The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows his handiwork.
Read Chapter 19
Augustine of Hippo
AD 430
2. "The heavens tell out the glory of God" (ver. 1). The righteous Evangelists, in whom, as in the heavens, God dwelleth, set forth the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ, or the glory wherewith the Son glorified the Father upon earth. "And the firmament showeth forth the works of His hands." And the firmament showeth forth the deeds of the Lord's power, that now made heaven by the assurance of the Holy Ghost, which before was earth by fear.
Firmament. Hebrew, "expansion "or region of the stars, far above our atmosphere. (Berthier)
These two sentences express the same idea, unless the former may denote what we behold, and the firmament be explained of the higher heavens, (Haydock) where we imagine the throne of God to be placed. Some have taken these expressions in a gross sense, and asserted that the heavens are animated, Job xxxviii. 7. But we must allow that they are figurative expressions, which seem to give a soul to plants, stars (Calmet)
The beautiful works of God extort our admiration. (Haydock)
The silence of heaven speaks louder than any trumpet. (St. Chrysostom)
"Who can behold the heavens, and yet be so foolish as not to acknowledge that a God exists? said Cicero, (Haydock) a learned pagan; (Arusp. and Nat. Deo. 2.; Calmet) though they cannot determine of what nature the Deity may be. (Leg. i.; Menochius)
Hands. Chaldean, "Those who look up at the heavens, publish the glory of the Lord; and those who raise...
David. It is not known when this was composed. David praises the works and law of God. Some passages are applied to Jesus Christ and his apostles, Romans x. 18. (Calmet)
When any text of a psalm is thus quoted, many judiciously conclude that the whole must be understood in the same sense, as the harmony will thus be greater. It seems there are two literal senses here, one regarding the law, whether natural or Mosaic; the other pertaining to the apostles and the law of the gospel; (Berthier) the "beloved "David of the latter days. (Worthington)
