It was written in Latin by Philipp Melanchthon and later Germanized by Georg Spalatin.
Written probably in 1524; printed in 1531.
This psalm is a prophetic and doctrinal psalm, for it prophesies that the gospel shall be preached in all the world. Then he adds to it the manifold great praises of the gospel, how it is done, and what it accomplishes. Third, the prophet David adds a prayer in which he confesses his sin and asks God to protect him so that the godless false teachers and preachers will not deceive him with the appearance of wisdom, righteousness or happiness. Therefore, this psalm is of the generis demonstrativi type, describing how the kingdom of Christ will take shape, and teaches many good things that serve greatly to build up faith and comfort consciences against the troubles that make the hearts of believers in Christ very dull and weary. For it can be seen that the kingdom of Christ is weak, and that Christianity will fall to the ground and fail. But this psalm teaches that Christ and his gospel must not be hindered.
as little as one can prevent the sun from running.
(2) Furthermore, this psalm also teaches that God's word will be active and create and do great things. Likewise, this psalm teaches that a new word will be preached, that is, that it will go throughout the whole world and save those who believe in it, because the law of Moses was given only to the Jews. Finally, this psalm also teaches that the kingdom of Christ is to be a spiritual kingdom; therefore, that it is to be spread by God's word, and not by bodily weapons and weapons, and the Jews' mention of the bodily kingdom, and that they considered it that Christ's kingdom should stand in bodily things. Moreover, there is also a very useful doctrine of repentance at the end of this psalm. For it indicates that we always have sins, but that we are not redeemed from them by our works, but by God's grace and mercy.
*This writing is found only in the edition of Walch, who reports about it in the introduction to the 4th volume, p. 41b: "The short interpretation of the 19th Psalm was excellently translated by Philippus Melanchthon and Georg Spalatinus into the German language, in which it was published at Zwickau in 1531, and has now been reprinted here after this edition. We are not told anything about the time and occasion of the writing, but the writing itself gives us some cause for conjecture, which is not without probability. The glossary-like character of the interpretation proves that we are dealing here neither with a postscript of a sermon nor with a lecture, but rather with an explanation given privately to Melanchthon. The biblical text used in the translation is essentially that of Luther's translation of the Psalms from 1524 (Walch, St. Louis Edition, Bd. IV, 17 f.s. The three personalities mentioned in this writing (Z 19; together, the papal legate 'Eampegius, the archbishop of Salzburg and Eck, we meet in 1524 from the Imperial Diet at Nuremberg Md soon thereafter in the same year at the Convention at Regensburg (Köstlin, Martin Luther f3. Aufl.], Bd. I, p. 633 f.; Kolde, M. Luther, Bd. II, p. IO2i. In addition, the interpretation of the same Psalm given to Veit Dietrich at Coburg in 1530 (St. Louiser Ausg., Bd. I V, 1508s) shows a great progress in comparison to this writing; therefore, it is to be assigned to a significantly earlier time. We therefore assume the year 1524 as the probable time of writing.
V. 1. The heavens tell the glory of God and the strongholds proclaim the work of His hands.
3 This is so much talk: The glory of GOD is preached everywhere in all lands, under the whole heaven. The power is in the word "tell", so that he reminds us of the oral and external word, to think much of it. "The glory of GOd" is the gospel, for by the gospel GOd is known. "The works of the hands of GOD" are all the works that the Gospel works; as namely justification, beatification, redemption from sins, death and the devil's kingdom.
V. 2: One day tells another, one night announces another.
(4) This is so much as to say that the gospel should also be preached always, and that the Christian church should endure forever.
V. 3. There is no speech nor language, since their voice is not heard.
5 This is the opinion: The gospel should also be preached in all countries, nations and tongues, and not only among the Jews, not only in Jerusalem, but in all tongues. It is to be noted that he publicly calls God's word. Likewise the art of 1) God; for through the Gospel God is known, as St. John says in Chapter 1, v. 18: "No one has ever seen God, but the only one who sits in the bosom of the Father, he has proclaimed it to us. For the law shows us God's wrath and not God's grace, but now God's grace is shown to us through the gospel, because of which God is now rightly known. Furthermore, the prophet David also says: "their voice", which clearly indicates that this Psalm speaks of the ministry of preaching.
V. 4. Their guide has gone out into all the earth, and their speech to the end of the world 2c.
(6) This is David's way, that he commonly speaks first with hidden and veiled words, and then with bad words. Thus he teaches 2) also here publicly that
1) The word "art" seems to stand here in the meaning of "knowledge".
2) In the original "lernet"; likewise afterwards in § 12: "lernen" instead of: lehren.
it will come to pass that God's grace will be preached everywhere. "The direction" here means as much as a direction, government or saying. After that he freely calls it the speech or the word, so that we should know that he is talking about the preaching ministry.
And he has made a tabernacle for the sun in it.
(7) Then David returns to the obscure description, and, as one is wont to do in funny poems, sweetly mixes the obscure and undisguised words together. And by the "sun" he wants to indicate and signify Christ, for he had previously thought of the heavens, therefore he now also calls the prince of the heavens, the sun, and thus indicates that his kingdom is to increase under the whole heaven. For he says that a tabernacle has been made for the sun in the heavens, that is, that Christ will rule and reign in all the lands that will believe in Christ. And the holy Christian church will be as far as the whole world.
V. 5. 6. And she goes out like a bridegroom from his chamber, and is glad, like a hero, to run the way. She arises at one end of heaven, and runs back to that same end, and nothing is hidden from her heat.
8. these two verses have this opinion: the Lord Christ is lovely and kind, brings great comfort to the consciences, and will reign and prevail in all places, so that no one will be able to resist him.
V. 7: The law of the Lord is without change, and restores the soul. The testimony of the Lord is certain 2c.
(9) Here David leaves off the flowery speeches, and speaks with bad, undisguised words, and shows what great things God's word creates and works. Now he says, "the law of the Lord." If the law of the Lord does this, human statutes and findings do not. He also indicates that the word to be preached in the new kingdom is the word of God and not the word of man.
(10) "Is without change," that is, it is wholesome, and has no gleißneric addition or false opinion of the false services. And this praise of God's word is to be understood in this way, that God's word makes healthy people, that is, those who do not have a Pharisaic opinion of false worship. For the word "law" is taken for GOD's word according to the common way of the holy scriptures. "And refresh the soul", that is, God's Word refreshes, revives and comforts the dull, afflicted and troubled consciences, which were previously scattered by diversity of works and services.
The testimony of the Lord is certain and makes the foolish wise.
(11) This is "God's testimony", that is, God's word is true, and does not make hypocrites, but righteous, truthful, and such people who have a right faith and opinion of God. "Testimony" in the Scriptures often means as much as God's word. "And make wise the foolish." "The foolish" is what David calls those who do not sit down against God's word, but allow themselves to be instructed by it.
V. 8. The essays of the Lord are right and gladden the heart. The commandments of the Lord are pure, and enlighten the eyes.
12. "The essays of the Lord are right"; that is, they make right and bad, undeceived people, who in simplicity seek not their own glory, but God's. "And gladden the heart," for the gospel comforts the stupid, desponding, and afflicted conscience. "The commandments of the LORD are pure"; that is, pure and without Pharisaic leaven and addition. "And enlighten the eyes"; that is, they teach to know GOD.
V. 9. The fear of the Lord is pure and abides forever. The rights of the Lord are righteous, all of them right.
13. "The fear of the Lord is pure," that is, the gospel makes one fear God rightly and not carnally, that is, so that faith stands beside the fear of God. "And abide forever," for it is a righteous fear, therefore it persists in the contest.
14. "The judgments of the Lord are righteous," that is, the gospel kills and punishes sin, and makes righteous slaying, and not fictitious, as the human statutes have false slaying of the flesh, with certain fasts and the like.
V. 10. They are more precious than gold, and much finer gold. They are sweeter than honey and honeysuckle.
(15) That is, the gospel is lovely, comforting, and delightful. For it rejoices the conscience.
V. 11. Anch is thy servant become careful through them. For he has great reward who keeps them.
16 This is to be interpreted with this ruling: He who keeps God's law will be rewarded for it. And this is a fine promise, which serves against the trouble, the happy welfare of the godless evil people.
V. 12: Who notices the errors? Cleanse me from the secret ones.
Now follows the third part of this psalm, namely a prayer. And first there is a confession or confession. As if to say: Behold, we have such a precious, noble word, but we are weak and unbelieving. But you, dear God, also want to forgive and remit the sin that we do not yet realize and recognize. With this also the dear David of the Pharisees wants to have forgiven sin. As if he wanted to say: The saints also have sin, but these are forgiven and remitted. But the persecutors of the gospel have such sins, which are terrible and will not be forgiven. Therefore it follows soon after:
V. 13 Also keep thy servant from the proud, that they rule not over me: then shall I be without change, and innocent from great iniquity.
18. That is, my dear God, I pray that you will ever protect me, so that I will not be moved by the great fortune, honor and power, splendor and wealth, false, seeming wisdom and justice of the persecutors of God's word, to fall from your holy word.
Nineteen: "That they rule not over us." As if David wanted to say, "I am in danger, and in constant battle and strife, and the manifold troubles move me and make me mad. Therefore, my dear God, be thou so that the troubles do not overcome me, and that the proud do not win, triumph and have the upper hand, that neither Pope, nor Campegius, neither the one from Salzburg, nor Eck, do not overpower me with the splendid titles of the Christian church, of the holy fathers, of schism and the like. "Here you can see the reason why David put the confession above: As if to say, I acknowledge and confess that I have sin; yet, if I will abide in God's word, and not applaud the proud persecutors of God's word, I will remain sound, right, and pure in God's fear. "And will remain innocent from great iniquity." That is, from blasphemy and the ungodly.
V. 14. Let the speech of my mouth and the conversation of my heart be acceptable to you.
020 That is, if I will not applaud the wicked, and they will not overbear me, I will keep the word of God, and then God will be pleased with my preaching, worship, and other my conduct.
V. 15. O Lord, my refuge and my redeemer.
21 This is King David's prayer at the end of this psalm, so that he may pray that God may graciously protect, guard and preserve him and all of us in His holy word. Which God, the Father of all graces and mercy, in this perilous time, for eternal comfort and salvation, grant to us all. To Him, together with His only Son, our dear Lord and Savior Christ JEsu, and the Holy Spirit, be thanksgiving, praise and glory forever and ever. Amen.