Psalm 19:9 kjv
The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.
Psalm 19:9 nkjv
The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.
Psalm 19:9 niv
The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the LORD are firm, and all of them are righteous.
Psalm 19:9 esv
the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether.
Psalm 19:9 nlt
Reverence for the LORD is pure,
lasting forever.
The laws of the LORD are true;
each one is fair.
Psalm 19 9 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Prov 1:7 | The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge... | Fear of the Lord as foundation of wisdom. |
| Deut 6:2 | that you may fear the Lord your God, you and your son and your grandson... | Commands given to instill reverence for God. |
| Ps 111:10 | The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom... | Reiterates the beginning of wisdom. |
| Is 33:6 | The fear of the Lord is His treasure. | Emphasizes its value and importance. |
| Ps 12:6 | The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver refined... | God's words are without alloy. |
| Prov 30:5 | Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. | Scripture's absolute purity. |
| 2 Sam 22:31 | As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is tried... | God's path and word are without fault. |
| Ps 119:160 | The sum of Your word is truth, and every one of Your righteous ordinances… | The entirety of God's word is true and eternal. |
| Is 40:8 | The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. | God's word's eternal endurance. |
| Mt 24:35 | Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away. | Christ affirms the enduring nature of divine word. |
| 1 Pet 1:23-25 | ...through the living and enduring word of God. | The word of God lives and abides forever. |
| Deut 32:4 | The Rock! His work is perfect, For all His ways are just; A God of faithfulness… | God's justice and reliability. |
| Ps 9:8 | And He will judge the world in righteousness; He will execute judgment... | God's just judgment of the world. |
| Ps 96:13 | For He comes, for He comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world... | God's righteous coming judgment. |
| Ps 119:7 | I will give thanks to You with uprightness of heart, When I learn Your righteous judgments. | Delight in learning God's just decrees. |
| Ps 119:75 | I know, O Lord, that Your judgments are righteous, And that in faithfulness… | God's judgments are acknowledged as righteous. |
| Rom 3:4 | Rather, let God be found true, though every man be found a liar... | God's truthfulness against human falsehood. |
| Jn 17:17 | Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. | God's word as the source of truth. |
| 2 Tim 3:16 | All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching... | Scripture's inspiration and purpose in righteousness. |
| Heb 4:12 | For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword… | The dynamic and discerning nature of God's word. |
| Rev 16:7 | "Yes, O Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments." | Divine acknowledgment of God's true and righteous judgments. |
Psalm 19 verses
Psalm 19 9 Meaning
Psalm 19:9 proclaims two distinct but interconnected attributes of God's revelation: "The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether." The first part describes the proper reverential awe due to God, asserting its ethical cleanness and eternal validity. The second part extols God's divine ordinances or decrees as entirely truthful and perfectly just, encompassing absolute moral integrity and reliability.
Psalm 19 9 Context
Psalm 19 is a poetic masterpiece composed of two distinct yet complementary sections concerning God's revelation. The first part (vv. 1-6) speaks of "general revelation" – God's glorious self-disclosure through creation. The heavens declare His glory, conveying His power and majesty to all humanity. The second part (vv. 7-11) shifts to "special revelation" – God's more explicit self-disclosure through His written Law (Torah). This section enumerates the perfect, life-giving qualities of God's Law using various synonyms: law, testimony, precepts, command, fear, and judgments. Verse 9 continues this progressive list, building upon the descriptions in verses 7 and 8, asserting further attributes of the divine standard revealed by God. The historical context reflects a Near Eastern understanding of divine wisdom and law, with unique emphasis on Yahweh's characteristically pure and true nature, contrasting Him with the capricious or unreliable deities of surrounding cultures.
Psalm 19 9 Word analysis
The fear of the Lord: This refers not to a servile dread or terror, but to yir'ah (יִרְאַת), a profound reverence, awe, and worshipful respect that leads to obedience. It is an attitude of piety and humble submission to God's will. This is the correct response of a creature to its Creator.
is pure: tahorah (טְהוֹרָה). This means clean, ethically unblemished, uncorrupted, and unadulterated. It implies moral and spiritual purity. Unlike human reverence, which can be mixed with selfish motives or ritualistic formalism, the true "fear of the Lord" is free from error, defilement, or deceit. It is utterly genuine and wholesome.
enduring forever: ‘omedet la‘ad (עֹמֶדֶת לָעַד). It stands or abides eternally. This emphasizes the timelessness and unchangeable nature of this reverence for God and the divine standard from which it springs. Its value and truth are perpetual, transcending generations and changing cultures.
the judgments of the Lord: mishpatim (מִשְׁפְּטֵי). This term signifies divine rulings, ordinances, decrees, or laws. It speaks to God's authoritative pronouncements that guide moral conduct and determine justice. These are God's applications of His truth in the affairs of mankind.
are true: emet (אֱמֶת). This signifies absolute truth, faithfulness, reliability, and veracity. God's judgments are not subject to error, miscalculation, or deception. They accurately reflect reality and His righteous character. They can be fully trusted.
and righteous: tzadeq (צָדְקוּ). This means just, fair, in conformity with a divine standard of rightness. God's judgments perfectly uphold justice and ethical integrity, never swerving into partiality or error.
altogether: yahdav (יַחְדָּו). This intensive adverb means completely, wholly, or entirely. It emphasizes the absolute and unified perfection of God's judgments. They are not merely true or righteous in isolated instances, but simultaneously and perfectly both, without any reservation or imperfection.
"The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever": This phrase highlights the divine attribute of reverence itself. The proper response to God's revealed character is ethically clean, without admixture of human error or corruption, and its truth holds eternal validity. It stands firm across all time.
"the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether": This climactic statement encapsulates the holistic perfection of God's specific legal and moral decrees. They are entirely reliable and simultaneously perfectly just, confirming God's unwavering ethical standard and perfect integrity in all His decisions and laws. This is a powerful assertion of the Bible's reliability as divine word.
Psalm 19 9 Bonus section
This verse climaxes the attributes of God's law (Torah) enumerated in Ps 19:7-9. Each phrase describes a perfection: "perfect" (v. 7), "trustworthy" (v. 7), "right" (v. 8), "radiant" (v. 8), "pure" (v. 9), "enduring forever" (v. 9), "true" (v. 9), and "righteous altogether" (v. 9). The progression demonstrates a building crescendo of divine qualities attributed to the written Word, moving from its functional benefits to its intrinsic ethical purity and eternal reliability. The term "judgments" (mishpatim) is closely linked to God as the ultimate judge, implying that His divine decrees are the standard by which all justice is measured. The explicit mention of purity stands in stark polemical contrast to the often corrupt or inconsistent laws and cultic practices of surrounding ancient Near Eastern religions, where deities were portrayed with human-like vices. Yahweh's fear and judgments alone are truly pure and incorruptible.
Psalm 19 9 Commentary
Psalm 19:9 acts as a capstone in the Psalmist's adoration of God's revealed Law, summarizing its quintessential qualities. The "fear of the Lord," understood as reverential submission to Him, is depicted as uniquely "pure"—uncontaminated by human imperfection, motive, or cultural shifts, hence, "enduring forever." It is an eternally valid and ethical response. Following this, the "judgments of the Lord," His divine laws and statutes, are declared not only "true" in their reliability and accuracy but also "righteous altogether," meaning perfectly just, fair, and morally unassailable in every aspect. This double emphasis on truth and righteousness, augmented by "altogether," highlights the complete and comprehensive moral perfection of God's law. It's a contrast to human laws which are fallible, time-bound, and often tainted by partiality or error. For the believer, this implies that embracing God's word leads to a life of moral clarity, ethical soundness, and eternal security.