Commentary - Psalm 19:7-14

Bird's-eye view

After establishing the glory of God in general revelation, the heavens declaring His handiwork (vv. 1-6), David now turns to the glory of God in His special revelation, which is the Word of God. This psalm could be called the psalm of the three books. The first is the book of the heavens (vv. 1-6). The second is the book of the law (vv. 7-11). And the third, which flows from the second, is the book of the conscience (vv. 12-14). Without the Spirit of God, we are blind readers of all three. But with eyes opened by grace, we see that God's Word is not a collection of arbitrary rules, but rather a perfect, sure, right, pure, clean, and true revelation of His own character. It is a gift that restores, makes wise, rejoices, enlightens, and endures. It is more valuable than gold and sweeter than honey. This high view of God's law then drives the psalmist, not to self-righteousness, but to deep introspection and a plea for grace. He recognizes his own hidden faults and presumptuous sins and casts himself upon Yahweh, his rock and his Redeemer.

This section of the psalm is a magnificent ode to the sufficiency and desirability of Scripture. It provides a six-fold description of God's Word, using different synonyms for it, and describes the corresponding effect on the human soul. This isn't just poetry; it is foundational doctrine. The law of God is not a burden to the regenerate man, but his delight and his life. This delight in the law then leads to a right understanding of our own sinfulness and our desperate need for a Redeemer, which is where the psalm ultimately lands.

Outline

The Word as Revelation

The first half of Psalm 19 celebrates God's glory as seen in the created order. The stars and sun speak a universal, non-verbal language of God's power and majesty. But this general revelation is not sufficient to save. It leaves men without excuse, as Paul argues in Romans 1, but it does not make them wise unto salvation. For that, we need God to speak to us in words, and this is what we have in verses 7-11. David here piles up synonym after synonym for the Scriptures: law, testimony, precepts, commandment, fear, judgments. This is God's special revelation, His propositional truth given to His people. It is not a secondary or lesser revelation, but a clearer and more direct one. The heavens show God's handiwork, but the Scriptures show His heart and mind. To the converted man, the law is perfect. It is through this Word that the soul is restored and the simple are made wise. The New Testament is latent in the Old, and the Old is patent in the New. Both testaments are God's one Word to us, and they find their ultimate fulfillment and meaning in the person of Jesus Christ, who is the Word made flesh.

Commentary

7a The law of Yahweh is perfect, restoring the soul;

The first thing David says about God's Word is that it is perfect. The Hebrew word is tamim, meaning complete, whole, entire, without blemish. This is a direct contradiction of the modern evangelical sentiment that views the Old Testament law as somehow flawed or incomplete. No, the law of Yahweh is perfect. It reflects the perfect character of the Lawgiver. And because it is perfect, it has a powerful effect: it restores the soul. The word for "restoring" can also be translated as "converting" or "reviving." The Word of God is the instrument the Holy Spirit uses to bring dead sinners to life. It turns the soul back to its proper orientation, which is the worship of God. A man is not converted by looking at the stars, but by the perfect law of God entering his heart.

7b The testimony of Yahweh is sure, making wise the simple.

The Word is also called God's "testimony." This refers to the witness God bears concerning Himself, His will, and His works. This testimony is "sure," meaning it is reliable, trustworthy, and firmly established. It is not a collection of suggestions or pious hopes. It is the bedrock of reality. Because it is sure, it has the effect of "making wise the simple." The "simple" here are not the unintelligent, but rather the naive, the uninstructed, those who are open to being taught. True wisdom is not found in the esoteric philosophies of men, but in the sure testimony of God. The Bible takes the simple man, the humble man who is willing to be taught, and makes him wiser than his enemies, wiser than all his teachers (Ps. 119:98-99).

8a The precepts of Yahweh are right, rejoicing the heart;

The "precepts" of Yahweh are His specific instructions or principles. And they are "right." They are not arbitrary; they are straight, morally upright, and they point in the correct direction. They lay out the path of righteousness. The natural man finds these precepts to be a burden, a restriction on his autonomy. But for the one whose soul has been restored, these right precepts are a source of profound joy. They rejoice the heart. Why? Because the redeemed heart loves what God loves, and God loves righteousness. Obedience is not a grim duty for the Christian; it is a joyful response to the grace of God. Humility brings joy, while pride brings condemnation.

8b The commandment of Yahweh is pure, enlightening the eyes.

The "commandment" is God's authoritative directive. It is "pure," which means it is clear, lucid, and without any admixture of darkness or deceit. It is like a radiant light. And that is exactly its effect: it enlightens the eyes. It gives spiritual understanding and discernment. The world stumbles around in darkness, calling evil good and good evil, but the commandment of God shines a bright light on the path, enabling the believer to see things as they really are. God gives understanding this way. Without the pure light of God's Word, we are blind.

9a The fear of Yahweh is clean, enduring forever;

Here, "the fear of Yahweh" is used as another synonym for His revealed will. It refers to the true religion, the worship that is due to Him, as prescribed in His Word. This worship is "clean." It is undefiled, morally and ceremonially pure. It is the opposite of the polluted, man-made religions of the world. And because it is clean, it cleanses the worshiper. Furthermore, this true worship "endures forever." Unlike the fleeting religious fads of men, the truth of God and the worship He requires are eternal and unchanging.

9b The judgments of Yahweh are true; they are righteous altogether.

The "judgments" of Yahweh are His judicial verdicts or decisions, as revealed in Scripture. These judgments are "true." They are in perfect accord with reality. They are not based on shifting human opinion but on the unchanging character of God. And they are not just true individually; "they are righteous altogether." There is no flaw in them, no inconsistency, no shadow of injustice. Every single one of God's judgments is righteous, and taken as a whole, they form a perfectly coherent and righteous system of truth.

10 They are more desirable than gold, even more than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.

Having described the character of God's Word, David now describes its value. He uses two powerful metaphors. First, the Word is more desirable than the most precious material possession, "much fine gold." In a world that lusts after wealth, the believer understands that the true riches are found in the Scriptures. Second, it is sweeter than the most delightful sensory experience, "honey and the drippings of the honeycomb." The Word of God is not bitter medicine to be endured; it is a feast to be enjoyed. It is a source of deep, satisfying pleasure to the soul that has been made alive by God. The Word of God is always sweet to the humble man.

11 Moreover, by them Your slave is warned; In keeping them there is great reward.

The Word has a twofold practical benefit. First, it warns. The servant of God is warned away from sin and danger by the Scriptures. God's commands are not meant to restrict our freedom, but to protect us from the destruction that lies at the end of every path of disobedience. Second, it rewards. "In keeping them there is great reward." This is not to say that we earn our salvation by obedience. Salvation is by grace alone. But it is to say that the life of obedience is the life of blessing. God is pleased to reward the faithfulness of His children, both in this life and the next. The idea of covenant blessing and cursing is not repulsive to the one who understands them.

12 Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults.

A true appreciation for the perfection of God's law inevitably leads to a true appreciation of our own sinfulness. The light of God's Word exposes the darkness in our own hearts. David asks a rhetorical question: "Who can discern his errors?" The expected answer is, "No one, on his own." Our hearts are deceitful, and we are blind to so many of our own sins. These are the "hidden faults." These are sins we commit without being aware of them, the sins that flow from our corrupt nature. David's response is not despair, but a plea for grace: "Acquit me." He asks God to cleanse him from the sins he doesn't even know he's committing. This is a prayer every true believer should pray.

13 Also keep back Your slave from presumptuous sins; Let them not rule over me; Then I will be blameless, And I shall be acquitted of great transgression.

David then moves from hidden faults to "presumptuous sins." These are the high-handed sins, the willful, defiant acts of rebellion. These are sins committed with eyes wide open. David understands the progression of sin. It begins with hidden faults, but if left unchecked, can lead to high-handed rebellion. He prays for God's restraining grace to keep him from such sins and, crucially, that they would not "rule over me." Sin's goal is always dominion. The prayer is that God would prevent these sins from gaining mastery. If God grants this, David says, "Then I will be blameless." This is not a claim to sinless perfection, but to integrity of heart. He will be innocent of the "great transgression," which is likely apostasy, the ultimate act of high-handed rebellion against God.

14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O Yahweh, my rock and my Redeemer.

The psalm concludes with a beautiful prayer of consecration. Having considered the glory of God in creation, the perfection of God's Word, and the sinfulness of his own heart, David's final desire is that his entire being, both his outward expression ("the words of my mouth") and his inward life ("the meditation of my heart"), would be "acceptable" to God. This is the goal of the Christian life: to live coram Deo, before the face of God, in a way that pleases Him. And he grounds this prayer in the character of God. He addresses God as "my rock," my source of stability and strength, and "my Redeemer," the one who has bought me back from the slavery of sin. It is only because God is our Rock and our Redeemer that we can even dare to pray such a prayer. He is the one who makes our imperfect worship acceptable through the finished work of the ultimate Redeemer, Jesus Christ.

Application

This passage is a powerful corrective to our low view of Scripture. We are tempted to see the Bible as a difficult, outdated rulebook. David shows us that it is a perfect, life-giving, joy-inducing, wisdom-imparting treasure. We must recover a love for the Word of God. We must read it, study it, meditate on it, and pray that God would make it sweeter to us than honey and more precious than gold.

Secondly, a high view of God's law should always lead to a low view of ourselves. The more we see the purity of God's commandments, the more we will see the impurity of our own hearts. This should not lead us to despair, but to repentance. Like David, we should be driven to our knees, asking God to cleanse us from our hidden faults and to keep us from presumptuous sins. We must recognize our utter dependence on His grace.

Finally, our lives must be a response to the God who has revealed Himself in His Word and redeemed us in His Son. Our goal should be that the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts would be acceptable in His sight. This is not about earning His favor, but about joyfully living out the new identity we have as those who have been redeemed by our Rock, Jesus Christ.