Character ethics approaches have been increasingly applied to the study of the Old Testament. In the words of William Brown (2002: xi) a character ethics approach is “more a shared outlook than an established methodology [that]…investigates the formative, as well as normative, impact that Scripture qua Scripture makes upon reading communities, both ancient and (post)modern.” This approach has most often been applied to the study of the wisdom books with little concern for the book of Psalms. Yet, the Psalms, a book of poetry and prayer, possesses a profound ability to shape the reader’s character. As Athanasius (1980: 112) stated in the 4th century, “If the point needs to be put more forcefully, let us say that the entire Holy Scripture is a teacher of virtues and of the truths of faith, while the Book of Psalms possesses somehow the perfect image for the souls’ course of life.” The Psalms have a unique ability to shape the reader who experiences the beauty of poetry and participates in the prayers of Scripture. Character ethics approaches to the study of the Old Testament have missed a vital source of wisdom by ignoring the formative power of the Psalms. To demonstrate the virtue-forming wisdom of the psalms, I look at Psalm 19 as a model. Psalm 19 begins with a focus on Creation, highlighting the distinction between the Creator and the created. Creation declares God’s glory and sets the context in which created humanity might be understood. Within the context of Creation, the psalm moves on to reflect on the torah of God. God’s personal instructions are “reliable,” “upright,” and “pure” possessing the power to form created individuals in a like manner. The psalmist responds to all of this in personal prayer that God might allow the words of his mouth, that is to say his character, to conform to God’s desires. Overall, Psalm 19 models the book of Psalms compacity to form virtue through its combined concern with God’s torah (see also Psalm 1) and the praise of Creation (see also Psalm 148) which leads to prayer directed to “YHWH, my rock and my redeemer” (Psalm 19:14).