Psalm 139 6

Psalm 139:6 kjv

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.

Psalm 139:6 nkjv

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is high, I cannot attain it.

Psalm 139:6 niv

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.

Psalm 139:6 esv

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it.

Psalm 139:6 nlt

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too great for me to understand!

Psalm 139 verses

Psalm 139 6 Meaning

Psalm 139:6 expresses the Psalmist's profound awe and humility in the face of God's absolute omniscience and omnipresence, which were comprehensively described in the preceding verses. The Psalmist declares that such knowledge—referring to God's all-encompassing awareness of every thought, word, deed, and hidden part of human existence—is utterly beyond his human comprehension and reach. It is a knowledge so grand and elevated that the human mind cannot fully grasp its depth or scale.

Psalm 139 6 Context

Psalm 139 is a profound reflection on God's omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence, culminating in a prayer for God's guidance. Verses 1-5 establish God's all-encompassing knowledge and understanding of the Psalmist—knowing his thoughts from afar, observing his every path, discerning every word before it is spoken. The historical context is generally attributed to David, who as king would have pondered God's direct involvement in his life and governance. This psalm speaks from a deeply personal experience of God, presenting Him as an ever-present, all-knowing Being, contrasting sharply with the limited, local, or specialized deities of surrounding pagan cultures. This verse, therefore, acts as an exclamation of overwhelming awe at the incomprehensible magnitude of the divine attributes just described.

Psalm 139 6 Word analysis

• Such knowledge: This refers back to the extensive detail of God's comprehensive understanding presented in verses 1-5. In Hebrew, דַּעַת (da'at) denotes understanding, discernment, and cognitive awareness. It signifies God's complete grasp of every detail of existence.
• is too wonderful: The Hebrew word פלאה (pele'ah) signifies something extraordinary, marvelous, or miraculous; something that transcends human capacity or explanation. It's often used for divine acts or attributes that evoke awe and astonishment due to their un-natural or supernatural nature (e.g., God's works in Exodus 15:11; His nature in Isa 9:6). It highlights the utterly unique and superhuman quality of God's knowledge.
• for me: This emphasizes the personal, experiential dimension of the Psalmist's confession. It’s not a general theological statement but a humble admission of personal human limitation.
• it is so high: The Hebrew נִשְׂגְּבָה (nisggevah) denotes something exalted, elevated, or inaccessible, beyond reach or grasp. It paints a picture of God's knowledge being on an infinitely higher plane than human intellect. This isn't just a quantitative difference but a qualitative one; human minds are fundamentally inadequate to grasp such divine magnitude.
• I cannot attain unto it: The phrase לֹא-אוּכַל (lo' ukal) means "I am not able" or "I am incapable." It expresses absolute human inadequacy to fully comprehend or grasp God's infinite knowledge. It is a recognition of boundary, not a desire to overcome it, but an admission of humility and finiteness before the infinite God.

Words-group analysis:

• "Such knowledge is too wonderful for me": This phrase expresses awe-struck humility. The divine omniscience detailed earlier in the psalm (knowing thoughts, paths, words before they exist) evokes a sense of wonder that overwhelms human understanding. It suggests God's knowledge is not just greater in degree, but qualitatively different, possessing an astonishing, even miraculous, quality.
• "it is so high, I cannot attain unto it": This builds on the previous phrase by emphasizing transcendence and inaccessibility. "High" signifies that this divine attribute is on a plane far beyond human conceptual reach. "Cannot attain unto it" underscores the fundamental inability of limited human cognition to grasp the full extent, depth, or implications of God's infinite knowledge, fostering a profound sense of dependence on God.

Psalm 139 6 Bonus section

The profound declaration in Psalm 139:6 serves as a powerful polemic against any belief system that presumes to fully categorize, limit, or exhaust the knowledge of God within human frameworks. It reminds believers that true worship stems from a posture of awe before an incomprehensible yet intimately present God, rather than a God fully dissected and understood. This verse promotes intellectual humility in theology and science alike, reminding that even the deepest inquiries will encounter the ultimate boundary of divine transcendence. It also lays the groundwork for later scriptural revelations that emphasize receiving truth about God by His gracious revelation, rather than by human ascent.

Psalm 139 6 Commentary

Psalm 139:6 serves as a pivot point in the psalm, transitioning from God's character to the Psalmist's response. It is a powerful declaration of theological humility, asserting that God's knowledge—His complete and intimate understanding of creation and every individual life, as described in verses 1-5—transcends human capacity to grasp fully. The Psalmist is not expressing a failure of intellect but acknowledging the infinite gulf between finite humanity and an infinite God. This incomprehensibility of God, far from being a negative attribute, deepens awe and wonder. It guards against any notion that humans can confine God to their own understanding or that His wisdom can be fully apprehended by human reason. Instead, it invites trust in the One whose thoughts are so high they cannot be attained, fostering both reverence and reliance upon His transcendent wisdom.