubtless, as being the most prominent object among the heavenly bodies, illustrating in an eminent manner the glory of God. The sense of the whole passage is that the heavens in general proclaim the glory of God, and that this is shown in a particular and special way by the light, splendor, and journeyings of the sun.

Hath he set a tabernacle for the sun - A tent; that is, a dwelling-place. He has made a dwelling-place there for the sun. Compare Habakkuk 3:11: “The sun and moon stood still in their habitation.”

Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber – That is, when he rises in the morning. He rises from the darkness of the night, and comes forth as the bridegroom comes out of the chamber where he has slept. The allusion is to the bright, and joyful, and cheerful aspect of the rising sun. The image of the bridegroom is employed because we associate with a bridegroom the idea of hilarity, cheerfulness, joy. The essential image is that the sun seems to rise from a night of repose, as man does in the morning, and that after such a night of repose he goes forth with cheerfulness and alacrity to the employments of the day.

The figure is an obvious but a very beautiful one, though there is a transition from the image employed in the previous verse, where the sun is represented as dwelling in a tent or tabernacle fitted up for it in the heavens. In the next member of the sentence the figure is again changed, by his being represented as a man prepared to run a race.

And rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race – As a man who is vigorous and powerful, when he enters on a race. He is girded for it; he summons all his strength; he seems to exult in the idea of putting his strength to the test, and starting off on his career. Compare the note at 1 Corinthians 9:24–27. The same comparison which is employed here occurs in the Zendavesta, ii. 106. DeWette. The idea is that the sun seems to have a long journey before him, and puts forth all his vigour, exulting in the opportunity of manifesting that vigour, and confident of triumphing in the race.