Psalms 19:4

“Through all the earth their line has gone out, and to the end of the world their words. For the sun he has set a tent in them,”
Psalms 19:4 · direct translation from the Hebrew

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With the Hebrew beneath

Through all the earthבְּכָל הָאָרֶץtheir lineקַוָּםhas gone out,יָצָאand to the endוּבִקְצֵהof the worldתֵבֵלtheir words.מִלֵּיהֶםFor the sunלַשֶּׁמֶשׁhe has setשָׂםa tentאֹהֶלin them,בָּהֶם

Quotation · Romans 10:18

Go to Romans 10:18

Paul quotes Psalm 19:4 without a formula. Where the Hebrew says “their line,” Romans says “their voice.”

See the original texts

Greek of the New Testament: Ἀλλὰ λέγω μὴ οὐκ ἤκουσαν μενοῦνγε Εἰς πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν ἐξῆλθεν ὁ φθόγγος αὐτῶν καὶ εἰς τὰ πέρατα τῆς οἰκουμένης τὰ ῥήματα αὐτῶν

Hebrew (Masoretic text): בְּכָל הָאָרֶץ יָצָא קַוָּם וּבִקְצֵה תֵבֵל מִלֵּיהֶם לַשֶּׁמֶשׁ שָׂם אֹהֶל בָּהֶם

Septuagint (Psalms 18:5 in the Septuagint numbering): εἰς πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν ἐξῆλθεν ὁ φθόγγος αὐτῶν, καὶ εἰς τὰ πέρατα τῆς οἰκουμένης τὰ ῥήματα αὐτῶν.

The Greek of the NT matches the Septuagint word for word in 17 consecutive words: “Εἰς πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν ἐξῆλθεν ὁ φθόγγος αὐτῶν καὶ εἰς τὰ πέρατα τῆς οἰκουμένης τὰ ῥήματα αὐτῶν.”

Septuagint, Swete’s text, First1KGreek transcription (with reading errors), CC BY-SA 4.0

Psalms 19:4, word by word

Through all the earthאָרֶץarets

earth

The whole world, everything under the sky.

Where else “arets” appears

their lineקַוָּkava

measuring line

A stretched cord used to measure and mark out exactly.

Where else “kava” appears

has gone outיָצָאyatsa

go out

To go out of a place.

Where else “yatsa” appears

and to the endקְצֵהketse

end

The place where something ends: its edge or farthest point.

Where else “ketse” appears

of the worldתֵבֵלtevel

world

The world: the inhabited earth.

Where else “tevel” appears

their wordsמִלֵּיmile

word, speech

A word, a saying; what someone says. It is a poetic word, used very often in the book of Job.

Where else “mile” appears

For the sunשֶּׁמֶשׁshemesh

sun

The star that gives light and heat by day and marks the day and the year; "under the sun" means in this world.

Where else “shemesh” appears

he has setשָׂםsam

put

To put something somewhere.

Where else “sam” appears

a tentאֹהֶלohel

tent

A home of cloth or skins on poles, where herdsmen lived; also one's home.

Where else “ohel” appears

Translation note

“Their line”: the cord with which a piece of land is measured; here, the reach of that wordless message. Romans 10:18 quotes it as “their voice.”

Parallel passages

Other books that tell the same thing or quote these words.

Quotation · Romans 10:18

Paul quotes Psalm 19:4 without a formula. Where the Hebrew says “their line,” Romans says “their voice.”

See them side by side

Psalms 19:4

⁴Through all the earth their line has gone out, and to the end of the world their words. For the sun he has set a tent in them,

Romans 10:18

¹⁸But I say: It is not that they did not hear, is it? On the contrary: Into all the earth their voice has gone out, and to the ends of the inhabited world their words.

The context

3There is no saying, and there are no words; their voice is not heard.

4 · This verse (above)

5and it is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber; it rejoices like a mighty man to run the path.

Read all of Psalms 19

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