Psalm 19:11 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.

NIV: By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward.

NASB: Moreover, Your servant is warned by them; In keeping them there is great reward.

CSB: In addition, your servant is warned by them, and in keeping them there is an abundant reward.

NLT: They are a warning to your servant, a great reward for those who obey them.

KJV: Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.

NKJV: Moreover by them Your servant is warned, And in keeping them there is great reward.

David wrote from personal experience as God's servant. He credited the law of God, God's Word, with warning him against danger. God did not give us His Word to deprive us of enjoyment but to keep us from what would harm us. Sin sets a snare for believers but the Scriptures teach us how to avoid its snare.

God warned Israel not to enter into an agreement with the Canaanites and their gods. He knew doing so would snare them into sinning against Him. They would be trapped into serving the Canaanites' false gods (Exodus 23:23–33). However, God's Word offers great reward for obedience. Peace and security are two of those rewards. David wrote in Psalm 119:165: "Great peace have those who love your law; nothing can make them stumble."

Another reward is the crown Paul said awaited him at the end of his life. He wrote that he had fought a good fight, kept the faith, and finished his course, therefore the Lord would grant him "the crown of righteousness" (2 Timothy 4:7–8).

Psalm 19:7–14 introduces the law of the Lord—meaning Scripture—as God's perfect revelation of Himself and His will. The prior passage identified nature as a revelation of God. Psalm 119, as well, extols God's Word as His perfect revelation and cites the blessings which come to those who love and obey it.

David refers to the details of creation as evidence for God's power and design. The appearance and function of nature are evidence of God's majesty. The second half of this psalm also celebrates God's revelation, but in the form of His Word. The law, precepts, and commandments of God are hailed for their perfection and benefit.

This psalm of David celebrates two separate revelations which God has given human beings. He has revealed Himself in nature and in Scripture. Psalm 8 is a companion psalm because it, too, refers to nature as revealing God's majesty. Romans 1:18–25 also points out that God revealed himself through nature, but the passage indicates that disobedient people rejected this revelation.

The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.

Accessed 5/6/2024 8:01:02 AM