Psalm 106 2

Psalm 106:2 kjv

Who can utter the mighty acts of the LORD? who can shew forth all his praise?

Psalm 106:2 nkjv

Who can utter the mighty acts of the LORD? Who can declare all His praise?

Psalm 106:2 niv

Who can proclaim the mighty acts of the LORD or fully declare his praise?

Psalm 106:2 esv

Who can utter the mighty deeds of the LORD, or declare all his praise?

Psalm 106:2 nlt

Who can list the glorious miracles of the LORD?
Who can ever praise him enough?

Psalm 106 verses

Psalm 106 2 Meaning

Psalm 106:2 presents a rhetorical question, emphasizing the infinite greatness of the Almighty. It declares that the Lord's powerful deeds and His inherent praiseworthiness are so immense and boundless that no human being can fully articulate, enumerate, or exhaustively comprehend them. It simultaneously functions as an implicit call to acknowledge this immeasurable greatness and to constantly proclaim His glory, even if such proclamation can never be fully comprehensive.

Psalm 106 2 Context

Psalm 106 is a historical psalm, part of Book Four of the Psalms (Psalms 90-106). It serves as a national lament and confession of Israel's repeated sinfulness and rebellion throughout their history, while simultaneously recounting the enduring faithfulness and saving acts of God. Verse 2 immediately follows the opening verse, a universal call to "give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!" This call establishes the overarching theme of the psalm, which is to acknowledge God's goodness despite humanity's unworthiness.

Placed at the outset, Psalm 106:2 frames the entire historical narrative that follows. By rhetorically asking who can fully recount God's mighty acts or proclaim all His praise, it sets a crucial epistemological and doxological precedent. It humbles the worshiper, highlighting human limitation in grasping the full scope of divine activity and excellence, before the psalm embarks on the very attempt to do what it suggests is impossible – recount God's works and Israel's responses. This context elevates the subsequent narrative not as an exhaustive account, but as merely a selection of God's awe-inspiring deeds, proving His mercy even in the face of human failings. It implicitly challenges the original audience to contemplate the immensity of God's power and character, preparing them for the profound reflections on their nation's history.

Psalm 106 2 Word analysis

• Who can: This is a rhetorical question in Hebrew (Mi), not expecting an affirmative answer of "someone." It signifies human inadequacy and limitation in fully grasping or expressing God's greatness. It points to the immeasurable nature of God's being and activity.
• utter (מִלֵּל - millēl): From a root meaning "to speak, to circumcise" (cut into words). Here, it conveys the sense of articulating, declaring, or recounting comprehensively. It suggests an attempt to express fully and exhaustively.
• the mighty acts (גְּבֻרוֹת - gĕbûrōth): This plural noun signifies powerful deeds, heroic acts, acts of valor, and demonstrations of strength. In a theological context, it refers specifically to God's powerful interventions in history, such as the creation, the Exodus, the provision in the wilderness, and victories over enemies. These are not mere acts, but actions characterized by divine strength and overwhelming power.
• of the Lord (יְהוָה - YHWH, The LORD): Refers to the covenant God of Israel, the self-existent, sovereign, and faithful One. It anchors these incomprehensible deeds to the specific character and promises of Israel's God, distinguishing Him from any other power or deity.
• who can shew forth: Another rhetorical query. The verb (הִשְׁמִיעַ - hišmîaʿ) is in the Hiphil stem, meaning "to cause to hear, to proclaim, to announce publicly, to make heard." It emphasizes the act of making something widely known, proclaiming it with impact and reach. It goes beyond simply speaking to actively making an announcement or spreading fame.
• all his praise (כָּל־ תְּהִלָּתוֹ - kol tĕhillātô): "All" (kol) emphasizes the totality, the entirety, of His praiseworthiness. "Praise" (tĕhillāh) signifies commendation, glory, adoration, or the qualities that elicit praise. This phrase indicates the exhaustive nature of God's worthiness; not just what He does, but who He is in His infinite perfections. It refers to the sum total of His glory, character, and attributes that are deserving of ceaseless acclamation.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord?": This segment highlights God's actions. The rhetorical question suggests that God's interventions and demonstrations of power are so vast and awe-inspiring that no one can fully describe or list them all. It sets God's omnipotence and omnipresent activity beyond human comprehensive grasp.
• "who can shew forth all his praise?": This second part extends the inquiry to God's character and attributes. It implies that God's intrinsic excellence, His holiness, righteousness, goodness, faithfulness, and steadfast love, are so immense that all collective human adoration could never exhaustively express His full deservingness of praise. This reveals both the impossibility of complete human comprehension and the perpetual necessity of human adoration.
• The combined rhetorical questions: Together, they form a powerful statement about God's infinitude in both deed and character. The questions are not meant to discourage praise, but to encourage humility and a continuous, deepening engagement with God's endless worth. They function as an overflow of awe and a confession that God is infinitely greater than human capacity to perceive or express. This sets the stage for the rest of the psalm to illustrate just a fraction of God's deeds and His worthy praise.

Psalm 106 2 Bonus section

This verse powerfully establishes the incommunicability of God in His fullness, meaning that aspects of His being transcend human comprehension and articulation. While humans are commanded to speak of God (e.g., Ps 96:3), this verse frames that commandment within the context of God's overwhelming infinitude, presenting praise not as a complete utterance, but as an endless pursuit. The two phrases – "mighty acts" and "all his praise" – are distinct but interconnected. God's "mighty acts" reveal His character and therefore are reasons for His "praise." The inability to fully recount one is intertwined with the inability to exhaustively declare the other. This verse serves as a crucial preface to the subsequent detailed historical review of Israel's journey, setting an expectation for awe rather than a complete theological summary.

Psalm 106 2 Commentary

Psalm 106:2, immediately following a universal call to thank and praise the Lord, serves as a profound theological declaration about the immeasurable nature of God. It acknowledges a fundamental human limitation: no individual or collective human effort can ever fully catalog God's "mighty acts" (His demonstrations of power, historical interventions, and creative wonders) or adequately "show forth all His praise" (His infinite character, attributes, and intrinsic worth).

This verse is not a deterrent to praise, but rather an intensifier. By presenting a seemingly impossible task, it underlines the perpetual, inexhaustible nature of God's greatness, urging believers into continuous, never-ending worship and reflection. The rhetorical questions implicitly humble humanity, reminding us that even our most fervent and articulate worship remains but a faint echo of His true glory. Simultaneously, they invite an ongoing journey of discovery into the depths of His works and His character. The rest of Psalm 106, which then meticulously recounts a selective history of God's mighty (and often unappreciated) deeds and Israel's recurrent failures, acts as a concrete, though necessarily partial, answer to the very questions posed in this verse. It is a practical demonstration of declaring His acts and praise, despite the stated impossibility of completeness.

For practical usage, this verse encourages a spirit of awe and humility in worship. It teaches us that our knowledge of God and our praise for Him should always be growing, never reaching a stagnant end point. It is a call to lifelong contemplation of God's grandeur, prompting us to marvel at every glimpse of His power and goodness that we encounter, knowing there is always infinitely more to learn and adore. For example:

• When faced with overwhelming beauty in creation, this verse reminds us that we are only witnessing a fraction of God's artistic "mighty acts."
• When contemplating moments of divine intervention in personal life or history, it nudges us to recognize that these are merely hints of God's boundless power.
• When engaged in worship, it cultivates a deep sense of inadequacy mixed with profound joy, knowing that our "praise" is offered to One whose excellence far surpasses our words.