Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.
Parallel translations
- WEB This knowledge is beyond me. It’s lofty. I can’t attain it.
- BSB Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.
- NKJV Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is high, I cannot attain it.
- NASB Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is too high, I cannot comprehend it.
- NLT Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
David confesses that such knowledge of God is too wonderful and high for him to grasp.
Overview
Overwhelmed by God's intimate omniscience, David admits it surpasses his understanding. He responds not with despair but with humble wonder before the greatness of God. This recognition of God's incomprehensible majesty leads to worship, the fitting posture before the God revealed in Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- Rom 11:33O 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 42:3Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not.
- Job 11:7–9Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection?
- Job 26:14Lo, these are parts of his ways: but how little a portion is heard of him? but the thunder of his power who can understand?
- Ps 40:5Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.
- Prov 30:2–4Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a man.
- Ps 13:1How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Commentaries & study tools
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Christ at the center
The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.
How Psalms 139:6 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.