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Gustave Doré’s engraving of David standing crowned and bowed as he mourns Absalom

Psalm 19

What St Athanasius said to pray when you marvel at creation and at God’s commands, in a letter from the 300s.

  • 14Verses
  • 1Situation

St Athanasius, Letter to Marcellinus

When to pray it

In the 300s, St Athanasius of Alexandria wrote a letter to his friend Marcellinus about praying the Psalms. In it he matched psalms to what people go through. This is what he gave this one for.

You're marvelling at how well the world is ordered, at God's care in it, and at how good His commands are.

When you marvel at the order of creation, God's care within it, and the holy commands of His law, sing Psalms 19 and 24.

Letter to Marcellinus

For the same situation he also named Psalm 24.

14 verses, Berean Standard Bible

The whole psalm

Psalm 19

Its own heading For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

  1. 1The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.
  2. 2Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.
  3. 3Without speech or language, without a sound to be heard,
  4. 4their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens He has pitched a tent for the sun.
  5. 5Like a bridegroom emerging from his chamber, like a champion rejoicing to run his course,
  6. 6it rises at one end of the heavens and runs its circuit to the other; nothing is deprived of its warmth.
  7. 7The Law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is trustworthy, making wise the simple.
  8. 8The precepts of the LORD are right, bringing joy to the heart; the commandments of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes.
  9. 9The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever; the judgments of the LORD are true, being altogether righteous.
  10. 10They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb.
  11. 11By them indeed Your servant is warned; in keeping them is great reward.
  12. 12Who can discern his own errors? Cleanse me from my hidden faults.
  13. 13Keep Your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then I will be blameless and cleansed of great transgression.
  14. 14May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Psalm 19 is 18 in the Greek numbering Athanasius used, which Orthodox Bibles and some older Catholic ones still follow.

When life is good, and you want to thank Him and grow

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Which Psalm are you living right now?

A few honest taps about your life right now, and the psalm an early Church Father gave for exactly that.

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Bible text: Berean Standard Bible, public domain. Athanasius’s advice is paraphrased from his Greek.