Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
English Standard Version (ESV)
Paul breaks out in awe here, not just at God's immense qualities like riches, wisdom, and knowledge, but also at how these are expressed in His plans and actions. The verse highlights that God's judgments (His decisions and purposes) and His ways (how He carries them out) are not just beyond our full understanding, but are literally impossible for us to trace or map out, like trying to follow footsteps in the sea.
Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
English Standard Version (ESV)
The apostle Paul is concluding his profound theological argument concerning God's plan for Israel and the Gentiles. Having explored the mysteries of salvation, election, and rejection, he breaks out in awe at the unfathomable nature of God's wisdom and purposes. This exclamation serves as a bridge from the doctrinal sections of the letter to the practical exhortations that will follow.
Ever feel like you're running on empty, or that your problems are too big to handle? Paul's exclamation here reminds us that God's capacity is beyond anything we can imagine.
Paul opens this chapter with an awe-struck cry: "O the depth of the riches... of God!" He's not just talking about God's generosity, but His inexhaustible resources.
What are these 'riches'?
These aren't just abstract qualities; they are the very means by which God orchestrates everything, including complex events like Israel's temporary rejection and the inclusion of the Gentiles. His 'riches' mean He has more than enough wisdom, knowledge, and grace to bring about His good and sovereign plan, even when human actions seem contrary to it.
Have you ever looked at a situation and thought, 'God, what are You doing?' Paul admits that God's decisions and paths are not easily understood by us.
Paul follows his outburst of praise with two powerful descriptions of God's divine activity:
Judgments and Ways
Ask a follow-up
This doesn't mean God's ways are illogical or unjust. It means they are so far beyond our limited human perspective that we cannot fully grasp their reasoning or anticipate their outcomes. Our finite minds simply cannot contain the infinite scope of God's plans.
Understand the original words
ploutos · Greek Noun
The sum of God's perfect moral and spiritual attributes, often portrayed as an infinite treasure that provides for the spiritual needs of His people.
sophia · Greek Noun
The divine attribute of possessing perfect insight into the nature of things, enabling God to govern the universe and execute His redemptive plan perfectly.
gnōsis · Greek Noun
God’s absolute and exhaustive awareness of all things, past, present, and future, including the secrets of human hearts.
krima · Greek Noun
The divine acts of sentencing or deciding; in this context, it refers to God's sovereign, righteous, and often mysterious administration of justice and history.
hodos · Greek Noun
God’s methods, paths, or track-marks in history; they reflect His providential steering of events that are beyond human tracing or comprehension.
This passage directly asks if one can understand the deep mysteries of God, echoing Paul's exclamation about God's unsearchable judgments and ways.
Psalm 36:6This verse describes God's judgments as a 'great deep,' mirroring the 'depth' and 'unsearchable' nature Paul finds in God's riches, wisdom, and knowledge.
Isaiah 40:13Paul's question, 'Who has known the mind of the Lord?' directly quotes or alludes to this passage, emphasizing the human inability to comprehend God's counsel.
Ephesians 3:8This verse speaks of the 'unfathomable riches of Christ,' similar to Paul's awe at God's own 'depth of riches,' and uses the word 'unsearchable' for God's wisdom.
Colossians 2:3Here, Christ is described as the one in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, connecting to Paul's contemplation of God's own profound and hidden wisdom and knowledge.
ellicottRomans 11:33: "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!"
(33-36) This grand and comprehensive view of the divine purposes makes so deep an impression upon the Apostle that he breaks out into an impassioned ascription of praise, with which the first (doctrinal) portion of the Epistle is brought to a close. (33) Riches.—The two substantives which follow may be taken as dependent upon “riches.” This is the…
gillRomans 11:33: "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!"
O the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God,.... These words are the epilogue, or conclusion of the doctrinal part of this epistle, and relate to what is said throughout the whole of it hitherto; particularly to the doctrines of salvation by Christ, justification by his righteousness, predestination, the calling of the Genti…
Paul breaks out in awe here, not just at God's immense qualities like riches, wisdom, and knowledge, but also at how these are expressed in His plans and actions. The verse highlights that God's judgments (His decisions and purposes) and His ways (how He carries them out) are not just beyond our full understanding, but are literally impossible for us to trace or map out, like trying to follow footsteps in the sea.
The apostle Paul is concluding his profound theological argument concerning God's plan for Israel and the Gentiles. Having explored the mysteries of salvation, election, and rejection, he breaks out in awe at the unfathomable nature of God's wisdom and purposes. This exclamation serves as a bridge from the doctrinal sections of the letter to the practical exhortations that will follow.
The apostle Paul is concluding his profound theological argument concerning God's plan for Israel and the Gentiles. Having explored the mysteries of salvation, election, and rejection, he breaks out in awe at the unfathomable nature of God's wisdom and purposes. This exclamation serves as a bridge from the doctrinal sections of the letter to the practical exhortations that will follow.
"Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!" — Paul breaks out in awe here, not just at God's immense qualities like riches, wisdom, and knowledge, but also at how these are expressed in His plans and actions. The verse highlights that God's…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026