Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite.

PSALMS 147:5KJV
Know the Bible

Psalms 147:5 (KJV)

What does Psalms 147:5 mean?

Psalms 147:5 says that the Lord is great, has immense power, and possesses limitless understanding. The verse highlights God’s unmatched greatness and wisdom, showing that there are no boundaries to what He knows or can do.

The psalmist is speaking to the gathered people of Israel, encouraging them to praise God. This verse comes in a section where God’s care for creation and His people is being celebrated. The focus is on God’s vastness—not just in strength, but in wisdom and understanding—reminding the listener that God’s abilities and knowledge are far beyond human limits.

The Hebrew behind Psalms 147:5

  • “Great” (גָּדוֹל, gadol, H1419) is used to describe the Lord’s size or importance, emphasizing that God is far above all others in every way.
  • “Power” (כֹּחַ, koach, H3581) refers to might or strength, underlining that God’s ability to act is not limited or weak.
  • “Understanding” (תְּבוּנָה, tebunah, H8394) points to insight or wisdom, suggesting that God’s knowledge is not just broad but also deep and perceptive.
  • “Infinite” (אֵין מִסְפָּר, en mispar, H4557) literally means “without number,” stressing that God’s understanding cannot be counted or measured.

Why Psalms 147:5 matters

  • This verse clears up any idea that God’s knowledge or power has limits; it stresses that His wisdom and strength are beyond human calculation.
  • By placing this statement in the middle of a psalm about God’s care for creation and His people, it connects God’s greatness directly to His ability to help and sustain.
  • The verse helps the reader see that God’s understanding is not just vast in quantity, but also perfect in quality—He never overlooks or misunderstands anything.

Where else these words appear

“understanding” Hebrew H8394 · used in 42 verses

  • Exodus 31:3 And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship,
  • Proverbs 2:2 So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;
  • Proverbs 19:8 He that getteth wisdom loveth his own soul: he that keepeth understanding shall find good.

“power” Hebrew H3581 · used in 121 verses

  • Genesis 4:12 When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.
  • 2 Chronicles 22:9 And he sought Ahaziah: and they caught him,(for he was hid in Samaria,) and brought him to Jehu: and when they had slain him, they buried him: Because, said they, he is the son of Jehoshaphat, who sought the LORD with all his heart. So the house of Ahaziah had no power to keep still the kingdom.
  • Proverbs 24:5 A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.

“infinite” Hebrew H4557 · used in 129 verses

  • Genesis 34:30 And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, Ye have troubled me to make me to stink among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites: and I being few in number, they shall gather themselves together against me, and slay me; and I shall be destroyed, I and my house.
  • Deuteronomy 32:8 When the most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel.
  • Ezra 2:2 Which came with Zerubbabel: Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, Baanah. The number of the men of the people of Israel: