Psalms · Chapter 19

Psalms 19:1 — Bible Verse Meaning & Context

Read this verse slowly. Let it settle before you move on.

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Read in chapter context · Psalms 19

Both translations, side by side

WEB · World English Bible

"For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. The heavens declare the glory of God. The expanse shows his handiwork."

KJV · King James Version

"To the chief Musician5329, A Psalm4210 of David1732. The heavens8064 declare5608 the glory3519 of God410; and the firmament7549 sheweth his5046 handywork4639 3027."

How the translations differ: The WEB is a modern public-domain revision of the 1901 ASV; the KJV dates to 1611. The KJV uses and, firmament, sheweth, handywork, while the WEB renders these as for, expanse, shows, handiwork. Both translate the same underlying Greek or Hebrew text — the differences are stylistic, not theological.

In context

Psalms 19:1 in Psalms 19

A Bible verse rarely stands alone. Here is Psalms 19:1 read with the verses immediately before and after — the surrounding flow of Psalms 19. Read the full chapter →

v.1 For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. The heavens declare the glory of God. The expanse shows his handiwork.
v.2 Day after day they pour out speech, and night after night they display knowledge.
v.3 There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.

Book background

About the Book of Psalms

Testament: Old Testament
Genre: Hebrew poetry
Author: David (73 psalms), Asaph, Sons of Korah, Solomon, Moses, others
Date written: c. 1410–430 BC (compiled over a millennium)
Audience: All of Israel's worshipping community — and the church
Chapters: 150

The Psalms are 150 inspired songs and prayers covering every emotion the human heart knows — praise, lament, confession, thanksgiving, anger, longing. About half are attributed to David. The book is divided into five "books," each ending with a doxology. The Psalms shape Christian prayer more than any other Old Testament book and are quoted in the New Testament more than any other.

Setting: 150 sacred songs used in temple worship; the Bible's songbook.

Key themes: worship · lament · trust · kingship · thanksgiving

Read Psalms from the beginning →

Memorisation aid

How to memorise Psalms 19:1

Psalms 19:1 contains 20 words in 4 clauses. Learn one clause at a time, then chain them. The first-letter mnemonic (FLM) under each clause is a memory hook — once you can speak the FLM from memory, the full clause follows.

1

For the Chief Musician

FTCM
2

A Psalm by David

APBD
3

The heavens declare the glory of God

THDTGO
4

The expanse shows his handiwork.

TESHH

Frequently asked

FAQ about Psalms 19:1

What does Psalms 19:1 say?

Psalms 19:1 reads: "For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. The heavens declare the glory of God. The expanse shows his handiwork." — from the Old Testament, Psalms (Hebrew poetry). The full verse is shown above with both the World English Bible (WEB) and King James Version (KJV) translations side by side.

What book of the Bible is Psalms 19:1 in?

Psalms 19:1 is in the book of Psalms, traditionally attributed to David (73 psalms), Asaph, Sons of Korah, Solomon, Moses, others and written around c. 1410–430 BC (compiled over a millennium). Psalms is hebrew poetry in the Old Testament, originally addressed to All of Israel's worshipping community — and the church. Best known for Psalm 23 ("The LORD is my shepherd") and Psalm 51.

What is the difference between Psalms 19:1 in WEB and KJV?

Psalms 19:1 in the World English Bible (WEB) reads: "For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. The heavens declare the glory of God. The expanse shows his handiwork.". The King James Version (KJV) reads: "To the chief Musician5329, A Psalm4210 of David1732. The heavens8064 declare5608 the glory3519 of God410; and the firmament7549 sheweth his5046 handywork4639 3027.". The WEB is a modern public-domain translation that updates the KJV's 1611 English while keeping a similar formal-equivalence style. Both render the same underlying Greek or Hebrew text.

How long is Psalms 19:1?

Psalms 19:1 is 20 words in the WEB translation (112 characters), broken into 4 clauses. It is short and well-suited to memorisation. Estimated reading time is about 6 seconds.

How can I memorise Psalms 19:1?

To memorise Psalms 19:1, split it into its 4 natural clauses and learn one at a time. Repeat the full verse out loud five times, then write it from memory. Saving the verse as a photo wallpaper using our verse image studio helps daily review — the visual association with a memorable background dramatically improves recall.

Why does Psalms 19:1 matter in Psalms?

How can I apply Psalms 19:1 today?

Many readers use Psalms 19:1 as a daily reminder verse — saving it as a phone wallpaper, sharing it on Pinterest, or memorising it for prayer. The verse studio on this page lets you download Psalms 19:1 on 52 different backgrounds for free. Pair the verse with the surrounding chapter context shown above to understand its full meaning before applying it.

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