Psalm 139:17 kjv
How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!
Psalm 139:17 nkjv
How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them!
Psalm 139:17 niv
How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them!
Psalm 139:17 esv
How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!
Psalm 139:17 nlt
How precious are your thoughts about me, O God.
They cannot be numbered!
Psalm 139 17 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ps 33:11 | The counsel of the Lord stands forever, The plans of His heart to all generations. | God's plans are eternal and unwavering. |
| Ps 40:5 | Many, O Lord my God, are Your wonderful works... Your thoughts toward us... cannot be recounted to You in order. | Acknowledges the countless and immeasurable nature of God's thoughts/works. |
| Ps 92:5 | How great are Your works, O Lord! Your thoughts are very deep. | Emphasizes the profundity and depth of God's thoughts. |
| Ps 145:3 | Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; And His greatness is unsearchable. | God's greatness, encompassing His thoughts, is beyond human grasp. |
| Isa 55:8-9 | "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts." | Contrasts God's elevated, incomprehensible thoughts with human thoughts. |
| Jer 29:11 | "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." | God's thoughts are purposeful, for good, and provide hope. |
| Job 42:2 | "I know that You can do everything, And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You." | Affirms God's omnipotence and the unthwartable nature of His plans. |
| Rom 11:33-36 | Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! | Praises the unsearchable depth of God's wisdom and knowledge. |
| Eph 2:10 | For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. | God's purposeful design and pre-ordained plans for believers' lives. |
| Col 2:2-3 | ...to the full knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. | All of God's wisdom and knowledge are found in Christ. |
| Ps 119:72 | The law of Your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver. | Echoes the "preciousness" of God's decrees, comparable to His thoughts. |
| Prov 3:13-15 | Happy is the man who finds wisdom... Her ways are ways of pleasantness, And all her paths are peace... She is more precious than rubies, And all the things you may desire cannot compare with her. | Wisdom, originating from God's thoughts, is supremely precious. |
| Ps 8:4 | What is man that You are mindful of him...? | Underlines God's care and thoughts even for finite humanity. |
| Mat 10:29-31 | Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father's will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. | God's meticulous, personal thoughts extend to every detail. |
| 1 Pet 5:7 | casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. | Reassures of God's deep and personal concern for His people. |
| 1 Cor 2:7 | ...we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory... | God's thoughts encompass a hidden, profound wisdom ordained for salvation. |
| Ps 147:5 | Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite. | Reiterates the boundless nature of God's understanding and wisdom. |
| Jn 15:15 | No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. | The intimate knowledge shared by God with His "friends," akin to sharing "thoughts." |
| Isa 40:28 | Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. | Reinforces God's eternal nature and His incomprehensible understanding. |
| 2 Tim 1:9 | ...who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began... | God's purposeful plan (thoughts) initiated before creation for believers. |
Psalm 139 verses
Psalm 139 17 Meaning
Psalm 139:17 expresses profound awe and worship for God's thoughts or plans concerning the psalmist. It declares that God's intentions and purposes are of immense value and importance, being exceedingly precious. Furthermore, it marvels at their vastness, signifying that they are countless, immeasurable, and utterly beyond human comprehension or enumeration.
Psalm 139 17 Context
Psalm 139 is a magnificent wisdom psalm, intensely personal yet universally resonant, focusing on God's omnipresence, omniscience, and omnipotence. The psalmist (David) begins by marveling at God's exhaustive knowledge of him, from his deepest thoughts and intentions (vv. 1-6) to his movements and every step (vv. 7-12). This knowledge extends to God's presence, from which one cannot flee. Verses 13-16 then recount God's intricate and miraculous design of the psalmist in his mother's womb, emphasizing God's foresight and planning even before his birth.
Verse 17 flows directly from this context of meticulous divine craftsmanship and exhaustive knowledge. Having reflected on what God knows and what God has done in forming him, the psalmist then contemplates the mind behind it all. He shifts from observing God's actions and knowledge about him to adoring God's internal thoughts and purposes towards him. This verse expresses a deeply personal and worshipful response to the preceding declarations of God's infinite wisdom and detailed involvement in his life, recognizing that such intricate design must stem from infinitely precious and innumerable divine intentions.
Psalm 139 17 Word analysis
- How precious: Hebrew: יָקָר (yāqār). This word denotes something valuable, costly, dear, excellent, weighty, or rare. It implies high esteem, honor, and supreme importance, far beyond mere monetary worth. The psalmist views God's thoughts as supremely cherished, something he holds in the highest regard, indicating adoration rather than simple acknowledgement.
- also: This small addition emphasizes the extension of God's precious attributes to His thoughts, building on the wonders already expressed in the psalm.
- Your thoughts: Hebrew: רֵעֶיךָ (rêʿeka). This is a less common and significant translation. The word רֵעַ (reaʿ) primarily means "friend," "companion," "associate." However, in this specific context and its plural form (often appearing as rēʿāh in construct state meaning thoughts or plans), it signifies "plans," "purposes," "designs," or "counsels," particularly deep and intimate ones, akin to the thoughts shared between close friends. It suggests profoundly considered intentions or dealings concerning the individual, highlighting God's personal and deliberate engagement. This choice of word implies an active, purposeful relationship, not just abstract ideas.
- to me, O God!: The personal pronoun "me" highlights the direct, intimate relevance of God's profound thoughts to the psalmist's individual existence. The address "O God" (אֵל, El) underscores His powerful, mighty, and awe-inspiring nature as the source of such magnificent thoughts. It transforms a statement of fact into a personal exclamation of wonder and worship.
- How vast: Hebrew: עָצְמוּ (ʿāṣəmū). This word is derived from עָצַם (ʿāṣam), meaning "to be strong," "mighty," "numerous," "powerful," "vast," or "overwhelming." Here, it primarily conveys an immense, countless quantity, an overwhelming abundance that is impossible to measure or contain. It emphasizes the infinite extent and boundless nature of God's thoughts.
- is the sum of them!: Hebrew: רָאשֵׁיהֶם (rō’šêhem). Literally translated as "their heads" or "their chief points." In Hebrew idiom, "head" can refer to the totality, the sum, or the chief aspects of something. Combined with "vast," it implies that when all of God's thoughts are taken together, their totality is so immense that they cannot be reckoned or even properly begun to be counted. It signifies not just many thoughts, but an uncountable, incomprehensible totality of divine wisdom and purpose.
Words-group analysis:
- "How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!": This is an exclamation of intense personal value and reverence. The psalmist finds not only comfort but immense worth and honor in the simple fact that God has such intricate and personal thoughts towards him. It highlights God's wisdom and benevolent nature.
- "How vast is the sum of them!": This exclamation emphasizes the overwhelming quantity and immeasurable nature of God's thoughts. It is a recognition of God's infinitude and omniscient mind, utterly transcending human capacity for understanding or computation. It evokes a sense of profound wonder and humility before the infinite Creator.
Psalm 139 17 Bonus section
- The structure of the verse, with two exclamatory phrases, powerfully conveys wonder, awe, and adoration rather than just stating a fact. It's a spontaneous outpouring of praise.
- The progression of Psalm 139 from God's knowledge of the psalmist (vv. 1-12) to God's creative work in the psalmist (vv. 13-16) logically leads to a reflection on God's internal thoughts that orchestrate it all (v. 17). This provides a comprehensive view of God's intimate relationship with His creation.
- For the believer, realizing that God's innumerable, precious thoughts are towards them is a profound source of security, significance, and purpose. It speaks against feelings of insignificance or being forgotten.
Psalm 139 17 Commentary
Psalm 139:17 presents a worshipper's overwhelming response to the preceding declaration of God's perfect knowledge and intricate involvement in human life, from conception onwards. Having described God's omnipresence, omniscience, and omnipotence in relation to himself, the psalmist now turns his attention to the divine source of such profound interaction: God's thoughts. The phrase "How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!" elevates God's plans and intentions beyond mere factual existence; they are deemed invaluable, supremely dear, and held in the highest esteem. This preciousness speaks to their divine wisdom, benevolent purpose, and the profound love they reveal. They are not random ideas, but deeply considered purposes, implying an intimate and deliberate concern for the psalmist's life and destiny.
The subsequent exclamation, "How vast is the sum of them!" conveys the overwhelming, uncountable nature of these divine thoughts. It moves beyond mere quantity, suggesting their immeasurability and the human mind's inability to fully grasp their totality. It underscores the infinite scope of God's wisdom, planning, and continuous providential care for every individual and all creation. This verse, therefore, is not merely a theological statement but an outburst of worship and adoration, a recognition that God's mind, full of intentions and plans, is utterly beyond comprehension, yet beautifully and intricately focused on His creation, particularly on the individual in a personal and meaningful way. It reassures believers of God's endless and detailed providence.