Psalms 139:6

My Notes

What Does Psalms 139:6 Mean?

David responds to God's omniscient knowledge of him (Psalm 139:1-5) with stunned worship: "Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it." He's not frustrated by his inability to comprehend — he's awed by it. The incomprehensibility of God's knowledge is itself a source of wonder.

The word "wonderful" (peli'ah) means extraordinary, beyond normal experience, miraculous. God's knowledge of David isn't just impressive — it's in the category of miracles. It exceeds human cognitive capacity the way the sun exceeds a candle.

The acknowledgment "I cannot attain unto it" is an act of intellectual humility that produces worship rather than despair. David doesn't resent what he can't understand; he celebrates it. There's a maturity in being able to stand before something too vast for comprehension and respond with gratitude rather than frustration.

Reflection Questions

• 1.When was the last time something about God felt 'too wonderful' — and did you respond with awe or frustration?
• 2.How comfortable are you with not understanding God fully?
• 3.What aspect of God's knowledge of you is most overwhelming — and is it comforting or unsettling?
• 4.How does intellectual humility before God differ from anti-intellectualism?

Devotional

"Too wonderful for me." David looks at how thoroughly God knows him — every thought before he thinks it, every word before he speaks it, every path before he walks it — and his response isn't fear or confusion. It's wonder.

There's a particular kind of joy that comes from encountering something too big for your mind. Not the frustration of a problem you can't solve, but the awe of a reality you can't contain. Like standing at the edge of the Grand Canyon or watching the Milky Way on a clear night — the appropriate response to overwhelm isn't distress. It's worship.

"I cannot attain unto it" is one of the most honest theological statements in the Bible. David isn't pretending to understand God. He isn't reducing divine knowledge to manageable proportions. He's standing before the incomprehensible and saying: this is beyond me, and that's okay. Actually, it's wonderful.

In a culture that worships understanding — that values the ability to explain, categorize, and control — David models a different posture. Some things are meant to be too wonderful for you. Not everything in your relationship with God needs to be comprehensible to be celebrated. The knowledge that surpasses your knowledge is itself a gift.

Commentary

Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.

Cross References

Related passages throughout Scripture