The Meaning of Psalms 19:14 Explained

Psalms 19:14

KJV: Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.

YLT: Let the sayings of my mouth, And the meditation of my heart, Be for a pleasing thing before Thee, O Jehovah, my rock, and my redeemer!

Darby: Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Jehovah, my rock, and my redeemer.

ASV: Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in thy sight, O Jehovah, my rock, and my redeemer.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Let the words  of my mouth,  and the meditation  of my heart,  be acceptable  in thy sight,  O LORD,  my strength,  and my redeemer. 

What does Psalms 19:14 Mean?

Verse Meaning

In closing this Psalm , David prayed that his words and thoughts would please God. In view of the context, this takes place as we allow the Word of God to affect our lives. David viewed his words and thoughts as sacrifices to God (cf. Hebrews 13:15). This is the implication of "acceptable" or "pleasing." As he closed this psalm he evidently regarded God not as his judge but as the foundation of his life and the One who had purchased him for a special purpose.
"The Word in the hand is fine; the Word in the head is better; but the Word in the heart is what transforms us and matures us in Christ ( Psalm 119:11; Co3:161-7)." [1]
God has revealed Himself in nature and in Scripture. This revelation should move us to bow in humble adoration and willing obedience before our Creator. [2] Psalm 1 , 19 , , 119 all deal significantly with the Word of God.
"I take this to be the greatest poem in the Psalter and one of the greatest lyrics in the world." [3]

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 19:14 mean?

Let Be acceptable the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart in Your sight Yahweh my strength and my Redeemer
יִֽהְי֥וּ לְרָצ֨וֹן ׀ אִמְרֵי־ פִ֡י וְהֶגְי֣וֹן לִבִּ֣י לְפָנֶ֑יךָ יְ֝הוָ֗ה צוּרִ֥י וְגֹאֲלִֽי

יִֽהְי֥וּ  Let 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
לְרָצ֨וֹן ׀  Be  acceptable 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: רָצֹון  
Sense: pleasure, delight, favour, goodwill, acceptance, will.
אִמְרֵי־  the  words 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: אֵמֶר 
Sense: utterance, speech, word, saying, promise, command.
פִ֡י  of  my  mouth 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: פֶּה  
Sense: mouth.
וְהֶגְי֣וֹן  and  the  meditation 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: הִגָּיׄון  
Sense: meditation, resounding music, musing.
לִבִּ֣י  of  my  heart 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: לֵב 
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding.
לְפָנֶ֑יךָ  in  Your  sight 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
יְ֝הוָ֗ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
צוּרִ֥י  my  strength 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: צוּר 
Sense: rock, cliff.
וְגֹאֲלִֽי  and  my  Redeemer 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: גְּאוּלִים 
Sense: to redeem, act as kinsman-redeemer, avenge, revenge, ransom, do the part of a kinsman.