The Pulpit Commentary — Psalms — Volume 1 — Section 127

EXPOSITION. The psalm is generally allowed to be PSALM XIX. Do.vid's, and is declared to bo his by the THE nineteenth pealm is one of meditative title. There are no intel'Dal indications by praise. The psalmist, looking a.broad over which to assign it a date. the whole world, finds two main subjects for bis eulogy-first, the gloriollll fa.bric of the Ver. 1.-The heavens declare the glory of God j literally, the heavens are recounting the material creation (vers. 1-6); and, secondly, glory of God-of El, "the Mighty One"- the Divine Law which God has given to the God of nature (see Rom. i. 20). D,ivid man (vers. 7-11). Having thus poured is perhaps carrying out his declo.red inten- out llis heart in praise and thanksgiving to tion (Pa. xviii. 49) of" praising God among God, he turns his eye inward upon Limoelf, the heathen," nnd therefore to.kes their standpoint-the ground of nature. And the and findii many shortcomings (ver. 12). firmament showeth his handywork. (On The thought of these leads him to prayer, "the firmament," eee Gen. i. 6, 20.) It is the and so the hymn concluclcs with e. few entirn atmosphere enveloping the eRrth, short petitions (vera. 12-H). in which the clouds he.11g and the birds Rhythmically, the di visions cor1 espond move. Like the starry hellvens above, this, too, "showeth," or rather, "proclaimeth," to the changes in the thought. There is God's handiwork. first e. stately movement, continued for six Ver. 2.-Do.y unto da.y uttereth speeoh; verses, devoted to the glories of the uni- literally, poureth out speech, 1111 water is verse ; then a livelier strain in longer poured from 11, fountain. Eaoh day beo.rs (mostly double) lines, praising the Law of ite testimony to the noxt, o.nd eo the etr<'lllll goes on in a flow the.t is never Lrokcn. the Lord, and extending to five verses only; And night unto night showeth knowledge. finally, a conclusion in short, broltcn lines, Dr. Kay compo.rcs St. Paul's etatcmont, limited to tlireo verse~. thllt "tbat which 111.ay be lmo1011 of God" itl  PB, XIX. 1-14.] THE BOOK OF PSALMS. 120