Psalm 19 14

Psalm 19:14 kjv

Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.

Psalm 19:14 nkjv

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.

Psalm 19:14 niv

May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Psalm 19:14 esv

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.

Psalm 19:14 nlt

May the words of my mouth
and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing to you,
O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.

Psalm 19 verses

Psalm 19 14 Meaning

Psalm 19:14 is a fervent prayer asking God to accept both the psalmist's vocalized expressions and his innermost thoughts and intentions. It is a plea for holistic spiritual integrity, where external conduct aligns with internal sincerity, all made acceptable through God's grace, acknowledging His foundational roles as strength and rescuer. This prayer follows a meditation on God's revelation through creation and through His perfect law, expressing a desire for genuine obedience that stems from a purified heart and is evidenced by sanctified speech.

Psalm 19 14 Context

Psalm 19 stands as a profound poetic declaration of God's revelation, unfolding in two primary movements. The first section (vv. 1-6) extols God's glory displayed universally through creation, a non-verbal testimony audible across the earth. The second section (vv. 7-11) magnifies God's special revelation through His perfect, transforming Law, highlighting its life-giving and soul-reviving qualities. Verses 12-14 serve as the psalmist's personal, prayerful response to these grand truths. After acknowledging human frailty, hidden faults, and presumptuous sins (vv. 12-13), the psalmist moves into this concluding prayer, seeking divine acceptance and purification. This verse brings the grand themes of cosmic and Mosaic revelation to a personal application, moving from outward display of God's character to the inward desire for alignment with that character. Historically, for an Israelite, this expressed a holistic understanding of obedience and devotion, requiring both external adherence to the Torah and internal purity of heart before the covenant God, YHWH. It implicitly contrasts with any pagan belief that focused solely on external ritual without ethical and moral rectitude.

Psalm 19 14 Word analysis

• Let: Signifies a prayerful petition, a humble request for God's divine action, conveying dependency and a desire for outcome. It's an imperative in the Hebrew, emphasizing a plea.

• words: Hebrew dābār (דָּבָר), referring to speech, utterances, specific communications. This implies vocalized prayers, pronouncements, and general speech. It reflects the external manifestation of inner thoughts.

• my mouth: The organ of speech, connecting to the previous verses on God's Law and the need for righteous speech (compare to Prov 4:24).

• meditation: Hebrew hegyōn (הֶגְיוֹן), signifying deeply reflective thought, contemplation, murmurings, or musing. It's not mere fleeting thoughts but a deliberate and often intense inward mental activity, encompassing intentions, affections, and internal longings.

• my heart: Hebrew lēḇ (לֵב), understood Biblically as the core of one's being – the seat of intellect, will, emotion, and moral consciousness. It encompasses all inner processes, making this prayer intensely personal and holistic.

• be acceptable: Hebrew l'rātsōn (לְרָצוֹן), meaning "for favor," "pleasing," "well-received," or "delightful." It carries connotations of being suitable, satisfactory, or approved, often used in relation to sacrifices or offerings found pleasing to God.

• Your sight: Hebrew l'fāneikā (לְפָנֶיךָ), literally "before Your face" or "in Your presence." This conveys the idea of God's direct, intimate scrutiny and His divine judgment and approval. It suggests a direct interaction with the all-seeing God.

• O LORD: The Divine Name, YHWH (יהוה), the covenant God of Israel. Using this name highlights a personal relationship and relies on God's covenant faithfulness and redemptive character to fulfill the prayer.

• my rock: Hebrew tsūrī (צוּרִי), literally "my rock." A profound metaphor for God as a secure foundation, fortress, strength, and unchanging source of stability and protection, especially in times of trouble (Ps 18:2, 62:2). It points to God's steadfastness and reliability.

• my Redeemer: Hebrew gō'ălī (גֹאֲלִי), "my kinsman-redeemer." This powerful term refers to one who acts on behalf of a relative in distress, vindicating them, buying back lost property, or avenging their blood (e.g., in cases like Ruth 4). In the context of God, it speaks of His role as the rescuer, liberator from sin's bondage, and one who maintains justice. It profoundly ties the prayer for acceptance to God's active, salvific intervention.

• "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart": This phrase groups outward expression ("words of my mouth") with inward thought ("meditation of my heart"), showing the desire for holistic devotion. True devotion involves both external conduct and internal sincerity, demonstrating an integrated spirituality. It implicitly acknowledges that superficial actions without inner intention are hollow, while unexpressed thoughts may not bear fruit without utterance or action.

• "be acceptable in Your sight": This is the core petition of the verse, connecting the integrated internal and external aspects of the psalmist to divine approval. It is a prayer for divine pleasure and endorsement, recognizing that genuine spiritual vitality and true worship are determined by God's estimation, not human perception. It reflects humility before God's omniscience.

• "O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer": This powerful culmination identifies God by His covenant name and attributes, underpinning the prayer with theological affirmations. Addressing God as "my rock" underscores His reliability and protective power, while "my Redeemer" highlights His active intervention to save and vindicate. These titles affirm God's capacity and willingness to accomplish the transformation and acceptance the psalmist seeks, tying the aspiration of purity to God's inherent nature and salvific action. It anchors the request in the psalmist's personal relationship with a trustworthy and delivering God.

Psalm 19 14 Bonus section

The juxtaposition of "words of my mouth" and "meditation of my heart" is a classic biblical expression for comprehensive internal and external human activity. It underscores the Hebrew understanding that the "heart" (lev) is the seat not only of emotion but also of thought, decision, and the moral compass. Thus, "meditation of my heart" refers to the core processes of one's mind and soul, while "words of my mouth" are the tangible outcomes of those inner workings. The acceptance sought by the psalmist (l'ratson) is profound because it points to a divine favor that goes beyond mere tolerance or forbearance; it signifies active delight and approval. This kind of acceptance is ultimately achieved not through human effort alone but through divine grace, prefiguring the redemptive work that would be fully accomplished through the Kinsman-Redeemer, Jesus Christ, who perfectly fulfilled the Law and made the way for believers' lives and worship to be truly "acceptable to God" (1 Pet 2:5). The progression from universal revelation to specific Law and then to personal petition highlights the deeply relational nature of faith, where divine truth compels a transformative, dependent response from the individual.

Psalm 19 14 Commentary

Psalm 19:14 offers a poignant prayer for God to find delight in every aspect of the psalmist's being—his articulated words and his innermost reflections. It expresses a desire for an integrated life where outward expression (speech) and inward reality (thought and intention) are harmonious and pure before the all-knowing God. The psalmist recognizes that genuine spiritual purity encompasses more than just external actions; it flows from the heart, which God alone truly sees and searches. This plea arises naturally from the Psalm's preceding contemplation of God's perfect and righteous Law, suggesting that the human response to divine truth must extend beyond mere intellectual ascent or ritualistic adherence to include a sanctified will and pure affection. The concluding declaration, addressing God as "my rock" and "my Redeemer," is not merely an act of praise, but an anchoring of the prayer in God's essential character. "My rock" speaks to His unchangeable reliability, His steadfast strength as a foundation upon which one can build trust and seek refuge. "My Redeemer" points to His active, intervening power to deliver, vindicate, and set free from bondage, including the bondage of sin that results in hidden faults and presumptuous transgressions (v. 12-13). Thus, the prayer is not based on the psalmist's inherent goodness but on God's unwavering character and His ability to transform and deliver. It teaches us to pray for our deepest desires and our visible conduct to align with God's will and to be accepted by Him through His grace and redemptive work.

• Example for Practical Usage: Before engaging in important conversations or making significant decisions, pause to pray Psalm 19:14, asking God to guide both your vocal expressions and your inner motives, ensuring they are pleasing to Him.
• Example for Practical Usage: When preparing to worship, reflect on the words you will sing or pray, and concurrently, examine the condition of your heart, desiring for both to be sincerely acceptable to the Lord.