Psalms 145:3

Great [is] the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness [is] unsearchable.

Great {H1419} is the LORD {H3068}, and greatly {H3966} to be praised {H1984}; and his greatness {H1420} is unsearchable {H2714}.

Great is ADONAI and greatly to be praised; his greatness is beyond all searching out.

Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised; His greatness is unsearchable.

Great is Jehovah, and greatly to be praised; And his greatness is unsearchable.

Commentary on Psalms 145:3 (KJV)

Psalm 145:3 is a powerful declaration of God's immense character, serving as a foundational verse for worship and understanding the divine. It emphasizes both the qualitative and quantitative aspects of the Lord's being, asserting His supreme position above all else.

Context

Psalm 145 is a "Psalm of Praise" (Tehillah in Hebrew, from which the entire book of Psalms gets its Hebrew name, Tehillim, meaning "praises") written by King David. It is an acrostic psalm, with each verse (or pair of verses) beginning with successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet (though one letter is missing in the Masoretic Text). This structure suggests a comprehensive and exhaustive praise of God's attributes, from His greatness and power to His goodness, faithfulness, and compassion. Verse 3 sets the tone by immediately focusing on the Lord's unparalleled majesty, providing the ultimate reason for the praise that follows throughout the psalm.

Key Themes

  • The Lord's Unparalleled Greatness: The verse begins with a bold affirmation: "Great [is] the LORD." This speaks to God's inherent majesty, power, and authority over all creation. He is not merely great among others, but supremely great, beyond comparison.
  • The Imperative of Praise: Because of His greatness, the Lord is "greatly to be praised." This is not an option but a necessary response from His creation. His character demands and deserves boundless adoration and worship. It implies enthusiastic, continuous, and widespread praise from all who recognize His sovereignty.
  • God's Incomprehensible Nature: The phrase "his greatness [is] unsearchable" highlights the profound mystery of God. While we can know God and experience His attributes, His infinite nature, wisdom, and power are ultimately beyond the full grasp of human intellect. This unsearchability inspires awe and humility, reminding us that we can always discover more about Him without ever fully comprehending His boundless being. It aligns with other Scriptures that speak of God's unsearchable understanding and power.

Linguistic Insights

  • "Great" (Hebrew: gadol - גָּדוֹל): This word denotes not only size but also importance, power, and majesty. It signifies something vast, mighty, and significant.
  • "Praised" (Hebrew: halal - הָלַל): This is the root of the word "Hallelujah" (Praise the Lord). It means to shine, to boast, to celebrate, to rave about. It implies an active, enthusiastic, and often public declaration of worth and admiration.
  • "Unsearchable" (Hebrew: cheqer - חֵקֶר): This term means something that cannot be explored, investigated, or fully comprehended. It suggests an infinite depth that human inquiry cannot exhaust. Paul echoes this sentiment in the New Testament, speaking of the unsearchable judgments and ways of God.

Practical Application

This verse calls believers to a deeper and more profound worship. Recognizing God's "unsearchable" greatness should prevent us from trying to put God in a box or limit Him to our understanding. Instead, it should foster a spirit of constant wonder and humility. Our praise should be proportionate to His greatness – "greatly to be praised" – reflecting an active, joyful, and awe-filled response to who He is. It encourages us to continually seek to know Him more, while acknowledging that His infinite nature will always provide new depths to explore, inspiring us to praise the Lord with every breath.

Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • Psalms 147:5

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

  • Romans 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!

  • Job 5:9

    Which doeth great things and unsearchable; marvellous things without number:

  • Isaiah 40:28

    Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, [that] the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? [there is] no searching of his understanding.

  • Job 9:10

    Which doeth great things past finding out; yea, and wonders without number.

  • Psalms 139:6

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

  • Psalms 48:1

    ¶ A Song [and] Psalm for the sons of Korah. Great [is] the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, [in] the mountain of his holiness.
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