The Remarkable 19th Psalm

There's something remarkable about Psalm 19 that I haven't seen commented on much.

Actually, there is much to remark on here. For one, it's a beautiful example of Hebrew poetry. Found throughout the Psalms, the Old Testament Wisdom Literature, the Prophets, and even in the Law and Histories and places, Hebrew poetry is not based on rhyme or meter, even in the original languages. Instead it employs figures of speech and parallelism. Psalm 19 opens (ESV):

"The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
"Day to day pours forth speech,
and night to night reveals knowledge."

Poetic parallelism is demonstrated here in the two halves of each couplet. Parallels may involve alternate ways of expressing one thought, as here; an extension of thought in which the second half builds on the first; or an antithetical view (Psalm 20:8: "Some trust in chariots and some in horses, / but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.").

So Hebrew poetry leads one to consider things reflectively. The figures of speech lend it its beauty. It is rich with meaning as well; and Bible-reading peoples for centuries have found deep emotional connections with the Psalms, which include the whole range of human passions and emotions. Psalm 19 is a Psalm of trust and joy. It poetically address the three means by which we know God: through nature (vv. 1-6), through his revelation (vv. 7-11), and through conscience (vv. 12-13); with a closing prayer of submission before God.

Here is what struck me as remarkable this morning (vv. 4b-6):

"In them [the skies] he has set a tent for the sun,
which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber,
and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy.
"Its rising is from the end of the heavens,
and its circuit to the end of them,
and there is nothing hidden from its heat."

It doesn't read at all like something we might write today, does it? The figures of speech are Oriental and archaic. But in another sense it is surprisingly modern. With our modern Christian and scientific viewpoints (which agree on this point), we might easily fail to notice what it does not say. It's an appreciation of the sun, a joyful one at that. (I think it may be the longest one in the Old Testament.) There is not a hint of sun-worship in it.

I'm hardly enough of an Ancient Near East scholar to know how uncommon this really was for the day, but we know that the Israelites lived in Egypt for 400 years, where sun worship was standard. Nature worship of all kinds was rampant around them. This psalmist, David, was able in a most modern way to enjoy and appreciate nature without deifying it. The heavens declare the glory of God; one God, one Creator, one Lord. One ancient civilization got it right.

Posted: Sun - August 19, 2007 at 07:04 AM |

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The Remarkable 19th Psalm

Thinking Christian by Tom Gilson