Psalm 19:2 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.

NIV: Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.

NASB: Day to day pours forth speech, And night to night reveals knowledge.

CSB: Day after day they pour out speech; night after night they communicate knowledge.

NLT: Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known.

KJV: Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.

NKJV: Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge.

The revelation of God in nature continues every moment of every day. Every day and every night, like an ever-flowing stream, nature pours out its message about God. The poetic language of this verse suggests that every day delivers a message about the Creator, and every night conveys knowledge about God's glory.

This passage echoes portions of Psalm 8. There, David says he saw God's glory in nature (Psalm 8:1), and described what he saw in nature as God's creative work. He described the heavens, the moon, and the stars as having been set in place as the work of God's fingers (Psalm 8:3). The sight of God's creation made him wonder why God took notice of man and cared for him (Psalm 8:4).

Whether we gaze at the sky by day or by night, we can see the Creator's glory and our finite existence. When the apostle Paul preached at Athens, he proclaimed God as having "made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth" (Acts 17:24). He urged his audience, therefore, to turn from the worship of idols and repent (Acts 17:30).

Psalm 19:1–6 focuses on creation as a means by which God reveals Himself to mankind. The heavens and the sky offer testimony about God both night and day. This revelation reaches everyone, just as the sun in its strength appears daily and reaches everywhere. This establishes, in part, the idea that all people have ample evidence telling them that God exists.

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 5/8/2024 9:01:19 AM