The Meaning of Psalms 19:10 Explained

Psalms 19:10

KJV: More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

YLT: They are more desirable than gold, Yea, than much fine gold; and sweeter than honey, Even liquid honey of the comb.

Darby: They are more precious than gold, yea, than much fine gold; and sweeter than honey and the dropping of the honeycomb.

ASV: More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the droppings of the honeycomb.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

More to be desired  [are they] than gold,  yea, than much  fine gold:  sweeter  also than honey  and the honeycomb. 

What does Psalms 19:10 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalms 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: Psalms 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 19:10 mean?

More to be desired [are they] than gold and Yea than fine gold much and Sweeter than honey and the honeycomb
הַֽנֶּחֱמָדִ֗ים מִ֭זָּהָב וּמִפַּ֣ז רָ֑ב וּמְתוּקִ֥ים מִ֝דְּבַ֗שׁ וְנֹ֣פֶת צוּפִֽים

הַֽנֶּחֱמָדִ֗ים  More  to  be  desired  [are  they] 
Parse: Article, Verb, Nifal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: חָמַד 
Sense: to desire, covet, take pleasure in, delight in.
מִ֭זָּהָב  than  gold 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular
Root: זָהָב  
Sense: gold.
וּמִפַּ֣ז  and  Yea  than  fine  gold 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular
Root: פַּז  
Sense: refined or pure gold.
רָ֑ב  much 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: רַב 
Sense: much, many, great.
וּמְתוּקִ֥ים  and  Sweeter 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adjective, masculine plural
Root: מָתֹוק  
Sense: sweet.
מִ֝דְּבַ֗שׁ  than  honey 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular
Root: דְּבַשׁ  
Sense: honey.
צוּפִֽים  the  honeycomb 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: צוּף  
Sense: honeycomb.