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Psalms

About this book
Psalm 19

1 For the music director, a psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God;⁠ the sky displays his handiwork. 2 Day after day it speaks out; night after night it reveals his greatness. 3 There is no actual speech or word, nor is its voice literally heard. 4 Yet its voice echoes throughout the earth; its words carry to the distant horizon. In the sky he has pitched a tent for the sun.⁠ 5 Like a bridegroom it emerges from its chamber; like a strong man it enjoys running its course. 6 It emerges from the distant horizon, and goes from one end of the sky to the other;⁠ nothing can escape its heat.⁠ 7 The law of the Lord is perfect and preserves one’s life. The rules set down by the Lord are reliable and impart wisdom to the inexperienced.⁠ 8 The Lord’s precepts are fair and make one joyful. The Lord’s commands are pure and give insight for life. 9 The commands to fear the Lord are right and endure forever. The judgments given by the Lord are trustworthy and absolutely just. 10 They are of greater value than gold, than even a great amount of pure gold; they bring greater delight than honey, than even the sweetest honey from a honeycomb. 11 Yes, your servant finds moral guidance there; those who obey them receive a rich reward. 12 Who can know all his errors? Please do not punish me for sins I am unaware of.⁠ 13 Moreover, keep me from committing flagrant sins; do not allow such sins to control me. Then I will be blameless and innocent of blatant rebellion. 14 May my words and my thoughts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord,⁠ my sheltering rock and my redeemer.

Texts in conversation

Compare Psalm 19:14 and 1 Enoch 71:12

Hebrew Bible · Pseudepigrapha, Apocalypses

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Summary

1 Enoch 71 ends with language from Psalm 19, showing the psalm was already being used as a liturgical closing prayer. This early use points to a pattern later followed in Jewish and Christian traditions.

Passages

Psalm 19:14

Hebrew Bible
11 Yes, your servant finds moral guidance there; those who obey them receive a rich reward. 12 Who can know all his errors? Please do not punish me for sins I am unaware of. 13 Moreover, keep me from committing flagrant sins; do not allow such sins to control me. Then I will be blameless and innocent of blatant rebellion. 14 May my words and my thoughts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my sheltering rock and my redeemer.
600–201 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Psalms

1 Enoch 71:12

Pseudepigrapha, Apocalypses
10 With them was the Head of Days, whose head was white and pure as wool, and whose garments were beyond description. 11 Overcome, I fell on my face, my whole body went limp, and my spirit was transformed; I cried out with a loud voice, blessing, glorifying, and exalting Him. 12 These blessings from my mouth pleased the Head of Days. 13 The Head of Days came with Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and Phanuel, accompanied by thousands and tens of thousands of angels beyond number.
300 BCE – 100 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in 1 Enoch

References

“... The melting of the seer’s flesh notwithstanding, the immediate presence of the deity evokes from the seer an energetic response characterized by the repetitive “I cried out with a loud voice, with a spirit of power | I blessed and praised and exalted.” For this latter vocabulary in one place, see the description of the angelic praise in 61:6-12 and especially v. 6. Perhaps it is the transformation of Enoch’s spirit that overcomes his melting flesh and enables this worshipful outburst. Verse 12 may echo the wording of Ps 19:14 (Gk., Eth. 18:15): May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight (Eth. šemur qedma, as here), O YHWH, my rock and my redeemer. A paraphrase from this Psalm of cosmic praise would be appropriate in this context. ...”
George W. E. Nickelsburg and James C. VanderKam, 1 Enoch 2: A Commentary on the Book of 1 Enoch, Chapters 37-82 (Minneapolis: Fortress, 2012), 327.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

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Psalm 19:14 and 1 Enoch 71:12

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