Psalms 147:4 BSB — MannaFest

Psalms 147:4

He determines the number of the stars; He calls them each by name.

BSB

Parallel translations (2) ▾

ASV

He counteth the number of the stars; He calleth them all by their names.

KJV

He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names.

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Commentary

3 voices

Jerome

Homily 56, on Psalm 146 (420)

Who numbers the multitude of the stars. What is the connection, according to the letter, between "And binding up their bruises" and "who numbers the multitude of the stars"? But because he healed the contrite of heart and bound up their bruises, those who before had been contrite, and afterward were healed, he turns into stars. Who numbers the multitude of the stars. The multitude. For many were those who sinned: many are those who have been cured. Who numbers the multitude of the stars.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

John Gill

1697–1771

Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763)

He telleth the number of the stars,.... Which no man can do exactly; see Gen 15:5; the ancient astronomers pretended to tell them, as Aratus and Eudoxus (o), and fixed their number at a thousand and some odd; but then these were only such as were of some magnitude and influence, and such as commonly appeared; but since the use of telescopes many are seen which were not before; and especially those clusters of them in the Milky Way cannot be distinctly discerned and told; but the Lord that made them can tell their exact number.

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

Charles Spurgeon

1834–1892

The Treasury of David, Vol. 7 (1885)

He telleth the number of the stars. None but he can count the mighty host, but as he made them and sustains them he can number them. To Jehovah stars are as mere coins, which the merchant tells as he puts them into his bag. He calleth them all by their names. He has an intimate acquaintance with each separate orb, so as to know its name or character. Indeed, he gives to each its appropriate title, because he knows its constitution and nature.

Voices on this verse

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Original language & word study

6 tagged words

Original	Transliteration	Meaning	Word study
מוֹנֶ֣ה	mo.Neh	[he is] counting	H4487 →
מִ֭סְפָּר	Mis.por	[the] number	H4557 →
לַכּוֹכָבִ֑ים	la.ko.kha.Vim	of the stars	H3556 →
לְ֝כֻלָּ֗ם	le.khu.Lam	to all of them	H3605 →
שֵׁמ֥וֹת	she.Mot	names	H8034 →
יִקְרָֽא׃	yik.Ra'	he calls	H7121 →

Rare words are the text's own signal of a deliberate thread: the fewer the occurrences, the more the places it appears belong together.

The walk

The walk8

Where the connections lead

Follow this verse’s cross-references two steps out. Each card is a verse this one points to, and beneath it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several different paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it. Every stop shows its own words, and every stop is a page.

Through
Psalms 8:3
When I behold Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place—
leads to
- Genesis 1:1
  In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
- Psalms 33:6
  By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and all the stars by the breath of His mouth.
- Psalms 104:19
  He made the moon to mark the seasons; the sun knows when to set.
- Psalms 89:11
  The heavens are Yours, and also the earth. The earth and its fullness You founded.
- Psalms 111:2
  Great are the works of the LORD; they are pondered by all who delight in them.
Through
Genesis 15:5
And the LORD took him outside and said, “Now look to the heavens and count the stars, if you are able.” Then He told him, “So shall your offspring be.”
leads to
- Hebrews 11:12
  And so from one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.
- Romans 4:18
  Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.”
Through
Isaiah 40:26
Lift up your eyes on high: Who created all these? He leads forth the starry host by number; He calls each one by name. Because of His great power and mighty strength, not one…
leads to
- Colossians 1:16–17
  For in Him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things were created through Him and for Him.

Featured studies on this passage

On Psalms 147:4

Mazzaroth

Twelve constellation groupings; one biblical word (Job 38:32). Bullinger and Seiss read them as a gospel-arc; modern critics trace their figures to Albumazar, not Adam. The objections below are presented at full strength, and the founder's own slot on the page is his to fill.

Open the study →

The Star of Bethlehem — Edward Burne-Jones

On Psalms 147:4

The Stars

Open the study →

About Psalms

Saul attempts to kill David (the harpist of Israel) — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain

Psalms: the study guide →Read chapter 147 →The featured study →

Continue: Psalms 147 →

01Commentary

The record, by era

Voices on this verse

02Original language & word study

03The walk

Where the connections lead

04Related verses

05Featured studies on this passage

06About Psalms

The record, by era

Where the connections lead

Commentary

Original language & word study

The walk

Related verses

Featured studies on this passage

About Psalms