Psalm 94:11
The LORD knows the thoughts of man, that they are futile.
The LORD knows
The phrase "The LORD knows" emphasizes the omniscience of God. In Hebrew, the word for "knows" is "יָדַע" (yada), which conveys an intimate, comprehensive understanding. This is not mere awareness but a profound, personal knowledge. The LORD, Yahweh, is depicted as the covenant-keeping God who is deeply involved with His creation. This knowledge is comforting to believers, as it assures them that God is aware of their struggles and needs. Historically, this understanding of God's omniscience has been a source of solace and strength for the faithful, knowing that nothing escapes His notice.

the thoughts of man
The "thoughts of man" refers to human reasoning and intentions. In Hebrew, "מַחֲשָׁבוֹת" (machashavot) is used, which can mean plans, purposes, or devices. This highlights the contrast between divine wisdom and human understanding. Throughout scripture, human thoughts are often depicted as limited and flawed, especially when they are not aligned with God's will. The historical context of this psalm suggests a time of injustice and arrogance among the people, where human thoughts were often contrary to God's righteous standards.

are futile
The word "futile" translates from the Hebrew "הֶבֶל" (hebel), which can mean vanity, emptiness, or worthlessness. This term is famously used throughout the book of Ecclesiastes to describe the fleeting and meaningless nature of life without God. In the context of Psalm 94:11, it underscores the inadequacy and transience of human wisdom when compared to the eternal and perfect wisdom of God. This serves as a humbling reminder to believers that reliance on human intellect alone is insufficient and that true wisdom comes from aligning one's thoughts with God's eternal truth.

Persons / Places / Events
1. The LORD (Yahweh)
The covenant name of God, emphasizing His eternal existence, sovereignty, and intimate relationship with His people.

2. Man (Hebrew: 'adam)
Refers to humanity in general, highlighting the frailty and limitations of human nature.

3. Psalmist
The author of the psalm, traditionally attributed to David, who is expressing a deep trust in God's justice and omniscience.

4. Israel
The nation to whom the psalm is originally addressed, often struggling with faithfulness and understanding of God's ways.

5. The Wicked
Implicit in the context of the psalm, representing those who oppose God's will and oppress His people.
Teaching Points
God's Omniscience
Recognize that God knows all thoughts and intentions, which should lead us to humility and reverence.

Human Limitations
Acknowledge the futility of human wisdom apart from God, encouraging reliance on divine guidance.

Trust in Divine Justice
Trust that God is aware of all injustices and will ultimately bring about His righteous judgment.

Pursuit of Godly Wisdom
Encourage the pursuit of wisdom that aligns with God's Word, rather than relying solely on human understanding.

Self-Examination
Regularly examine our thoughts and motives in light of God's omniscience, seeking to align them with His will.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does understanding God's omniscience impact your daily decision-making and thought life?

2. In what ways can you guard against the futility of relying solely on human wisdom?

3. How can you cultivate a deeper trust in God's justice when facing personal or societal injustices?

4. What practical steps can you take to align your thoughts and plans with God's wisdom as revealed in Scripture?

5. How does the knowledge that God knows your thoughts encourage you to pursue a more authentic relationship with Him?
Connections to Other Scriptures
1 Corinthians 3:20
Paul quotes this verse to emphasize the futility of human wisdom compared to God's wisdom.

Isaiah 55:8-9
Highlights the vast difference between God's thoughts and human thoughts, underscoring the futility of relying on human understanding.

Proverbs 21:30
Reinforces the idea that no human wisdom or plan can succeed against the LORD.

Job 5:12-13
Speaks to God's ability to thwart the plans of the crafty, aligning with the theme of human thoughts being futile.

Romans 11:33-34
Celebrates the depth of God's wisdom and knowledge, contrasting it with human limitations.
God's Indictment of Our ThoughtsM. Dix, D.D.Psalm 94:11
The True Character of Man's ThoughtsJ. Todd, D.D.Psalm 94:11
The Vanity of Men's Idea of the Divine IndifferenceR. Tuck Psalm 94:11
Divine Retribution CertainC. Short Psalm 94:1-23
Persecutors and Their VictimsHomilistPsalm 94:1-23
People
Jacob, Psalmist
Places
Jerusalem
Topics
Breath, Futile, Knoweth, Mere, Thoughts, Vanity
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Psalm 94:11

     5191   thought
     5864   futility
     5894   intelligence
     5948   shrewdness
     6185   imagination, desires
     8366   wisdom, source of

Library
Of the Knowledge of Truth
Happy is the man whom Truth by itself doth teach, not by figures and transient words, but as it is in itself.(1) Our own judgment and feelings often deceive us, and we discern but little of the truth. What doth it profit to argue about hidden and dark things, concerning which we shall not be even reproved in the judgment, because we knew them not? Oh, grievous folly, to neglect the things which are profitable and necessary, and to give our minds to things which are curious and hurtful! Having
Thomas A Kempis—Imitation of Christ

Against Vain and Worldly Knowledge
"My Son, let not the fair and subtle sayings of men move thee. For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.(1) Give ear to My words, for they kindle the heart and enlighten the mind, they bring contrition, and they supply manifold consolations. Never read thou the word that thou mayest appear more learned or wise; but study for the mortification of thy sins, for this will be far more profitable for thee than the knowledge of many difficult questions. 2. "When thou hast read and learned many
Thomas A Kempis—Imitation of Christ

A Prayer for the Spirit of Devotion
6. O Lord my God, Thou art all my good, and who am I that I should dare to speak unto Thee? I am the very poorest of Thy servants, an abject worm, much poorer and more despicable than I know or dare to say. Nevertheless remember, O Lord, that I am nothing, I have nothing, and can do nothing. Thou only art good, just and holy; Thou canst do all things, art over all things, fillest all things, leaving empty only the sinner. Call to mind Thy tender mercies, and fill my heart with Thy grace, Thou
Thomas A Kempis—Imitation of Christ

The Abrogation of the Saybrook Platform
That house cannot stand.--Mark iii, 25. The times change and we change with them.--Proverb. The omission of all persecuting acts from the revision of the laws in 1750 was evidence that the worst features of the great schism were passing, that public opinion as a whole had grown averse to any great severity toward the Separatists as dissenters. But the continuance in the revised statutes of the Saybrook Platform as the legalized constitution of the "Presbyterian, Congregational or Consociated Church,"
M. Louise Greene, Ph. D.—The Development of Religious Liberty in Connecticut

Joy
'The fruit of the Spirit is joy.' Gal 5:52. The third fruit of justification, adoption, and sanctification, is joy in the Holy Ghost. Joy is setting the soul upon the top of a pinnacle - it is the cream of the sincere milk of the word. Spiritual joy is a sweet and delightful passion, arising from the apprehension and feeling of some good, whereby the soul is supported under present troubles, and fenced against future fear. I. It is a delightful passion. It is contrary to sorrow, which is a perturbation
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

a survey of the third and closing discourse of the prophet
We shall now, in conclusion, give a survey of the third and closing discourse of the prophet. After an introduction in vi. 1, 2, where the mountains serve only to give greater solemnity to the scene (in the fundamental passages Deut. xxxii. 1, and in Is. 1, 2, "heaven and earth" are mentioned for the same purposes, inasmuch as they are the most venerable parts of creation; "contend with the mountains" by taking them in and applying to [Pg 522] them as hearers), the prophet reminds the people of
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Out of the Deep of Suffering and Sorrow.
Save me, O God, for the waters are come in even unto my soul: I am come into deep waters; so that the floods run over me.--Ps. lxix. 1, 2. I am brought into so great trouble and misery: that I go mourning all the day long.--Ps. xxxviii. 6. The sorrows of my heart are enlarged: Oh! bring Thou me out of my distress.--Ps. xxv. 17. The Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping: the Lord will receive my prayer.--Ps. vi. 8. In the multitude of the sorrows which I had in my heart, Thy comforts have refreshed
Charles Kingsley—Out of the Deep

In Death and after Death
A sadder picture could scarcely be drawn than that of the dying Rabbi Jochanan ben Saccai, that "light of Israel" immediately before and after the destruction of the Temple, and for two years the president of the Sanhedrim. We read in the Talmud (Ber. 28 b) that, when his disciples came to see him on his death-bed, he burst into tears. To their astonished inquiry why he, "the light of Israel, the right pillar of the Temple, and its mighty hammer," betrayed such signs of fear, he replied: "If I were
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life

How they are to be Admonished who Lament Sins of Deed, and those who Lament Only Sins of Thought.
(Admonition 30.) Differently to be admonished are those who deplore sins of deed, and those who deplore sins of thought. For those who deplore sins of deed are to be admonished that perfected lamentations should wash out consummated evils, lest they be bound by a greater debt of perpetrated deed than they pay in tears of satisfaction for it. For it is written, He hath given us drink in tears by measure (Ps. lxxix. 6): which means that each person's soul should in its penitence drink the tears
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great

Temporal Advantages.
"We brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content."--1 Tim. vi. 7, 8. Every age has its own special sins and temptations. Impatience with their lot, murmuring, grudging, unthankfulness, discontent, are sins common to men at all times, but I suppose one of those sins which belongs to our age more than to another, is desire of a greater portion of worldly goods than God has given us,--ambition and covetousness
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VII

Division of Actual Grace
Actual grace may be divided according to: (1) the difference existing between the faculties of the human soul, and (2) in reference to the freedom of the will. Considered in its relation to the different faculties of the soul, actual grace is either of the intellect, or of the will, or of the sensitive faculties. With regard to the free consent of the will, it is either (1) prevenient, also called cooeperating, or (2) efficacious or merely sufficient. 1. THE ILLUMINATING GRACE OF THE INTELLECT.--Actual
Joseph Pohle—Grace, Actual and Habitual

Letter Xlvi (Circa A. D. 1125) to Guigues, the Prior, and to the Other Monks of the Grand Chartreuse
To Guigues, the Prior, And to the Other Monks of the Grand Chartreuse He discourses much and piously of the law of true and sincere charity, of its signs, its degrees, its effects, and of its perfection which is reserved for Heaven (Patria). Brother Bernard, of Clairvaux, wishes health eternal to the most reverend among fathers, and to the dearest among friends, Guigues, Prior of the Grande Chartreuse, and to the holy Monks who are with him. 1. I have received the letter of your Holiness as joyfully
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux—Some Letters of Saint Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux

The Roman Pilgrimage: the Miracles which were Wrought in It.
[Sidenote: 1139] 33. (20). It seemed to him, however, that one could not go on doing these things with sufficient security without the authority of the Apostolic See; and for that reason he determined to set out for Rome, and most of all because the metropolitan see still lacked, and from the beginning had lacked, the use of the pall, which is the fullness of honour.[507] And it seemed good in his eyes[508] that the church for which he had laboured so much[509] should acquire, by his zeal and labour,
H. J. Lawlor—St. Bernard of Clairvaux's Life of St. Malachy of Armagh

But, Say They, How is the Flesh by a Certain Likeness Compared unto The...
25. But, say they, how is the flesh by a certain likeness compared unto the Church? What! doth the Church lust against Christ? whereas the same Apostle said, "The Church is subject unto Christ." [1898] Clearly the Church is subject unto Christ; because the spirit therefore lusteth against the flesh, that on every side the Church may be made subject to Christ; but the flesh lusteth against the spirit, because not as yet hath the Church received that peace which was promised perfect. And for this reason
St. Augustine—On Continence

Question Lxxxi of the virtue of Religion
I. Does the Virtue of Religion Direct a Man To God Alone? S. Augustine, sermon, cccxxxiv. 3 " on Psalm lxxvi. 32 sermon, cccxi. 14-15 II. Is Religion a Virtue? III. Is Religion One Virtue? IV. Is Religion a Special Virtue Distinct From Others? V. Is Religion One of the Theological Virtues? VI. Is Religion To Be Preferred To the Other Moral Virtues? VII. Has Religion, Or Latria, Any External Acts? S. Augustine, of Care for the Dead, V. VIII. Is Religion the Same As Sanctity? Cardinal Cajetan,
St. Thomas Aquinas—On Prayer and The Contemplative Life

The Knowledge of God
'The Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.' I Sam 2:2. Glorious things are spoken of God; he transcends our thoughts, and the praises of angels. God's glory lies chiefly in his attributes, which are the several beams by which the divine nature shines forth. Among other of his orient excellencies, this is not the least, The Lord is a God of knowledge; or as the Hebrew word is, A God of knowledges.' Through the bright mirror of his own essence, he has a full idea and cognisance
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

The Chorus of Angels
Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour and glory, and blessing! I t was a good report which the queen of Sheba heard, in her own land, of the wisdom and glory of Solomon. It lessened her attachment to home, and prompted her to undertake a long journey to visit this greater King, of whom she had heard so much. She went, and she was not disappointed. Great as the expectations were, which she had formed from the relation made her by others,
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 2

Christian Meekness
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth Matthew 5:5 We are now got to the third step leading in the way to blessedness, Christian meekness. Blessed are the meek'. See how the Spirit of God adorns the hidden man of the heart, with multiplicity of graces! The workmanship of the Holy Ghost is not only curious, but various. It makes the heart meek, pure, peaceable etc. The graces therefore are compared to needlework, which is different and various in its flowers and colours (Psalm 45:14).
Thomas Watson—The Beatitudes: An Exposition of Matthew 5:1-12

Psalms
The piety of the Old Testament Church is reflected with more clearness and variety in the Psalter than in any other book of the Old Testament. It constitutes the response of the Church to the divine demands of prophecy, and, in a less degree, of law; or, rather, it expresses those emotions and aspirations of the universal heart which lie deeper than any formal demand. It is the speech of the soul face to face with God. Its words are as simple and unaffected as human words can be, for it is the genius
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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