Albert Barnes Commentary Psalms 19:14

"Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in thy sight, O Jehovah, my rock, and my redeemer." — Psalms 19:14 (ASV)

Let the words of my mouth—The words that I speak; all the words that I speak.

And the meditation of my heart—The thoughts of my heart.

Be acceptable in your sight—Be such as you will approve; or, be such as will be pleasing to you; such as will give you delight or satisfaction; such as will be agreeable to you. Compare Proverbs 14:35; Isaiah 56:7; Isaiah 60:7; Jeremiah 6:20; Exodus 28:38; Leviticus 22:20–21; Leviticus 19:5. This supposes:

1. that God has such control over our thoughts and words, that he can cause us to order them rightly;
2. that it is proper to pray to him to exert such an influence on our minds that our words and thoughts may be right and pure;
3. that it is one of the sincere desires and wishes of true piety that the thoughts and words may be acceptable or pleasing to God.

The great purpose of the truly pious is not to please themselves, or to please others , but to please God. The great object is to secure acceptance with him; to have such thoughts, and to utter such words, that He can look upon them with approval.

O Lord my strength—Margin, as in Hebrew, rock. Compare the note at Psalm 18:2.

And my redeemer—On the word used here, see the note at Job 19:25; compare Isaiah 41:14; Isaiah 43:14; Isaiah 44:6, 44:24; Isaiah 47:4; Isaiah 63:16. The two things which the psalmist here refers to in regard to God, as the appellations dear to his heart, are:

1. that God is his Rock, or strength; that is, that he was his defense and refuge; and
2. that he (God) had rescued or redeemed him (the psalmist) from sin, or that he (the psalmist) looked to him (God) as alone able to redeem him (the psalmist) from sin and death.

It is not necessary to inquire here how far the psalmist was acquainted with the plan of salvation as it would be ultimately disclosed through the great Redeemer of humankind. It is sufficient to know that he had an idea of redemption, and that he looked to God as his Redeemer, and believed that he (God) could rescue him (the psalmist) from sin.

The psalm, therefore, which begins with a contemplation of God in his works, appropriately closes with a contemplation of God in redemption. This psalm also brings before us the great thought that we are not to be saved by the knowledge of God as we can gain it from his works of creation. Rather, the most endearing character in which he (God) can be manifested to us is in the work of redemption. For this reason, wherever we begin our contemplation of God, it is fitting for us to end in the contemplation of his character as our Redeemer.