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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 19:4 and 1 Enoch 41:5

Hebrew Bible · Pseudepigrapha, Apocalypses

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Summary

1 Enoch describes the sun emerging to run its course across the sky, echoing Psalm 19 where the sun is compared to a groom leaving a chamber. Both follow ancient Near Eastern cosmology, where the celestial lights follow a fixed path in the firmament.

Passages

Psalm 19:4

Hebrew Bible
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.
600–201 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Psalms

1 Enoch 41:5

Pseudepigrapha, Apocalypses
4 I saw hidden chambers from which the winds are dispersed, the chamber for hail and winds, the chamber for mist, and of the clouds, with the cloud above floating over the earth since the beginning of time. 5 I observed the chambers of the sun and moon, where they emerge and return, their magnificent reappearance, how one surpasses the other in splendor, their majestic orbit, and how they remain faithful to their orbit, adding nothing and taking nothing from it, keeping their promise to each other, as per the oath that binds them. 6 First, the sun emerges and follows its course as commanded by the Lord of Spirits, whose name is mighty forever and ever.
300 BCE – 100 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in 1 Enoch

References

"... Like the winds and the various forms of moisture, the two great luminaries emerge from their storehouses and, moreover, return to begin the process again. The imagery is different from (though not necessarily incompatible with) chapters 72-73, where the luminaries emerge from gates in the firmament. The imagery here, especially in relation to the sun, is reminiscent of Psalm 19:4-5 ..."
George W. E. Nickelsburg, A Commentary on the Book of 1 Enoch Chapters 37-82 (Minneapolis: Fortress, 2012), 144.

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 19:4 and 1 Enoch 41:5

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