Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite.
What does Psalms 147:5 mean?
Praising God is work that is its own wages. It is comely; it becomes us as reasonable creatures, much more as people in covenant with God.
Key themes
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Keep this verse inside its immediate passage and alongside a few nearby related passages.
Commentary on Psalms 147:5
Great is our Lord - See the notes at Psalm 48:1 . And of great power - This seems to be added, as in Isaiah 40:28 , in view of the power required in making the heavens, and in guiding and numbering the stars: "Hast thou not known? Hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary?" His understanding is infinite - Margin, Of his understanding there is no number. That is, This corresponds with his power to number the stars. There is no limit to it.
Key words
- Our Lord
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Our Lord. Great is our Lord, and of great power,....
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Great is our Lord, and of great power,.
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Great is our Lord, and of great power,.
Context in Psalms 147
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Psalms 147 belongs to the middle movement of the book, especially the section often described as Book V. Psalms is the Bible’s great book of sung prayer, teaching the full range of faithful speech from anguish and repentance to jubilation and doxology. Read this chapter with the wider themes of prayer, praise, and lament in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.
Related topics
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Verses on the fear of the Lord, wise speech, practical judgment, teachability, and the difference between biblical wisdom and mere cleverness.
Bible verses about thankfulness and gratitude
Passages on thanksgiving to God, grateful worship, and the discipline of remembering God’s goodness in ordinary life.