Psalm 19 6

Psalm 19:6 kjv

His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.

Psalm 19:6 nkjv

Its rising is from one end of heaven, And its circuit to the other end; And there is nothing hidden from its heat.

Psalm 19:6 niv

It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is deprived of its warmth.

Psalm 19:6 esv

Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them, and there is nothing hidden from its heat.

Psalm 19:6 nlt

The sun rises at one end of the heavens
and follows its course to the other end.
Nothing can hide from its heat.

Psalm 19 6 Cross References

VerseTextReference
Rom 1:20For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes… are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made…God's attributes revealed in creation.
Ps 139:7-12Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?... if I take the wings of the morning... You are there.No hiding from God's omnipresence.
Job 9:7He commands the sun not to shine, and seals off the stars;God's absolute sovereignty over cosmic bodies.
Jer 31:35Thus says the Lord, who gives the sun for a light by day...God as the ordainer of natural laws and the sun.
Acts 14:17He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons...God's universal self-witness through nature.
Deut 4:19and lest you lift your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun, the moon, and the stars... and worship them...Warning against worshipping created celestial bodies.
Isa 40:22It is He who sits above the circle of the earth... who stretches out the heavens as a curtain...God's transcendence and command over the heavens.
Mal 4:2But to you who fear My name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise...Prophetic reference to Christ as ultimate revelation.
John 1:9That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.Christ as the ultimate, illuminating light.
Rev 21:23The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it.God's glory replaces cosmic lights in new creation.
Eccl 1:5The sun rises, and the sun goes down and hastens to the place where it rises.The sun's repetitive, predictable circuit.
Amos 4:13For behold, He who forms mountains and creates the wind, who declares to man what His thought is... He who makes the morning darkness...God's comprehensive creative and revealing power.
Hab 3:4His brightness was like the light; He had rays flashing from His hand...God's glorious presence manifested like sun.
Gen 8:22While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night shall not cease.God's established cosmic order endures.
Ps 50:1The Mighty One, God the LORD, has spoken and called the earth from the rising of the sun to its going down.God's pervasive call from universal creation.
Isa 45:6That they may know from the rising of the sun to its setting that there is none besides Me.God's sole universal sovereignty acknowledged.
Ps 74:16The day is Yours, the night also is Yours; You have prepared the light and the sun.God as the direct Creator of all light sources.
Deut 33:14With the precious things of the sun, and with the precious things of the yield of the moon;Blessings associated with natural celestial cycles.
Ps 104:19He appointed the moon for seasons; The sun knows its going down.God's ordained timing and precision in creation.
Joel 2:10The sun and moon grow dark, and the stars diminish their brightness.God's power over celestial bodies, as sign of judgment.
Matt 5:45He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.God's universal, impartial provision in nature.
2 Kgs 23:5He removed the pagan priests... who burned incense to the sun...Josiah's reform abolishing sun worship.
Luke 12:2For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known.Pervasive nature of truth, echoing sun's revelation.
Eph 5:13But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light.Light as a metaphor for revelation and exposure.

Psalm 19 verses

Psalm 19 6 Meaning

Psalm 19:6 describes the sun's comprehensive and inescapable journey across the heavens and the pervasive influence of its heat. It signifies the sun's daily trajectory from one horizon to the other, confirming that its warmth and light reach every corner of the earth. This physical manifestation of God's ordained cosmic order serves as a powerful testament to the Creator's universal presence and the all-encompassing reach of His design.

Psalm 19 6 Context

Psalm 19 is a two-part poetic masterpiece celebrating God's revelation. The first section (vv. 1-6) extols God's glory manifested in His creation, specifically focusing on the majestic and ordered cosmos, with the sun as its most prominent daily witness. Verse 6 brings this section to a climactic conclusion, describing the sun's perfect, exhaustive course across the heavens and the ubiquitous nature of its powerful heat. This prepares the listener for the psalm's second section (vv. 7-14), which transitions to God's revelation through His perfect Law (special revelation). Historically, this comprehensive depiction of the sun also serves as a polemic against ancient Near Eastern pagan sun worship, common in cultures surrounding Israel (e.g., Egyptian, Canaanite). By portraying the sun as a glorious yet obedient servant, the psalmist undermines any notion of it being an independent deity, attributing its power and consistency solely to the Creator God.

Psalm 19 6 Word analysis

  • Its going forth (מוֹצָאוֹ, motsa'o): Literally, "its going out" or "its origin." This term signifies the commencement of the sun's daily journey from a particular starting point, emphasizing a precise and appointed beginning to its course.
  • from the end of the heavens (מִקְצֵה֙ הַשָּׁמַיִם, miq'tseh hashshamayim): Miq'tseh means "from the extremity" or "from the edge." This phrase emphasizes the vastness of the heavens and the comprehensiveness of the sun's sweep across the sky, implying that its light originates from the very boundary of the visible firmament.
  • And its circuit (וּתְקוּפָתוֹ֙, utequfãto): From the Hebrew noun tequfah, meaning a revolution, a turning point, or a completed cycle. It refers to the sun's full, predictable, and tireless circular journey across the sky. It suggests a methodical, unwavering, and divinely ordered movement.
  • to the other end of them (עַל־קְצוֹתָֽם, ʻal-qᵉtzōṯām): Reiterates and strengthens the concept of total coverage. Qetsotam means "to their ends" or "to their extremities." This reinforces the sun's reach from one side of the vast expanse to the other, signifying nothing is left untouched by its visible path.
  • And there is nothing (וְאֵ֣ין, wᵉ'ein): A strong, emphatic negation meaning "there is not" or "nothing whatsoever." It conveys absolute lack of exception or evasion.
  • hidden (נִסְתָּ֣ר, nis'tar): From the verb sāṯar, meaning to hide, conceal, or be concealed. It implies an inability to be seen, perceived, or influenced. The phrase asserts that nothing is capable of remaining concealed from the sun's influence.
  • from its heat (מֵֽחַמָּתֽוֹ, meḥammātō): Ḥammah refers to intense heat, scorching, or solar energy. This is not merely warmth but a powerful, pervasive, and transformative force that reaches into every crevice, having an undeniable impact on everything it touches. It can even carry connotations of fierce energy.

Words-group analysis:

  • "Its going forth is from the end of the heavens, And its circuit to the other end of them": This powerful pairing of phrases paints a vivid picture of the sun's grand, majestic journey. It highlights the cosmic scope and systematic nature of its movement. The use of "end...to the other end" emphasizes a journey of completeness, demonstrating God's meticulous design for celestial bodies to fulfill their exact purpose and encompass all known creation.
  • "And there is nothing hidden from its heat": This concluding statement encapsulates the all-encompassing, pervasive, and undeniable impact of the sun. The "heat" serves as a metaphor for the sun's thorough penetration and influence. This idea lays the groundwork for understanding the similarly pervasive and inescapable nature of God's Word, which, like the sun's heat, illuminates and penetrates even the darkest, most hidden parts of human experience.

Psalm 19 6 Bonus Section

  • Ancient Polemic: This verse implicitly counters widespread ancient Near Eastern sun worship. The psalmist does not glorify the sun itself but the Creator who ordains its magnificent yet utterly obedient journey. The sun is "its" not "He," emphasizing it as a created servant, not a divine being.
  • Bridge to Special Revelation: Psalm 19:6 serves as a powerful bridge. The sun's all-encompassing reach and revealing heat, covering "every" place, naturally prepares the mind to receive the concept of God's Law being equally all-encompassing and discerning, able to search the heart and reveal hidden truth.
  • Universal Reach of the Gospel: While initially describing natural revelation, the universality of the sun's reach echoes how God's saving truth, like light, is meant to extend to all peoples, ensuring that "every creature" hears the Gospel (Mk 16:15) and nothing is ultimately hidden from God's revealing light (Jn 3:19-21).

Psalm 19 6 Commentary

Psalm 19:6 magnificently culminates the description of God's general revelation through creation. The sun, previously described with almost personified glory, is here shown in its tireless function, completing a perfect daily orbit across the vast heavens. The phrase "its going forth... and its circuit" emphasizes both the orderly inception and the total, unbroken trajectory of its journey, a testament to God's precise design. More profoundly, "there is nothing hidden from its heat" underscores the sun's pervasive influence. This "heat" is not just a source of warmth but a potent, penetrating force that reaches into every concealed space, illuminating and affecting all things. This vivid imagery subtly shifts to highlight the inescapability of God's universal self-disclosure through His creation, making all mankind "without excuse" (Rom 1:20). It further prefigures the absolute, all-searching nature of God's perfect Law, as described in the subsequent verses (Ps 19:7-14), suggesting that just as physical nature leaves no place unreached by the sun's heat, so God's spiritual truth penetrates every heart and thought. For instance, imagine how the desert sun bakes every grain of sand, leaving no coolness or concealment; so too, God's revelation, both in nature and in His Word, exposes every corner of existence.