◄ Psalm 145:3 ►
Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised; His greatness is unsearchable.
Study Bible
Great is the LORD

David declares God’s supreme majesty, revealed in creation, in His righteous rule over the nations, and in His faithful care for His covenant people. The LORD who delivered Israel through the Red Sea, established David’s throne, and preserved His people is greater than every earthly king and every false god.

Psa 95:3 For the LORD is a great God, a great King above all gods.
Psa 86:10 For You are great and perform wonders; You alone are God.
Jer 10:6 There is none like You, O LORD. You are great,…

and greatly to be praised;

God’s greatness demands wholehearted worship. Israel gathered to bless His name with sacrifices, songs, and public thanksgiving, while every believer is called to honor Him in word and conduct. Praise rightly centers on God’s character and mighty works rather than human achievement.

1Ch 16:25 For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised;…
Psa 96:4 For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised;…
Psa 48:1 A Psalm of the sons of Korah. Great is the LORD…

His greatness is unsearchable.

No creature can measure the fullness of God’s power, wisdom, holiness, or mercy. Job recognized that no one can discover the limits of the Almighty, and Paul later worshiped the unsearchable depths of God’s wisdom and knowledge. God has truly made Himself known through His works, His Word, and ultimately His Son, yet His infinite majesty remains beyond complete human comprehension.

Job 5:9 The One who does great and unsearchable things,…
Isa 40:28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD…
Rom 11:33 O, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge…

Persons / Places / Events
1. David
The author of Psalm 145, King David, is known for his deep relationship with God and his role as a leader of Israel. This psalm is a hymn of praise, reflecting David's heart for worship.

2. The LORD (Yahweh)
The central figure in this verse, Yahweh is the covenant name of God, emphasizing His eternal and unchanging nature. The verse highlights His greatness and worthiness of praise.

3. Israel
The nation of Israel, to whom the psalm was originally addressed, is called to recognize and declare the greatness of God.
Teaching Points
The Incomparable Greatness of God
God's greatness is beyond human comprehension. We are called to acknowledge that His ways and thoughts are higher than ours.

A Call to Worship
Our response to God's greatness should be one of praise and worship. This is not just a duty but a natural response to recognizing who God is.

The Limitlessness of God's Nature
The term "unsearchable" reminds us that there is always more to learn and discover about God. Our journey with Him is one of continual growth and revelation.

Encouragement in Times of Doubt
When faced with uncertainty or challenges, remembering God's unsearchable greatness can provide comfort and assurance that He is in control.

Living a Life of Praise
As believers, our lives should reflect a continual attitude of praise, recognizing God's greatness in all circumstances.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does understanding the greatness of God impact your daily life and decisions?

2. In what ways can you incorporate more praise into your daily routine, acknowledging God's unsearchable greatness?

3. How does the concept of God's unsearchable greatness provide comfort during difficult times?

4. Can you think of a time when you experienced a deeper understanding of God's greatness? How did it change your perspective?

5. How do other scriptures, such as Isaiah 40:28 and Romans 11:33, enhance your understanding of Psalm 145:3?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Psalm 48:1
This verse also speaks of the greatness of the LORD and His worthiness to be praised, reinforcing the theme of God's unmatched majesty.

Isaiah 40:28
This passage describes God's understanding as unsearchable, similar to the unsearchable greatness mentioned in Psalm 145:3, emphasizing His infinite wisdom and power.

Romans 11:33
Paul echoes the sentiment of God's unsearchable judgments and ways, connecting the Old Testament understanding of God's greatness to New Testament theology.
Sermons
The Unsearchableness of GodD. Thomas, D. D.Psalm 145:3
Christ the King of SaintsPsalm 145:1-21
God's Chosen People Extolling Their Sovereign KingR. C. Dillon, D. D.Psalm 145:1-21
God's Greatness, Goodness, and GloryC. Short Psalm 145:1-21
The Happy Duty of Daily PraisePsalm 145:1-21
The Kinghood of God, and the Glory of His ProvidenceDavid Thomas, D. D.Psalm 145:1-21
The Te Deum of the Old TestamentS. Conway Psalm 145:1-21
People
David, Psalmist
Places
Jerusalem
Topics
Exceedingly, Fathom, Greatly, Greatness, Highly, Power, Praise, Praised, Searched, Searching, Unsearchable
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Psalm 145:3

     1060   God, greatness of
     1441   revelation, necessity
     5441   philosophy
     8369   worthiness
     8623   worship, of God

Psalm 145:1-13

     5849   exaltation

Psalm 145:3-7

     8444   honouring God

Library
June 17 Evening
All thy works shall praise thee, O Lord; and thy saints shall bless thee.--PSA. 145:10. Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.--I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.--Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever. Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift …
Anonymous—Daily Light on the Daily Path

The Satisfier of all Desires
'Thou openest Thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing ... 19. He will fulfil the desire of them that fear Him: He also will hear their cry, and will save them.'--PSALM cxlv. 16, 19. You observe the recurrence, in these two verses, of the one emphatic word 'desire.' Its repetition evidently shows that the Psalmist wishes to run a parallel between God's dealings in two regions. The same beneficence works in both. Here is the true extension of natural law to the spiritual world. …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Christian Conversation
"They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power."--Psalm 145:11. YOU HAVE only to look at the preceding verse, and you will discover, in a single moment, who are the people here spoken of who shall speak of the glory of God's kingdom, and talk of his power. They are the saints: "All thy works shall praise thee, O Lord; and thy saints shall bless thee. They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power." A saint will often be discovered by his conversation. He …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 46: 1900

How I Know God Answers Prayer
How I Know God Answers Prayer The Personal Testimony of One Life-Time By ROSALIND GOFORTH (Mrs. Jonathan Goforth) Missionary in China since 1888 "They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness."--Psalm 145:7. "Go . . . and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee."--Mark 5:19. HARPER & BROTHERS PUBLISHERS NEW YORK AND LONDON Copyright, 1921, by Harper & Brothers PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA …
Rosalind Goforth—How I Know God Answers Prayer

Exhortations to those who are Called
IF, after searching you find that you are effectually called, I have three exhortations to you. 1. Admire and adore God's free grace in calling you -- that God should pass over so many, that He should pass by the wise and noble, and that the lot of free grace should fall upon you! That He should take you out of a state of vassalage, from grinding the devil's mill, and should set you above the princes of the earth, and call you to inherit the throne of glory! Fall upon your knees, break forth into …
Thomas Watson—A Divine Cordial

God, My King, Thy Might Confessing
[1186]Stuttgart: Gotha, 1715 Psalm 145 Richard Mant, 1824 DOXOLOGY God, my King, thy might confessing, Ever will I bless thy Name; Day by day thy throne addressing, Still will I thy praise proclaim. Honor great our God befitteth; Who his majesty can reach? Age to age his works transmitteth, Age to age his power shall teach. They shall talk of all thy glory, On thy might and greatness dwell, Speak of thy dread acts the story, And thy deeds of wonder tell. Nor shall fail from memory's treasure …
Various—The Hymnal of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the USA

Free Grace
To The Reader: Nothing but the strongest conviction, not only that what is here advanced is "the truth as it is in Jesus," but also that I am indispensably obliged to declare this truth to all the world, could have induced me openly to oppose the sentiments of those whom I esteem for their work's sake: At whose feet may I be found in the day of the Lord Jesus! Should any believe it his duty to reply hereto, I have only one request to make, -- Let whatsoever you do, be done inherently, in love, and …
John Wesley—Sermons on Several Occasions

Prayer Out of the Deep.
Hear my prayer, O God; and hide not Thyself from my petition. Take heed unto me and hear me; how I mourn in my prayer and am vexed.--Psalm iv. 1, 2. In my trouble I will call upon the Lord, and complain unto my God; so shall He hear my voice out of His holy temple, and my complaint shall come before Him; it shall enter even into His ears.--Ps. xviii. 5, 6. The Lord is nigh unto them that call upon Him; He also will hear their cry, and will help them.--Psalm cxlv. 18, 19. In the day when I cried …
Charles Kingsley—Out of the Deep

The Life, as Amplified by Mediaeval Biographers.
1. His Early Years.--Ephraim, according to this biography, was a Syrian of Mesopotamia, by birth, and by parentage on both sides. His mother was of Amid (now Diarbekr) a central city of that region; his father belonged to the older and more famous City of Nisibis, not far from Amid but near the Persian frontier, where he was priest of an idol named Abnil (or Abizal) in the days of Constantine the Great (306-337). This idol was afterwards destroyed by Jovian (who became Emperor in 363 after the …
Ephraim the Syrian—Hymns and Homilies of Ephraim the Syrian

I Will Pray with the Spirit and with the Understanding Also-
OR, A DISCOURSE TOUCHING PRAYER; WHEREIN IS BRIEFLY DISCOVERED, 1. WHAT PRAYER IS. 2. WHAT IT IS TO PRAY WITH THE SPIRIT. 3. WHAT IT IS TO PRAY WITH THE SPIRIT AND WITH THE UNDERSTANDING ALSO. WRITTEN IN PRISON, 1662. PUBLISHED, 1663. "For we know not what we should pray for as we ought:--the Spirit--helpeth our infirmities" (Rom 8:26). ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. There is no subject of more solemn importance to human happiness than prayer. It is the only medium of intercourse with heaven. "It is …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Second Great Group of Parables.
(Probably in Peræa.) Subdivision D. Parable of the Lost Son. ^C Luke XV. 11-32. ^c 11 And he said, A certain man had two sons [These two sons represent the professedly religious (the elder) and the openly irreligious (the younger). They have special reference to the two parties found in the first two verses of this chapter --the Pharisees, the publicans and sinners]: 12 and the younger of them [the more childish and easily deceived] said to his father, Father, give me the portion of thy substance …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The Knowledge of God Conspicuous in the Creation, and Continual Government of the World.
1. The invisible and incomprehensible essence of God, to a certain extent, made visible in his works. 2. This declared by the first class of works--viz. the admirable motions of the heavens and the earth, the symmetry of the human body, and the connection of its parts; in short, the various objects which are presented to every eye. 3. This more especially manifested in the structure of the human body. 4. The shameful ingratitude of disregarding God, who, in such a variety of ways, is manifested within …
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion

The Holiness of God
The next attribute is God's holiness. Exod 15:51. Glorious in holiness.' Holiness is the most sparkling jewel of his crown; it is the name by which God is known. Psa 111:1. Holy and reverend is his name.' He is the holy One.' Job 6:60. Seraphims cry, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of his glory.' Isa 6:6. His power makes him mighty, his holiness makes him glorious. God's holiness consists in his perfect love of righteousness, and abhorrence of evil. Of purer eyes than …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

Covenant Duties.
It is here proposed to show, that every incumbent duty ought, in suitable circumstances, to be engaged to in the exercise of Covenanting. The law and covenant of God are co-extensive; and what is enjoined in the one is confirmed in the other. The proposals of that Covenant include its promises and its duties. The former are made and fulfilled by its glorious Originator; the latter are enjoined and obligatory on man. The duties of that Covenant are God's law; and the demands of the law are all made …
John Cunningham—The Ordinance of Covenanting

The Mercy of God
The next attribute is God's goodness or mercy. Mercy is the result and effect of God's goodness. Psa 33:5. So then this is the next attribute, God's goodness or mercy. The most learned of the heathens thought they gave their god Jupiter two golden characters when they styled him good and great. Both these meet in God, goodness and greatness, majesty and mercy. God is essentially good in himself and relatively good to us. They are both put together in Psa 119:98. Thou art good, and doest good.' This …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

The Intercession of Christ
Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us! T he Redemption of the soul is precious. Fools make mock of sin (Proverbs 14:9) . But they will not think lightly of it, who duly consider the majesty, authority, and goodness of Him, against whom it is committed; and who are taught, by what God actually has done, what sin rendered necessary to be done, before a sinner could have a well-grounded …
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 2

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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