Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The psalmist isn't just saying God's knowledge is vast, but that the way God knows is what’s truly unfathomable. He’s not boasting about his own knowledge, but confessing the sheer wonder that God’s understanding encompasses everything, even things that don’t yet exist or seem uncertain. It’s the divine perspective, the "how" of God's knowing, that lies beyond human grasp.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The psalmist is grappling with the overwhelming reality of God's intimate knowledge of him, exploring how God sees every detail of his life from birth to his unformed days. He's realizing that this divine awareness is so vast and profound, extending even to the unseen and the future, that his own human understanding simply can't grasp its full scope or how it's even possible. This leads him to a place of awe, recognizing this knowledge as impossibly high and beyond his reach.
Ever felt like there's just too much to know? The Psalmist expresses a similar awe, not about his own limitations, but about God's incredible knowledge.
The Immensity of God's Knowledge
The Psalmist here grapples with the sheer scale of God's understanding. He isn't just talking about knowing facts; he's talking about God's intimate, all-encompassing awareness.
This isn't just abstract theology. The deep context of Psalm 139 reveals this 'wonderful knowledge' is deeply personal, centered on YOU.
Intimate and Unfathomable Awareness
While the verse speaks of God's general omniscience, it's crucial to remember the context of Psalm 139. The Psalmist is overwhelmed by how intimately God knows .
Ask a follow-up
The 'wonderful knowledge' isn't just about the universe; it's about God's complete understanding of your entire existence, from your innermost being to your life's trajectory.
Understand the original words
da'ath · Hebrew Noun
Refers to the intellectual grasp or cognitive apprehension of truth. In a theological sense, it often denotes God’s exhaustive, intimate, and divine perception of all things, including the thoughts and actions of humanity.
peli'iy · Hebrew Adjective
Generally implies something beyond ordinary human experience, miraculous, or difficult to comprehend. Biblically, it is often used to describe God's works or attributes that evoke awe and surpass human logic.
This passage mirrors the Psalmist's awe, questioning if anyone can truly comprehend God's infinite nature and wisdom, which is beyond human understanding.
Proverbs 25:2This verse highlights that while it is a grand thing to seek out hidden truths, some of God's knowledge remains beyond our full grasp, echoing the sentiment of Psalm 139:6.
Romans 11:33Paul expresses similar astonishment at the depth and wisdom of God's judgments, acknowledging that His ways and knowledge are unsearchable, much like the Psalmist's experience.
Isaiah 40:28This prophetic passage emphasizes that the Lord's understanding is unsearchable, directly supporting the Psalmist's declaration that such knowledge is too wonderful and high to attain.
pulpitPsalms 139:6: "Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it."
Verse 6. - Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it. The psalmist does not say, "such knowledge," but simply "knowledge," i.e. real true knowledge, such as deserves the name. "The thought of God's omniscience makes him feel as if real knowledge were beyond his reach" (Kay).
clarkePsalms 139:6: "Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it."
Such knowledge is too wonderful - I think, with Kennicott, that פלאיה דעת pelaiah daath should be read פלאי הדעת peli haddaath, "This knowledge," ממני mimmenni, "is beyond or above me." This change is made by taking the ה he from the end of פלאיה pelaiah, which is really no word, and joining it with דעת daath; which, by giving it an article, makes it demonstrative, הדעת haddaath, "This knowledge.…
The psalmist isn't just saying God's knowledge is vast, but that the way God knows is what’s truly unfathomable. He’s not boasting about his own knowledge, but confessing the sheer wonder that God’s understanding encompasses everything, even things that don’t yet exist or seem uncertain. It’s the divine perspective, the "how" of God's knowing, that lies beyond human grasp.
The psalmist is grappling with the overwhelming reality of God's intimate knowledge of him, exploring how God sees every detail of his life from birth to his unformed days. He's realizing that this divine awareness is so vast and profound, extending even to the unseen and the future, that his own human understanding simply can't grasp its full scope or how it's even possible. This leads him to a place of awe, recognizing this knowledge as impossibly high and beyond his reach.
The psalmist is grappling with the overwhelming reality of God's intimate knowledge of him, exploring how God sees every detail of his life from birth to his unformed days. He's realizing that this divine awareness is so vast and profound, extending even to the unseen and the future, that his own human understanding simply can't grasp its full scope or how it's even possible. This leads him to a place of awe, recognizing this knowledge as impossibly high and beyond his reach.
"Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it." — The psalmist isn't just saying God's knowledge is vast, but that the way God knows is what’s truly unfathomable. He’s not boasting about his own knowledge, but confessing the sheer wonder that God’…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026