Psalms 19:3 — Word Study
WLCאֵֽין־ אֹ֭מֶר וְאֵ֣ין דְּבָרִ֑ים בְּ֝לִ֗י נִשְׁמָ֥ע קוֹלָֽם׃
BSAspeechʼômer [nor a sound]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| אֵֽין־ | there not | Noun common, masculine singular construct |
| אֹ֭מֶר | [is] speech | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| וְאֵ֣ין | and there not | Conjunction, noun common masculine singular construct |
| דְּבָרִ֑ים | [are] words | Noun common, masculine plural absolute |
| בְּ֝לִ֗י | not | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| נִשְׁמָ֥ע | [is] heard | Verb, Niphal, participle (active) masculine singular |
| קוֹלָֽם׃ | voice their | Noun common masculine singular construct, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Without speech or language, without a sound to be heard, |
| KJV | There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. |
| ASV | There is no speech nor language; Their voice is not heard. |
| YLT | There is no speech, and there are no words. Their voice hath not been heard. |
| WEB | There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. |
| BBE | There are no words or language; their voice makes no sound. |
The translations agree in conveying that there is no speech or language in creation's communication.
The structure highlights the absence of speech and language first, leading into the assertion that their voice is still heard.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
subjectלְ
verbלַיְלָה
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Psalms 19:3
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Communication of Creationgenerated
Psalms 19:3 reflects on the way creation communicates profound truths without using human speech. The psalmist observes that the heavens and the earth convey knowledge and wisdom through their existence and beauty, emphasizing that their message transcends words. This theme continues in the following verses, where the psalmist notes how this silent proclamation reaches the ends of the earth.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Deuteronomy 4:19 | When you look to the heavens and see the sun and moon and stars—all the host of heaven—do not be enticed to bow down and worship what the LORD your God has apportioned to all the nations under heaven. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 1 reference, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — אֵֽין־, 'ein-generated
The word אֵֽין ('ein) means 'nothing' or 'not,' indicating absence or non-existence. It emphasizes the lack of speech or language in creation's communication.
In this verse, אֵֽין underscores that although there are no spoken words, the message of creation is still clear and profound.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
The translations agree in conveying the idea that there is no speech or language in creation's communication.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verb נִשְׁמָ֥ע (nishma'), meaning 'is heard,' governs the sentence, with two clauses preceding it that describe the absence of speech and language. This structure emphasizes the contrast between the lack of human communication and the presence of a message.
The word order highlights the absence of speech and language first, leading into the assertion that their voice is still heard, creating a powerful juxtaposition.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates אֵֽין as ἡμέρα (hēmera), which means 'day.' This choice reflects a broader interpretation, suggesting that the absence of speech is a natural state of creation's daily proclamation.
This translation indicates a widening of the concept, as it connects the idea of time with the ongoing communication of creation.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalms 19:3 tells us that creation does not use speech or language to communicate, yet its voice is still heard. This verse highlights how the natural world expresses knowledge and truth without the need for words.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It means that creation communicates in a way that does not rely on human words, yet its message is still clear and understood.
Creation's voice is its existence and beauty, which convey knowledge and truth to those who observe it.
It emphasizes that God's creation is a form of revelation that communicates profound truths without the need for human language.
It connects to the broader theme of the psalm, which speaks to how the heavens declare the glory of God and how creation reveals knowledge.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways do I see God's creation communicating around me?
- How can I be more attentive to the messages that nature conveys?
- What does this verse teach me about the ways God reveals Himself?
- How can I share the truths I learn from creation with others?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
The early Church Fathers referenced this verse to discuss the communication of creation and its relation to God's glory.
The accord and affinity of all things with one another that is controlled in an orderly and sequential manner is the primal, archetypal, true music.Early Church Fathers on Psalms 19 →
"There is no speech nor language, in which their voices are not heard" [Psalms 19:3].Early Church Fathers on Psalms 19 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 19:3 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible[There is] no speech nor language [where] their voice is not heard,.... Not the voice of the day and night; as if the sense was, that there is no people, of any speech or language under the sun, but
Read John Gill on Psalms 19 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryThere is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 19 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleOr, understood, as the verb oft signifies, as 42:23 ; for the hearing of it would have been insignificant without the understanding of it, in which the force of the argument lies. The sense is, There are divers nations in the world, which have several languages, so that one cannot discourse with or be understood by another; but the heavens are such a universal and admirable teacher, that they can speak to all people under them, and be clearly understood by all. No nation, or people, saith that wise and learned heathen, Tully, is so barbarous and sottish, as, when they look up to the heavens, not to perceive that there is a, God, or to imagine that those things are the effect of blind…
Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 19 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 19:3 [There is] no speech nor language, [where] their voice is not heard.Ver. 3. There is no speech nor language where their voice] And yet few hear these universal preachers, these Regii Professores, these real expositors of the divinity, as one styleth them, who do preach to all people at once, Non solum diserte sed et exerte, at surdis plerumque fabulam, they are by the most as little respected as is the cuckoo in June.
Read John Trapp on Psalms 19 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(3) There is no speech.—The literal rendering is Not speech, not words, their voice is not heard. Explaining this is (1) the English version (Bible and Prayer Book) and (if intelligible at all) the LXX. and Vulg.: “There is no speech nor language without their (the heavens’) speech being heard (i.e., understood).” But this gives an inadmissible sense to davar, which does not mean language, but a spoken word. Besides, it was not a likely thought for the psalmist, that the Divine tradition of the heavens, while it travels over the whole earth, would be everywhere intelligible. (2) “It is not speech, it is not words whose voice is inaudible,” i.e., unintelligible, but, on the contrary, it is a…
Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 19 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 3. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard.] Leave out the expletives here, which pervert the sense; and what remains is a tolerable translation of the original: - אין אמר ואין דברים בלי נשמע קולם Ein omer veein debarim, beli nishma kolam. "No speech, and no words; their voice without hearing." בכל הארץ יצא קום ובקצה תבל מליהם Bechol haarets yatsa kavvam: Ubiktsey thebel milleyhem. "Into all the earth hath gone out their sound; and to the extremity of the habitable world, their eloquence." The word קו kau, which we translate line, is rendered sonus, by the Vulgate, and φθαγγος, sound, by the Septuagint; and St. Paul, Romans 10:18, uses the same term. Perhaps the…
Read AdamClarke on Psalms 19 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges3. (a) The rendering of A.V. means that the message of the heavens reaches all nations of every language alike, and is intelligible to them. But the Heb. words rendered speech and language will not bear this explanation. (b) The rendering It is not a speech or wordsWhose voice is unintelligible, is that of most of the ancient versions (LXX, Aq., Symm., Theod., Vulg., Jer.). But it does not satisfy the parallelism, and it is unnatural to refer their voice to ‘speech and words’ rather than to ‘the heavens.’ (c) It is best to render (cp. R.V.) There is neither speech nor words, Unheard is their voice. Their message though real is inarticulate. Thus understood, the verse qualifies Psalms 19:2…
Read Cambridge on Psalms 19 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleThere is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard - Margin, Without these their voice is heard. Hebrew, “without their voice heard.” The idea in the margin, which is adopted by Prof.
Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 19 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
Without speech or language, without a sound to be heard,
There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard.
Without speech or language, without a sound to be heard,
There is no actual speech or word, nor is its voice literally heard.
Tyndale line
There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.
There is no speech nor language; Their voice is not heard.
There is no speech nor language; their voice cannot be heard.
There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.
There is no speach nor language, where their voyce is not heard.
Strictly literal
There is no speech and there are no words, yet their voice is heard.
There is no speech, and there are no words. Their voice hath not been heard.
There is no speech, and there are no words. Their voice has not been heard.
(19:4) There is no speech, there are no words, their voice is not heard.
There is no speech or spoken words; their voice is not heard.
From the Latin
May he send thee help from the sanctuary: and defend thee out of Sion.
Simplified
They speak without speech or words; their voice is not audible;
There are no words or language; their voice makes no sound.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree on the wording of אֵֽין־ אֹ֭מֶר וְאֵ֣ין דְּבָרִ֑ים בְּ֝לִ֗י נִשְׁמָ֥ע קוֹלָֽם׃. Both texts convey the same message about the absence of speech while affirming the presence of a voice.
אֵֽין־ אֹ֭מֶר וְאֵ֣ין דְּבָרִ֑ים בְּ֝לִ֗י נִשְׁמָ֥ע קוֹלָֽם׃
7 of the 7 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Psalms 19:3
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
אַ֫יִן (ayin) primarily means 'nothing' or 'nought' and serves as a negative particle indicating absence or negation, such as 'is not' or 'there is not.' It can also express lack of possession or existence. The word is derived from a root meaning to be non-existent, and it appears frequently in various grammatical constructions.
אַ֫יִן, אָ֑֫יִן cstr. אֵין subst. prop. nothing, nought
to nothing, as nothing
cstr. אֵין, very freq. as particle of negation, is not, are not, was not, were not
אֵין לְ׳, with subst., or pron., there is (was) not to … = … have, has, had, etc. not
in circumst. clauses
with inf. and ל׳, it is not to …
with prefixes
base
H369 אַ֫יִן, אָ֑֫יִן cstr. אֵין subst. prop. nothing, nought . to nothing, as nothing
. cstr. אֵין, very freq. as particle of negation, is not, are not, was not, were not
. אֵין לְ׳, with subst., or pron., there is (was) not to … = … have, has, had, etc. not
. in circumst. clauses
. with inf. and ל׳, it is not to …
. with prefixes
369 'ayin ah'-yin
as if from a primitive root meaning to be nothing or not
exist; a non-entity; generally used as a negative
particle:--else, except, fail, (father-)less, be gone,
in(-curable), neither, never, no (where), none, nor, (any,
thing), not, nothing, to nought, past, un(-searchable),
well-nigh, without. Compare 370.
see HEBREW for 0370
אַ֫יִן (a.yin) — nothing.
1) nothing, not, nought n
1a) nothing, nought neg
1b) not
1c) to have not (of possession) adv
1d) without w/prep
1e) for lack of
HNcmsc — Noun common · masculine singular constructHNcmsc
אֹמֶר (omer) refers to an utterance, speech, or word, often used in a poetic or elevated context. It can also imply a promise or command. The entries suggest a focus on the formal aspects of speech, but do not provide specific verse references.
אֹמֶר n.m. utterance, speech, word, only poet., & exalted style
base
H562 אֹמֶר utterance, speech, word, only poet., & exalted style
562 'omer o'-mer
the same as 561:--promise, speech, thing, word.
see HEBREW for 0561
אֹמֶר (o.mer) — word.
utterance, speech, word, saying, promise, command
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
spech ('imrah, dabhar, etc.; logos): "Speech," the articulate utterance of thought, is the tranlation of various Hebrew terms which convey this idea of "saying" or "word"; so, in the New Testament, the term generally so rendered is logos, "word." See LOGOS; WORD. Eulogia in Ro 16:18 is "fair speech"; lalia in Mt 26:73; Mr 14:70 the King James Version; Joh 8:43 is simply "talk." the Revised Version (British and American) has "speech" for various other words in the King James Version, as "matters" (1Sa 16:18, margin "bussiness"), "communication" (Mt 5:37;
אַ֫יִן (ayin) primarily means 'nothing' or 'nought' and serves as a negative particle indicating absence or negation, such as 'is not' or 'there is not.' It can also express lack of possession or existence. The word is derived from a root meaning to be non-existent, and it appears frequently in various grammatical constructions.
אַ֫יִן, אָ֑֫יִן cstr. אֵין subst. prop. nothing, nought
to nothing, as nothing
cstr. אֵין, very freq. as particle of negation, is not, are not, was not, were not
אֵין לְ׳, with subst., or pron., there is (was) not to … = … have, has, had, etc. not
in circumst. clauses
with inf. and ל׳, it is not to …
with prefixes
base
H369 אַ֫יִן, אָ֑֫יִן cstr. אֵין subst. prop. nothing, nought . to nothing, as nothing
. cstr. אֵין, very freq. as particle of negation, is not, are not, was not, were not
. אֵין לְ׳, with subst., or pron., there is (was) not to … = … have, has, had, etc. not
. in circumst. clauses
. with inf. and ל׳, it is not to …
. with prefixes
369 'ayin ah'-yin
as if from a primitive root meaning to be nothing or not
exist; a non-entity; generally used as a negative
particle:--else, except, fail, (father-)less, be gone,
in(-curable), neither, never, no (where), none, nor, (any,
thing), not, nothing, to nought, past, un(-searchable),
well-nigh, without. Compare 370.
see HEBREW for 0370
אַ֫יִן (a.yin) — nothing.
1) nothing, not, nought n
1a) nothing, nought neg
1b) not
1c) to have not (of possession) adv
1d) without w/prep
1e) for lack of
HC/Ncmsc — Conjunction · noun common masculine singular constructHC/Ncmsc
דָּבָר (dabar) means 'word' or 'speech' and encompasses a range of meanings including discourse, saying, and matter. It can refer to anything spoken or a topic of discussion, extending to concepts like business or affairs. The entries consistently highlight its use in various contexts, but do not indicate any significant disagreement among lexicographers.
דָּבָר 1439 n.m. speech, word
sg. speech, discourse, saying, word, as the sum of that which is spoken
sg. saying, utterance, sentence, as a section of a discourse
sg. a word, words
sg. matter, affair, thing about which one speaks
base
H1697 דָּבָר speech, word . sg. speech, discourse, saying, word, as the sum of that which is spoken
. sg. saying, utterance, sentence, as a section of a discourse
. sg. a word, words
. sg. matter, affair, thing about which one speaks
1697 dabar daw-baw'
from 1696; a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or
thing; adverbially, a cause:--act, advice, affair, answer, X
any such (thing), because of, book, business, care, case,
cause, certain rate, + chronicles, commandment, X
commune(-ication), + concern(-ing), + confer, counsel, +
dearth, decree, deed, X disease, due, duty, effect, +
eloquent, errand, (evil favoured-)ness, + glory, + harm, hurt,
+ iniquity, + judgment, language, + lying, manner, matter,
message, (no) thing, oracle, X ought, X parts, + pertaining, +
please, portion, + power, promise, provision, purpose,
question, rate, reason, report, request, X (as hast) said,
sake, saying, sentence, + sign, + so, some (uncleanness),
somewhat to say, + song, speech, X spoken, talk, task, + that,
X there done, thing (concerning), thought, + thus, tidings,
what(-soever), + wherewith, which, word, work.
see HEBREW for 01696
דָּבָר (da.var) — word.
: word/speech/command
1) speech, word, speaking, thing
1a) speech
1b) saying, utterance
1c) word, words
1d) business, occupation, acts, matter, case, something, manner (by extension)
דָּבָר (da.var) — word: speaking.
: speaking
1) speech, word, speaking, thing
1a) speech
1b) saying, utterance
1c) word, words
1d) business, occupation, acts, matter, case, something, manner (by extension)
דָּבָר (da.var) — word: thing.
: thing/matter
1) speech, word, speaking, thing
1a) speech
1b) saying, utterance
1c) word, words
1d) business, occupation, acts, matter, case, something, manner (by extension)
דָּבָר (da.var) — word: promised.
: promised/duty
1) speech, word, speaking, thing
1a) speech
1b) saying, utterance
1c) word, words
1d) business, occupation, acts, matter, case, something, manner (by extension)
דָּבָר (da.var) — word: deed.
: deed
HNcmpa — Noun common · masculine plural absoluteHNcmpa
בְּלִי (bli) refers to a state of wearing out or destruction, and serves as an adverb of negation meaning 'without' or 'not.' It is derived from the root meaning failure and can indicate absence or lack in various contexts.
בְּלִי subst. wearing out, hence
fig. destruction
defect, failure, hence adv. of negation
base
H1097 בְּלִי subst. wearing out, hence . fig. destruction
. defect, failure, hence adv. of negation
1097 bliy bel-ee'
from 1086; properly, failure, i.e. nothing or destruction;
usually (with preposition) without, not yet, because not, as
long as, etc.:--corruption, ig(norantly), for lack of, where
no...is, so that no, none, not, un(awares), without.
see HEBREW for 01086
בְּלִי (be.li) — without.
subst
1) wearing out
adv of negation
2) without, no, not
HNcmsa — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
The Hebrew word שָׁמַע (shama`) means 'to hear' and encompasses a range of meanings including listening, obeying, and proclaiming. It is built from a primitive root and can imply attention and understanding. The entries highlight various grammatical forms, such as Qal, Niphal, Piel, and Hiphil, indicating different nuances of hearing and obeying. There is no significant disagreement among the lexicons regarding its meanings.
שָׁמַע 1152 vb. hear
Qal 1052
subj. pers. hum.
י׳ (God) subj.
Niph. 42 be heard, of voice, sound
be heard of
be regarded, obeyed
= (favourable) hearing was granted to their voice.
Pi. he caused the people to hear
Hiph. 63
of man
י׳ subj.
base
H8085 שָׁמַע hear
8085 shama` shaw-mah'
a primitive root; to hear intelligently (often with
implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to
tell, etc.):--X attentively, call (gather) together, X
carefully, X certainly, consent, consider, be content,
declare, X diligently, discern, give ear, (cause to, let, make
to) hear(-ken, tell), X indeed, listen, make (a) noise, (be)
obedient, obey, perceive, (make a) proclaim(-ation), publish,
regard, report, shew (forth), (make a) sound, X surely, tell,
understand, whosoever (heareth), witness.
שָׁמַע (sha.ma) — to hear: hear.
: hear
v
1) to hear, listen to, obey
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to hear (perceive by ear)
1a2) to hear of or concerning
1a3) to hear (have power to hear)
1a4) to hear with attention or interest, listen to
1a5) to understand (language)
1a6) to hear (of judicial cases)
1a7) to listen, give heed
1a7a) to consent, agree
1a7b) to grant request
1a8) to listen to, yield to
1a9) to obey, be obedient
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be heard (of voice or sound)
1b2) to be heard of
1b3) to be regarded, be obeyed
1c) (Piel) to cause to hear, call to hear, summon
1d) (Hiphil)
1d1) to cause to hear, tell, proclaim, utter a sound
1d2) to sound aloud (musical term)
1d3) to make proclamation, summon
1d4) to cause to be heard
n m
2) sound
שָׁמַע (sha.ma) — to hear: obey.
: obey
v
1) to hear, listen to, obey
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to hear (perceive by ear)
1a2) to hear of or concerning
1a3) to hear (have power to hear)
HVNrmsa — Verb · Niphal · participle (active) masculine singularHVNrmsa
קוֹל (qol) primarily means 'voice' or 'sound,' encompassing various contexts such as music, noise, and even thunder. It can also denote lightness or frivolity. The word is built from a root meaning to call aloud and appears in various forms throughout the Old Testament, including a reference in Jeremiah 3:9.
ref
H6963a קוֹל sound, voice H6963b קֹל lightness, frivolity
6963 qowl kole
or qol {kole}; from an unused root meaning to call aloud; a
voice or sound:--+ aloud, bleating, crackling, cry (+ out),
fame, lightness, lowing, noise, + hold peace, (pro-)claim,
proclamation, + sing, sound, + spark, thunder(-ing), voice, +
yell.
קוֹל (qol) — voice.
: voice/shout/loud
1) voice, sound, noise
1a) voice
1b) sound (of instrument)
קֹל (qol) — frivolity.
lightness, frivolity
קוֹל (qol) — voice: sound.
: sound/noise
1) voice, sound, noise
1a) voice
1b) sound (of instrument)
קוֹל (qol) — voice: thunder.
: thunder
1) voice, sound, noise
1a) voice
1b) sound (of instrument)
קוֹל (qol) — voice: message.
: message/proclaim
1) voice, sound, noise
1a) voice
1b) sound (of instrument)
קוֹל (qol) — voice: [sound of].
: [sound_of](THING)
1) voice, sound, noise
1a) voice
1b) sound (of instrument)
קוֹל (qol) — voice: listen.
: listen
1) voice, sound, noise
1a) voice
1b) sound (of instrument)
HNcmsc/Sp3mp — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffixHNcmsc/Sp3mp