Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure.
English Standard Version (ESV)
While we might read "his understanding is infinite" as simply meaning God knows a lot, the Hebrew suggests a beautiful contrast: God can number the stars, yet His own understanding cannot be numbered. This highlights that God’s wisdom isn’t just vast; it’s fundamentally beyond our capacity to measure or contain, even as He perfectly comprehends all things.
Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This psalm is a powerful call to praise God, moving from His acts of gathering and healing His people to contemplating His vast creation. Following the verses that describe God's meticulous care for the stars and His compassion for the brokenhearted, this verse shifts to a declaration of God's intrinsic nature, setting the stage for understanding why such a God is worthy of worship. It prepares the reader to see how His immense power and unfathomable wisdom enable Him to perform the mighty acts of salvation and restoration mentioned in the surrounding verses.
We often think of power as something that can be depleted, but God's power is different. It's not just a lot of power, but an overflowing, inexhaustible supply.
The verse says God is "abundant in power." This isn't just a quantity of power; it's a wellspring of power. Think of it like a limitless source that never runs dry. This divine power is what allows God to create, sustain, and redeem everything. It's the force behind the natural world and the engine of His grace in our lives. When we face impossible situations, remembering God's abundant power can bring immense hope and strength.
We try to measure and understand things, but when it comes to God's intellect, our measuring sticks fall short. What does it mean for His understanding to be 'beyond measure'?
The psalmist declares that God's understanding is "beyond measure." This means it's infinite, limitless, and impossible for us to fully comprehend. While we can count stars (as the psalm mentions in verse 4), we cannot count God's thoughts or fully grasp His wisdom. His knowledge encompasses everything – past, present, future, and all possibilities. This perfect understanding means God sees our hearts completely, knows our needs before we ask, and has a plan that far surpasses our own limited perspective.
Understand the original words
Ask a follow-up
koach · Hebrew Noun
Refers to God's inherent strength and sovereignty in action. It denotes His capability to execute His will and sustain His creation.
tevunah · Hebrew Noun
Refers to God's infinite intelligence, wisdom, and discernment. It signifies that His knowledge and plans are far beyond human comprehension.
This passage speaks of God's immense power in creation, lifting His gaze to the heavens and calling forth the stars, echoing the theme of God's unfathomable greatness and the power behind His understanding.
Jeremiah 32:17This verse directly contrasts human limitations with God's vast capabilities, affirming that 'nothing is too hard for the Lord,' which powerfully reinforces the idea of God's abundant power mentioned in the psalm.
Romans 11:33The apostle Paul exclaims about the 'depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God,' a sentiment that beautifully parallels the psalm's declaration of God's immeasurable understanding and the awe it inspires.
Proverbs 3:19-20This proverb highlights that God's wisdom and understanding are foundational to creation and sustenance, emphasizing that 'by wisdom the Lord laid the earth' and 'by his knowledge the deeps broke forth,' aligning with the psalm's focus on divine intellect.
bensonPsalms 147:5: "Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite."
Psalm 147:5-6 . Great is our Lord, and of great power — “This is a proper conclusion, drawn from the former part of the Psalm, and especially from the preceding verse. The greatness of God’s power, which overcometh all difficulties, to effect the salvation of his people, is not to be grasped by the human mind; and that wisdom which numbers the stars of heaven, and the sand of the sea, and the generations of th…
clarkePsalms 147:5: "Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite."
His understanding is infinite - To his intelligence there is no number: though he numbers the stars, his understanding is without number. It is infinite; therefore, he can know, as he can do, all things.
While we might read "his understanding is infinite" as simply meaning God knows a lot, the Hebrew suggests a beautiful contrast: God can number the stars, yet His own understanding cannot be numbered. This highlights that God’s wisdom isn’t just vast; it’s fundamentally beyond our capacity to measure or contain, even as He perfectly comprehends all things.
This psalm is a powerful call to praise God, moving from His acts of gathering and healing His people to contemplating His vast creation. Following the verses that describe God's meticulous care for the stars and His compassion for the brokenhearted, this verse shifts to a declaration of God's intrinsic nature, setting the stage for understanding why such a God is worthy of worship. It prepares the reader to see how His immense power and unfathomable wisdom enable Him to perform the mighty acts of salvation and restoration mentioned in the surrounding verses.
This psalm is a powerful call to praise God, moving from His acts of gathering and healing His people to contemplating His vast creation. Following the verses that describe God's meticulous care for the stars and His compassion for the brokenhearted, this verse shifts to a declaration of God's intrinsic nature, setting the stage for understanding why such a God is worthy of worship. It prepares the reader to see how His immense power and unfathomable wisdom enable Him to perform the mighty acts of salvation and restoration mentioned in the surrounding verses.
"Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure." — While we might read "his understanding is infinite" as simply meaning God knows a lot, the Hebrew suggests a beautiful contrast: God can number the stars, yet His own understanding *cannot be numbe…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026