This very beautiful psalm is designed to illustrate the superiority of revealed truth above the light of nature in showing the character and perfections of God. In doing this, there is no attempt in the psalm, as there should be none on our part in explaining it, to undervalue or disparage the truths about God revealed by nature. All that could now be said in regard to the works of creation, as illustrating the divine perfections, is really admitted by the psalmist Psalms 19:1-6; and yet this is placed in strong contrast with the revelations disclosed in the “law of the Lord,” that is, in his revealed word Psalms 19:7-11. The revelations of nature, and the higher revelation by inspiration, belong to the same system of religion, and are alike designed to illustrate the being, the perfections, and the government of God. The friend of religion should claim the one as well as the other; the defense of the Bible as a revelation from God should not lead us to disparage or undervalue the disclosures respecting God as made by nature. He who asserts that a revelation is necessary to mankind, and who maintains that the light of nature is not sufficient for the wants of man, should nevertheless concede all that can be known from the works of God about the Creator; should rejoice in all that truth; and should be willing that all should be learned that can be learned about God from his works. When all this is admitted, and all this learned, there will be still an ample field for the higher disclosures which revelation claims to make.
Nor did the psalmist apprehend that the revelations about God which are made in his works would be in conflict with those which are made in his word. He evidently felt, in looking at these works of creation, that he was learning truths which would in no manner contradict the higher truths communicated by revelation; that the investigation of the one might be pursued to any extent without showing that the other was needless, or bringing the truth of the other into peril.
This psalm consists properly of three parts:
I. The revelation of God in his works, Psalms 19:1-6.
II. The higher and more glorious revelation of himself in his law, Psalms 19:7-10.
III. The bearing of these truths on the present character and conduct of the author, and consequently their adaptedness to produce the same effect on others, Psalms 19:11-14.
(a) in warning men of the nature of sin, and thus keeping them from transgression, Psalms 19:11;
(b) in making them aware of the extent and depth of sin, and especially of secret faults, Psalms 19:12;
(c) in leading them to pray earnestly that they may be cleansed from secret faults, and be kept back or restrained from presumptuous sins, Psalms 19:12-13;
(d) in leading them to pray earnestly that their words and thoughts may be made acceptable to God, Psalms 19:14.
The psalm is said in the title to be “A Psalm of David;” and there is nothing in the psalm itself to create a doubt in regard to the correctness of this statement. It is impossible, however, to determine when, or in what circumstances, it was composed, for there are no internal marks which will fix it at any particular period of the life of the author. There is no allusion either to persecution or to triumph; to private, domestic, or public life - or to any of the known circumstances of the history of David. If a conjecture may be allowed, it would seem not improbable that it was composed in those calm periods of his history when he led a shepherd-life; when he had abundant time to contemplate the movements of the heavenly bodies by day and by night, and to meditate on them in contrast with the higher truths which God had made known in his law.
Rosenmuller conjectured at one time that the psalm was originally two, and that the two were afterward united into one. DeWette also looked favorably on this supposition. Rosenmuller, however, subsequently saw occasion to retract this, and to adopt the opinion that it was originally one composition. This is undoubtedly the correct idea, as appears not only from the fact that there is no evidence that these were two psalms, and from the general character and construction of the psalm, but from the fact that the conclusion Psalms 19:12-14 seems to be based on the contemplation of all the truth which God in any way makes known to the soul. On the supposition that the psalm is one, this is a proper termination of the whole composition. On the other supposition, no small part of the beauty of the psalm would be lost.
In respect to the meaning of the title, “To the chief Musician,” see the introduction to Psalms 4:1-8.