"To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
1 The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
2 Day to day pours out speech,
and night to night reveals knowledge.
3 There is no speech, nor are there words,
whose voice is not heard.
4 Their voice goes out through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world.
In them he has set a tent for the sun,
5 which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber,
and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy.
6 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.
7 The law of the Lord is perfect,
reviving the soul;
the testimony of the Lord is sure,
making wise the simple;
8 the precepts of the Lord are right,
rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is pure,
enlightening the eyes;
9 the fear of the Lord is clean,
enduring forever;
the rules of the Lord are true,
and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold,
even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey
and drippings of the honeycomb.
11 Moreover, by them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.
12 Who can discern his errors?
Declare me innocent from hidden faults.
13 Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins;
let them not have dominion over me!
Then I shall be blameless,
and innocent of great transgression.
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable in your sight,
O Lord, my rock and my redeemer."
Psalm 19
The many-sided attributes of the Word are unfolded in the verses which follow, and it is a measure of how rich it is that so many different 'names' are given to it, statutes, commandment, testimony, judgments. The implications of the phrase 'rejoicing the heart' in 8 are striking - no sense of cramping legalism here but on the contrary a liberating joy. This is the true understanding of the Law, and anything that savours of legalism is a misunderstanding and perversion of it. Its inexpressible sweetness is underlined in 10, and gives some indication of its superlative value - warnings, rewards, and compensations, all alike are here. The Word answers all men's questionings (7-11), and governs all his ways (12-14). The contemplation of the law leads to self-examination (12, 13) - the searchlight of the Word penetrates the darkest regions of our hearts where forbidden things lurk. Nothing teaches us our own hearts the way the Word does, but it does so with a view to purifying and cleansing us and keeping us from sin. Well might the Psalmist end with the petition in 14, 'Let the words of my mouth...'. And well might we exclaim, as David does in Psalm 119:97, 'O how I love Thy law! It is my meditation all the day'.