The LORD knows the thoughts of man, that they are futile.
Parallel translations
- WEB Yahweh knows the thoughts of man, that they are futile.
- KJV The LORD knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity.
- NKJV The Lord knows the thoughts of man, That they are futile.
- NASB The Lord knows human thoughts, That they are mere breath.
- NLT The Lord knows people’s thoughts; he knows they are worthless!
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
The LORD knows the thoughts of mankind, that they are but a breath. God sees the emptiness of human reasoning that excludes Him.
Overview
God's knowledge reaches even the inner thoughts, which He sees to be futile when set against His wisdom. Paul quotes this verse to warn against worldly wisdom that puffs up (1 Corinthians 3:20). Human schemes apart from God amount to vapor, but those who fear Him find true wisdom in Christ (Colossians 2:3).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- 1 Cor 3:20And again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.”
- 1 Cor 1:19For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”
- Rom 1:21–22For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking and darkened in their foolish hearts.
- 1 Cor 1:25For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.
- Job 11:11–12Surely He knows the deceit of men. If He sees iniquity, does He not take note?
- 1 Cor 1:21For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know Him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.
- Ps 49:10–13For it is clear that wise men die, and the foolish and the senseless both perish and leave their wealth to others.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 94:11 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
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