Psalm 139:17
New International Version
How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them!

New Living Translation
How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered!

English Standard Version
How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!

Berean Standard Bible
How precious to me are Your thoughts, O God, how vast is their sum!

King James Bible
How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!

New King James Version
How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them!

New American Standard Bible
How precious also are Your thoughts for me, God! How vast is the sum of them!

NASB 1995
How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them!

NASB 1977
How precious also are Thy thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them!

Legacy Standard Bible
How precious are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them!

Amplified Bible
How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them!

Christian Standard Bible
God, how precious your thoughts are to me; how vast their sum is!

Holman Christian Standard Bible
God, how difficult Your thoughts are for me to comprehend; how vast their sum is!

American Standard Version
How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them!

Contemporary English Version
Your thoughts are far beyond my understanding, much more than I could ever imagine.

English Revised Version
How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!

GOD'S WORD® Translation
How precious are your thoughts concerning me, O God! How vast in number they are!

Good News Translation
O God, how difficult I find your thoughts; how many of them there are!

International Standard Version
How deep are your thoughts, God! How great is their number!

Majority Standard Bible
How precious to me are Your thoughts, O God, how vast is their sum!

NET Bible
How difficult it is for me to fathom your thoughts about me, O God! How vast is their sum total!

New Heart English Bible
How precious to me are your thoughts, God. How vast is the sum of them.

Webster's Bible Translation
How precious also are thy thoughts to me, O God! how great is the sum of them!

World English Bible
How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is their sum!
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And how precious Your thoughts have been to me, "" O God, how great has been their sum!

Young's Literal Translation
And to me how precious have been Thy thoughts, O God, how great hath been their sum!

Smith's Literal Translation
And to me how were thy thoughts precious, O God! how were their heads strong!
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
But to me thy friends, O God, are made exceedingly honourable: their principality is exceedingly strengthened.

Catholic Public Domain Version
But to me, O God, your friends have been greatly honored. Their first ruler has been exceedingly strengthened.

New American Bible
How precious to me are your designs, O God; how vast the sum of them!

New Revised Standard Version
How weighty to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
How precious also are thy mercies to me, O God! How great is the sum of them?

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
But your friends are very precious to me, oh, God, and they have strengthened their rulers greatly.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
How weighty also are Thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them!

Brenton Septuagint Translation
But thy friends, O God, have been greatly honoured by me; their rule has been greatly strengthened.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
You Have Searched Me and Known Me
16Your eyes saw my unformed body; all my days were written in Your book and ordained for me before one of them came to be. 17 How precious to me are Your thoughts, O God, how vast is their sum! 18If I were to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand; and when I awake, I am still with You.…

Cross References
Isaiah 55:8-9
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD. / “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.

Romans 11:33-34
O, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and untraceable His ways! / “Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been His counselor?”

Job 42:2-3
“I know that You can do all things and that no plan of Yours can be thwarted. / You asked, ‘Who is this who conceals My counsel without knowledge?’ Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.

Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a future and a hope.

1 Corinthians 2:9-10
Rather, as it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no heart has imagined, what God has prepared for those who love Him.” / But God has revealed it to us by the Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; / in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.

Ephesians 3:20-21
Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, / to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Job 5:9
the One who does great and unsearchable things, wonders without number.

Isaiah 40:28
Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary; His understanding is beyond searching out.

1 Corinthians 1:25
For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.

Psalm 92:5
How great are Your works, O LORD, how deep are Your thoughts!

Romans 8:28
And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.

Job 26:14
Indeed, these are but the fringes of His ways; how faint is the whisper we hear of Him! Who then can understand the thunder of His power?”

Ephesians 1:17-18
that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in your knowledge of Him. / I ask that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know the hope of His calling, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints,

Proverbs 19:21
Many plans are in a man’s heart, but the purpose of the LORD will prevail.


Treasury of Scripture

How precious also are your thoughts to me, O God! how great is the sum of them!

precious

Psalm 40:5
Many, 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.

Proverbs 8:31
Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men.

Isaiah 55:8,9
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD…

how great

Psalm 31:19
Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!

Psalm 36:7
How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.

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Dear Great Precious Sum Thoughts Vast Weighty
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Dear Great Precious Sum Thoughts Vast Weighty
Psalm 139
1. David praises God for his all-seeing providence
17. And for this infinite mercies
19. He defies the wicked
23. He prays for sincerity














How precious
The Hebrew word for "precious" is "yaqar," which conveys a sense of value, rarity, and worth. In the context of Psalm 139, this word emphasizes the immense value and significance of God's thoughts towards us. From a conservative Christian perspective, this highlights the personal and intimate relationship God desires with each individual. His thoughts are not only numerous but also treasured, underscoring the depth of His love and care for His creation. This preciousness is akin to a treasure that is cherished and protected, reflecting the divine nature of God's attention to us.

to me
The phrase "to me" personalizes the psalmist's reflection, indicating that the understanding of God's thoughts is not just a general truth but a deeply personal realization. In Hebrew, the personal pronoun "li" is used, which signifies possession and personal connection. This underscores the intimate relationship between the believer and God. It is a reminder that God's thoughts are not distant or abstract but are directed towards each individual personally. This personal connection is a cornerstone of the Christian faith, where believers are encouraged to cultivate a personal relationship with God.

are Your thoughts, O God
The word "thoughts" in Hebrew is "ra'ash," which can also mean intentions, plans, or purposes. This suggests that God's thoughts are not random but are purposeful and intentional. The inclusion of "O God" (Elohim) emphasizes the divine origin of these thoughts, highlighting their perfection and wisdom. In the conservative Christian tradition, this is a reminder of God's omniscience and sovereignty. His thoughts are higher than ours, and His plans are perfect, providing comfort and assurance to believers that they are part of a divine plan.

how vast
The Hebrew word "rab" is used here, which means great, numerous, or abundant. This word conveys the idea of an overwhelming quantity, suggesting that God's thoughts are beyond human comprehension in their vastness. This vastness is a testament to God's infinite nature and His boundless love and concern for His creation. For believers, this is an encouragement to trust in God's infinite wisdom and to find peace in the knowledge that He is always thinking of them.

is their sum!
The phrase "their sum" refers to the totality or entirety of God's thoughts. In Hebrew, the word "rosh" can mean the head or the sum, indicating the completeness and comprehensiveness of God's thoughts. This suggests that God's thoughts are not only vast in number but also complete and perfect in their entirety. From a conservative Christian perspective, this is a reminder of the perfection of God's plans and purposes. Believers can find assurance in the fact that God's thoughts encompass every aspect of their lives, providing guidance, purpose, and hope.

(17) Precious.--Rather, weighty, the first meaning of the word. The parallelism requires this, as also the peculiar word for "thoughts," for which see Psalm 139:2. We have here the antithesis to that verse: while the Divine penetration discovers the most intimate thought of man, man finds God's secrets incomprehensible.

Verse 17. - How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! If God's works are admirable, and, therefore, precious, so still more are his thoughts - those deep counsels of his, which must have preceded all manifestation of himself in act or work. How great is the sum of them! Were they all added together, how immeasurable would be the amount! What a treasure of wisdom and knowledge;

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
How
מַה־ (mah-)
Interrogative
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what

precious to me
יָּקְר֣וּ (yā·qə·rū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 3365: To be heavy, valuable, to make rare

are Your thoughts,
רֵעֶ֣יךָ (rê·‘e·ḵā)
Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 7454: Purpose, aim

O God,
אֵ֑ל (’êl)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 410: Strength -- as adjective, mighty, the Almighty

how
מֶ֥ה (meh)
Interrogative
Strong's 4100: What?, what!, indefinitely what

vast
עָ֝צְמוּ (‘ā·ṣə·mū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 6105: To bind fast, close, powerful, numerous, to crunch the bones

is their sum!
רָאשֵׁיהֶֽם׃ (rā·šê·hem)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 7218: The head


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OT Poetry: Psalm 139:17 How precious to me are your thoughts (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 139:16
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