Psalm 19:1

Psalm 19:1

The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.

a. ASV: The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament showeth his handiwork.

b. YLT: The heavens are recounting the honour of God, And the work of His hands The expanse is declaring.

c. Amplified Bible Classic: The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows and proclaims His handiwork.

d. Septuagint [Psalm 19:1 in our Bible is Psalm 18:2 in the Septuagint]: The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims the work of his hands.

e. Stone Edition Torah/Prophets/Writings [Psalm 19:1 in our Bible is Psalm 19:2 in the Jewish Bible]: The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament tells of His handiwork

1. “The heavens declare the glory of God…”

a. [the] heavens [Strong: 8064 shâmayim, shaw-mah'-yim; dual of an unused singular שָׁמֶה shâmeh; from an unused root meaning to be lofty; the sky (as aloft; the dual perhaps alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds move, as well as to the higher ether where the celestial bodies revolve):—air, × astrologer, heaven(-s).]

b. declare [Strong: 5608 çâphar, saw-far'; To score with a mark as a tally or record, to inscribe, to enumerate, to recount, shew forth, speak, talk, tell out…] [AMG Old Testament Word Study: The participle from of the word soper, means scribe and occurs about fifty times in the Old Testament. Example: Scribes such as Ezra. Ezra 7:6]

c. [the] glory [Strong: 3519 kâbôwd, kaw-bode' From 3513; prop. Weight, but only figuratively in a good sense, splendor or copiousness, gloriously, glory, honour.] [AMG Old Testament Word Study: A masculine singular noun meaning wealth, honor, glory majesty. This term is commonly used of God.]

c. Jesus shinned forth that glory in his life on earth.

1). John 1:1, 14 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father)…”

1). We see that same glory in the Word.

a). 1 Corinthians 13:12 “For now we see through a glass darkly; but then face to face…”

b). 2 Corinthians 3:18 “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord…”

2). Marilyn Hickey, The Signs of the Heavens, p.3:“The Psalmist picks up the theme again and states, “the heavens declare the glory of God.” What is the image and glory of God? It is the face of Jesus Christ! The stars tell his story.”

a). 2 Corinthians 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

3). E. W. Bullinger, The Witness Of The Stars: “Surely there is something more referred to here than a mere wonder excited by the works of the Creator! When we read the whole passage and mark its structure, and note the words employed, we are emphatically told that the heavens contain a revelation from God; they prophesy, they show knowledge, they tell of God’s glory, and set forth His purposes and counsels.”

4). This is the glory of God that the ancients changed into an image.

a). Romans 1:23 “And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and to fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.

(1) Corruptible man: Bootes, Ophiuchus, Perseus, Virgo, Coma, Cepheus.

(2) To birds: Corvus (raven), Aquila (eagle), Cygnus (swan).

(3) Four footed beasts: Leo (lion), Ursa Major (bear), Canis Major (dog).

(4) Creeping things: Cancer (crab), Scorpio (scorpion), Hydra & Serpens (snakes).

b). Romans 1:25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

2. “…and the firmament sheweth his handywork.”

a. [and the] firmament [Strong: 7549 râqîyaʻ, raw-kee'-ah; from H7554; properly, an expanse, i.e. the firmament or (apparently) visible arch of the sky:—firmament.]

b. sheweth [Strong: 5046 nâgad, naw-gad'; a primitive root; properly, to front, i.e. stand boldly out opposite; by implication (causatively), to manifest; figuratively, to announce (always by word of mouth to one present); specifically, to expose, predict, explain, praise:—bewray, × certainly, certify, declare(-ing), denounce, expound, × fully, messenger, plainly, profess, rehearse, report, shew (forth), speak, × surely, tell, utter.]

c. [his] handiwork [Strong: 3027 yâd, yawd; a primitive word; a hand (the open one [indicating power, means, direction, etc.], in distinction from 3709, the closed one); used (as noun, adverb, etc.) in a great variety of applications, both literally and figuratively, both proximate and remote [as follows]:—( be) able, × about, armholes, at, axletree, because of, beside, border, × bounty, broad, (broken-) handed, × by, charge, coast, consecrate, creditor, custody, debt, dominion, × enough, fellowship, force, × from, hand(-staves, -y work), × he, himself, × in, labour, large, ledge, (left-) handed, means, × mine, ministry, near, × of, × order, ordinance, × our, parts, pain, power, ×presumptuously, service, side, sore, state, stay, draw with strength, stroke, swear, terror, × thee, × by them, × themselves, × thine own, × thou, through, × throwing, thumb, times, × to, × under, × us, × wait on, (way-) side, where, wide, × with (him, me, you), work, yield, × yourselves.]

d. handiwork [Strong: 4639 ma`aseh mah-as-eh' from 6213; an action (good or bad); generally, a transaction; abstractly, activity; by implication, a product (specifically, a poem) or (generally) property:--act, art, + bakemeat, business, deed, do(-ing), labor, thing made, ware of making, occupation, thing offered, operation, possession, X well, ((handy-, needle-, net-))work(ing, - manship), wrought.]

1). The handy work involves not only the orbits of the planets and stars, but also the vast expanse of the universe.

a). Jeremiah 31:35 Thus saith the LORD, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The LORD of hosts is his name:

b). Stars, Planets, and Galaxies: [Clusters of Galaxies] “At a distance of several diameters of the Local Group there are other clusters of galaxies. North of Spica in Virgo, there is a region called the Realm of the Galaxies. Here, vast assemblages are found containing thousands of galaxies in one of the largest clusters known. Its distance is about 40 million light years. The number of galaxies contained may be numbered in the tens of thousands, with the greatest concentration toward the constellation Virgo; the number of galaxies tapers off as the Local Group is reached. From all appearances, this is the local super galaxy, a galaxy of galaxies, instead of stars. Our Galaxy, the Milky Way, is one in tens of thousands far out on the rim of a gigantic wheel of galaxies whose flat distribution indicates a rotation about the center. The local super galaxy is only one of many, for investigations  show others in the direction of Hydra and Pavo. Clusters of galaxies extend into space in all directions many of billions of light years. Thus, we can see that the universe is composed of hierarchies of increasing magnitude, in constant motion, in an unimaginably vast sea of space.”

2). God is awesome!