Psalms 19:4 - Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

Bible Comments

Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun,

Their line is gone out through all the earth. "Their line" is the measuring line of the heavens, which determines the limits and compass of the earth so far as they shall reach (Isaiah 34:17; Zechariah 1:16). The whole earth, then, is their compass, and throughout it "all" they proclaim the divine glory. Thus, as Psalms 19:2-3 express the unceasing praise of God which, with silent eloquence, the heavens declare, so Psalms 19:4-6 express the universality of their praises. Paul follows the free rendering of the Septuagint (fthongos). 'Their sound went into all the earth.' In this he, by the Holy Spirit, gives the virtual meaning of the Hebrew х qaaw (H6957), a line].

And their words to the end of the world - `the habitable orb' х teebeel (H8398)] "Words" is literally 'concise speech;' the language of signs; significant language [Proverbs 6:13, the same Hebrew, mileel (H4448)]: very appropriate here as to the silent voices of the heavens.

In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun - not as though the Psalmist's conception was that the sun has a "tabernacle" in which he reposes at night while he is unseen: Psalms 19:6 negatives this idea. Rather, 'the tabernacle' of the sun means the place assigned to him in the heavens; as Venema remarks, 'To the several luminaries are assigned tents, which are stretched out when the luminaries are visible; taken down when they are invisible. These tents designate their station in the heavenly plains.' The sun is singled out from the other luminaries as being the best analogue in the natural world to the illuminator of the spiritual world, the law, in its vivifying, purifying, gladdening, and enlightening power; and also a type of Him who is the perfect embodiment of the law-Christ, "the Sun of righteousness" (Malachi 4:2), for whom God 'prepared a body' (Hebrews 10:5) as His tabernacle, when He, "the Word, was made flesh, and dwelt [literally, tabernacled, eskeenoosen (G4637)] among us" (John 1:14). 'The heavens are a great hieroglyphic of the Gospel ... the same work, but written in different characters' (DeBurgh). Romans 10:18 does not imply that Psalms 19:4 of this psalm is a direct prophecy of Christ and the Gospel; but the ground of the apostle's reference is this-The universality of God's manifestation of Himself in nature is a covert prophecy of the universality of His manifestation in the Gospel.

Psalms 19:4

4 Their linea is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun,