Charles Ellicott Commentary Psalms 19:3

"There is no speech nor language; Their voice is not heard." — Psalms 19:3 (ASV)

There is no speech. —The literal rendering is Not speech, not words, their voice is not heard.

In explaining this:

1. One interpretation, from the English version (Bible and Prayer Book) and (if intelligible at all) the Septuagint and Vulgate, proposes: “There is no speech nor language without their (the heavens’) speech being heard (i.e., understood).” But this gives an inadmissible sense to davar, which does not mean language, but a spoken word. Besides, it was not a likely thought for the psalmist that the divine tradition of the heavens, while it travels over the whole earth, would be everywhere intelligible.

2. A second interpretation suggests: “It is not speech, it is not words whose voice is inaudible,” meaning, unintelligible; but, on the contrary, it is a manifestation to all the world. However, the parallelism of the text argues against this.

3. A third view, and the one preferred here, notes that the line “their voice is not heard” is merely the rhythmic echo of “there is no speech nor word.” Therefore, this approach keeps close to the literal rendering: There is no speech, there are no (uttered) words, their voice is inaudible; understanding the poet to say that the manifestation of the Creator’s glory—which he has just imagined the heavens proclaiming, and of which each succeeding day passes on the story—is not made in audible words. The communication of the sky is eloquent, but mute; its voice is for the heart and emotion, not the ear.

So Addison—

“What though in solemn silence all
Move round this dark terrestrial ball,
What though no real voice or sound
Amidst their radiant orbs be found?
In reason’s ear they all rejoice
And utter forth a glorious voice,
For ever singing as they shine
The hand that made us is Divine.”