CORPUS-PSALTERIUMVol. I
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Corpus Psalterium · Vol. I

Psalm XIX (19)

Composite — Revelation Transition

Paul Whitehorn

0:004:27
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Psalm 19 in Hebrew and English, and the words as they are sung.

Heb 1

For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David.

לַמְנַצֵּ֗חַ מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִֽד׃

1Heb 2

The heavens declare the glory of God. The expanse shows his handiwork.

הַשָּׁמַ֗יִם מְֽסַפְּרִ֥ים כְּבֽוֹד־אֵ֑ל וּֽמַעֲשֵׂ֥ה יָ֝דָ֗יו מַגִּ֥יד הָרָקִֽיעַ׃

2Heb 3

Day after day they pour out speech, and night after night they display knowledge.

י֣וֹם לְ֭יוֹם יַבִּ֣יעַֽ אֹ֑מֶר וְלַ֥יְלָה לְּ֝לַ֗יְלָה יְחַוֶּה־דָּֽעַת׃

3Heb 4

There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard.

אֵֽין־אֹ֭מֶר וְאֵ֣ין דְּבָרִ֑ים בְּ֝לִ֗י נִשְׁמָ֥ע קוֹלָֽם׃

4Heb 5

Their voice has gone out through all the earth, their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun,

בְּכָל־הָאָ֨רֶץ ׀ יָ֘צָ֤א קַוָּ֗ם וּבִקְצֵ֣ה תֵ֭בֵל מִלֵּיהֶ֑ם לַ֝שֶּׁ֗מֶשׁ שָֽׂם־אֹ֥הֶל בָּהֶֽם׃

5Heb 6

which is as a bridegroom coming out of his room, like a strong man rejoicing to run his course.

וְה֗וּא כְּ֭חָתָן יֹצֵ֣א מֵחֻפָּת֑וֹ יָשִׂ֥ישׂ כְּ֝גִבּ֗וֹר לָר֥וּץ אֹֽרַח׃

6Heb 7

His going out is from the end of the heavens, his circuit to its ends. There is nothing hidden from its heat.

מִקְצֵ֤ה הַשָּׁמַ֨יִם ׀ מֽוֹצָא֗וֹ וּתְקוּפָת֥וֹ עַל־קְצוֹתָ֑ם וְאֵ֥ין נִ֝סְתָּ֗ר מֵֽחַמָּתוֹ׃

7Heb 8

Yahweh’s law is perfect, restoring the soul. Yahweh’s covenant is sure, making wise the simple.

תּ֘וֹרַ֤ת יְהוָ֣ה תְּ֭מִימָה מְשִׁ֣יבַת נָ֑פֶשׁ עֵד֥וּת יְהוָ֥ה נֶ֝אֱמָנָ֗ה מַחְכִּ֥ימַת פֶּֽתִי׃

8Heb 9

Yahweh’s precepts are right, rejoicing the heart. Yahweh’s commandment is pure, enlightening the eyes.

פִּקּ֘וּדֵ֤י יְהוָ֣ה יְ֭שָׁרִים מְשַׂמְּחֵי־לֵ֑ב מִצְוַ֥ת יְהוָ֥ה בָּ֝רָ֗ה מְאִירַ֥ת עֵינָֽיִם׃

9Heb 10

The fear of Yahweh is clean, enduring forever. Yahweh’s ordinances are true, and righteous altogether.

יִרְאַ֤ת יְהוָ֨ה ׀ טְהוֹרָה֮ עוֹמֶ֪דֶת לָ֫עַ֥ד מִֽשְׁפְּטֵי־יְהוָ֥ה אֱמֶ֑ת צָֽדְק֥וּ יַחְדָּֽו׃

10Heb 11

They are more to be desired than gold, yes, than much fine gold, sweeter also than honey and the extract of the honeycomb.

הַֽנֶּחֱמָדִ֗ים מִ֭זָּהָב וּמִפַּ֣ז רָ֑ב וּמְתוּקִ֥ים מִ֝דְּבַ֗שׁ וְנֹ֣פֶת צוּפִֽים׃

11Heb 12

Moreover your servant is warned by them. In keeping them there is great reward.

גַּֽם־עַ֭בְדְּךָ נִזְהָ֣ר בָּהֶ֑ם בְּ֝שָׁמְרָ֗ם עֵ֣קֶב רָֽב׃

12Heb 13

Who can discern his errors? Forgive me from hidden errors.

שְׁגִיא֥וֹת מִֽי־יָבִ֑ין מִֽנִּסְתָּר֥וֹת נַקֵּֽנִי׃

13Heb 14

Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins. Let them not have dominion over me. Then I will be upright. I will be blameless and innocent of great transgression.

גַּ֤ם מִזֵּדִ֨ים ׀ חֲשֹׂ֬ךְ עַבְדֶּ֗ךָ אַֽל־יִמְשְׁלוּ־בִ֣י אָ֣ז אֵיתָ֑ם וְ֝נִקֵּ֗יתִי מִפֶּ֥שַֽׁע רָֽב׃

14Heb 15

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, Yahweh, my rock, and my redeemer.

יִֽהְי֥וּ לְרָצ֨וֹן ׀ אִמְרֵי־פִ֡י וְהֶגְי֣וֹן לִבִּ֣י לְפָנֶ֑יךָ יְ֝הוָ֗ה צוּרִ֥י וְגֹאֲלִֽי׃

Hebrew: Westminster Leningrad Codex (public domain), from the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible. English: World English Bible (public domain). Verse numbers follow the English Bible; the Hebrew numbering is shown beneath where it differs.

The heavens declare

the glory of God

The sky above

proclaims His work

Day to day

pours out speech

Night to night

reveals knowledge

There is no speech

there are no words

Yet their voice

goes out

through all the earth

Their message

to the ends of the world

In them

He has set a tent for the sun

It rises

like a bridegroom

coming from his chamber

It runs

like a strong man

with joy

on its path

From one end of the heavens

it comes

Its circuit

to the other end

Nothing

is hidden

from its heat

The law of the LORD

is perfect

restoring the soul

The testimony of the LORD

is sure

making wise

the simple

The precepts of the LORD

are right

rejoicing the heart

The commandment of the LORD

is pure

giving light

to the eyes

The fear of the LORD

is clean

enduring forever

The judgments of the LORD

are true

righteous

altogether

More to be desired

than gold

even much fine gold

Sweeter

than honey

dripping

from the comb

By them

Your servant is warned

In keeping them

there is great reward

Who can discern

his errors

Cleanse me

from hidden faults

Keep back Your servant

from willful sins

Let them not

rule over me

Then I will be blameless

Innocent

of great transgression

Let the words of my mouth

Let the words of my mouth

And the meditation

of my heart

be pleasing

be pleasing

in Your sight

O LORD

my rock

and my redeemer

Lyrics by Paul Whitehorn: a singable English rendering of the Hebrew, as sung on this recording.

Corpus Psalterium sets each psalm to music by its Hebrew grammar. Didactic psalms teach; Cantillated psalms are spoken, sung or performed before God. Hear all 150 psalms free.

About these songs. They are a summary and a commentary on the Psalms, not a word-for-word translation. Read what these songs are →

What These Songs Are, and What They Are Not

These songs are not a word-for-word translation of the Psalms. They were never meant to be. Nor do they try to capture every idea in every psalm. In a song, that would be impossible.

What we have done is capture the essence of each psalm: what matters most in it. Think of each song as a summary. Think of it as a cheat sheet. The purpose of the psalm is still being met. God's word to mankind is still being heard.

Behind many of these lines is word research: deep study of the meaning of the Hebrew. So where a line sounds different from your translation, and you think it is wrong, study it. We believe you will find that the essence of what we sing is true.

The truth is that no one can set the Psalms to music without also becoming a commentator. That is what this is. It is a modern commentary on the Psalms: not only the Psalms themselves, and not only the Psalms being sung. So do not think that every word of the psalm is here. It is not. Read the psalm itself, in full.

Why do this at all? Because we believe God intended humanity to be surrounded by His word. This was always the entertainment He wanted us to have: not hours of television, not a day lost in a phone looking at nonsense. The blessed man of Psalm 1 meditates on God's word day and night. How can we meditate on His word if we do not surround ourselves with it?

As ministers, our first responsibility is to share God's word with people. That is what these songs are for.

Paul Whitehorn