The Meaning of Psalms 19:9 Explained

Psalms 19:9

KJV: The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.

YLT: The fear of Jehovah is clean, standing to the age, The judgments of Jehovah are true, They have been righteous -- together.

Darby: The fear of Jehovah is clean, enduring for ever; the judgments of Jehovah are truth, they are righteous altogether:

ASV: The fear of Jehovah is clean, enduring for ever: The ordinances of Jehovah are true, and righteous altogether.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

The fear  of the LORD  [is] clean,  enduring  for ever:  the judgments  of the LORD  [are] true  [and] righteous  altogether. 

What does Psalms 19:9 Mean?

Study Notes

fear of the Lord
The "fear of the Lord," a phrase of the O.T. piety, meaning reverential trust, with hatred of evil.

Verse Meaning

The special revelation of God in Scripture is also free from any mixture of truth and error; it is consistent with reality. Consequently it is enduring and completely righteous. The word "fear" refers to the whole of divine law. Knowledge of God"s law puts the fear (reverential trust) of God in people"s hearts (cf. Deuteronomy 4:10 AV).

Context Summary

Psalm 19:1-14 - The Works And The Word Of God
This is the "Psalm of the Two Books"-Nature and Scripture. If Psalms 8:1-9 were written at night, Psalms 19:1-14 was surely written by day. In Psalms 19:1, God is called El, "strong;" in Psalms 19:7-9; Psalms 19:14, the Hebrew Jehovah is translated "Lord," as if His glory as Creator is the stepping-stone to loftier conceptions of the Redeemer.
Nature's silence! No speech nor language! Psalms 19:3. What a picture of the sacred stillness of dawn! Yet the witness-bearing is universal. Line, Psalms 19:4, is "compass" or "territory," but some translate it "chord." Nature's harp is strung to the glory of God. Jesus is our Sun, Malachi 4:2.
Six synonyms for Scripture, and twelve qualities ascribed to it, Psalms 19:7-9. How truly might our Lord have appropriated Psalms 19:10! Let us end with confession and prayer. Errors, Psalms 19:12; see Leviticus 4:2, r.v., margin, Psalms 19:13. Dominion, Psalms 19:13; Romans 6:14. For the seventh time Jehovah, Psalms 19:14, with two loving epithets! Can we all say my, claiming all of God? [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalm 19

1  The creatures show God's glory
7  The excellence of the divine law
12  David prays for grace

What do the individual words in Psalms 19:9 mean?

The fear of Yahweh [is] clean enduring forever the judgments of Yahweh [are] true [and] righteous altogether
יִרְאַ֤ת יְהוָ֨ה ׀ טְהוֹרָה֮ עוֹמֶ֪דֶת לָ֫עַ֥ד מִֽשְׁפְּטֵי־ יְהוָ֥ה אֱמֶ֑ת צָֽדְק֥וּ יַחְדָּֽו

יִרְאַ֤ת  The  fear 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: יִרְאָה  
Sense: fear, terror, fearing.
יְהוָ֨ה ׀  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
טְהוֹרָה֮  [is]  clean 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular
Root: טָהֹור  
Sense: pure, clean.
עוֹמֶ֪דֶת  enduring 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, feminine singular
Root: עָמַד  
Sense: to stand, remain, endure, take one’s stand.
לָ֫עַ֥ד  forever 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַד  
Sense: perpetuity, for ever, continuing future.
מִֽשְׁפְּטֵי־  the  judgments 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: מִשְׁפָּט  
Sense: judgment, justice, ordinance.
יְהוָ֥ה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱמֶ֑ת  [are]  true 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֱמֶת  
Sense: firmness, faithfulness, truth.
צָֽדְק֥וּ  [and]  righteous 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: צָדַק  
Sense: to be just, be righteous.
יַחְדָּֽו  altogether 
Parse: Adverb
Root: יַחַד 
Sense: union, unitedness adv.