Here’s a verse I’ve been meditating on:
“Great is the LORD,
and greatly to be praised,
and his greatness is unsearchable.”
Psalm 145:3 (ESV)
This verse teaches me that God is great.
What does that mean? What is the meaning of the word “great”? I would like to know that.
So I keep reading and learn that God’s greatness is “unsearchable.”
Hmm. Now I’m really intrigued. What does that mean? What is the meaning of the word “unsearchable”?
There are several viable ways to find the meaning of a word in the Bible. I’ll share two of them.
Method #1. My favorite method is to use a software program that provides Hebrew and Greek dictionary definitions for every word in the Bible. It’s a pretty slick program. I often spend 15-30 minutes (or more) looking up dictionary meanings for a particular word and recording my findings in a Word document. This is time well spent, for sure.
If you have that kind of resource already, great. I hope you’re using it! But this kind of software isn’t cheap. For a free online option, check out www.BlueLetterBible.org – they have some good Hebrew and Greek dictionaries.
Method #2. Here’s a second approach. I go to www.Biblegateway.com and look up the verse in my favorite literal translation, which is the ESV. Lately, that’s been my “go-to” Bible version.
Once I get the verse on my screen from BibleGateway.com, I click on this link:
Psalm 145:3 in all English translations.
And like magic, this verse appears on my screen in 50+ Bible versions (both literal translations and paraphrases).
How cool is that? Like I said, this is magic. This is technology at its finest!
If you want to do this right now to see for yourself, click on this link:
https://www.biblegateway.com/verse/en/Psalm%20145:3
OK. Now start reading all the various versions. Many of them are similar. But if you slow down a bit, so you can smell the roses, you’ll find several different renderings of the word “unsearchable.”
Here are some of them:
incomprehensible
can’t be grasped
beyond all searching out
much greater than anyone can understand
no limits to it
beyond understanding
indescribable
beyond discovery
no boundaries to it
no one can fathom it, i.e. unfathomable
no one can measure it, i.e. immeasurable
[NOTE: My favorite “literal translations” are ESV, NASB, LSB, HCSB, Mounce, NET, and NIV. My favorite “paraphrases” are AMP, AMPC, TLV, and MSG. I always start with literal translations. Stay tuned for a future email re: the difference between a literal translation and a paraphrase; that’s important to understand.]
[ALSO: Method #2 has its pros and cons. It can be faster and easier than Method #1, but not necessarily better, especially if you don’t discern the differences between a literal translation and a paraphrase.]
Ok, back to Psalm 145:3.
What does the psalmist mean when he says that God is so great, his greatness is “unsearchable”?
His greatness is beyond our comprehension. His greatness is off the charts. We don’t have a category for it. He’s in a league of his own and a class by himself. He has no equal. No one even comes close to measuring up to the greatness of God.
Who is like God? (a question asked repeatedly in the Bible).
The obvious answer: No one. That is how great God is.
And this immeasurably great God is my God. And if you know him through faith in his Son Jesus, he is your God, too.
This is why we study the Bible – to know God.
Once we get just a glimpse of his unfathomable greatness with our pea-sized brains, we are overwhelmed and find ourselves lost in the wonder of his impeccable, unmatched splendor.
This is why taking time to look up the meaning of one word can send our spirits soaring. We are compelled to worship this God because this great God is worthy of being praised “greatly”!
The study of the Bible is the study of God. And the study of God is the most uplifting, soul-satisfying endeavor you can ever undertake.
Have you ever researched the meaning of a specific word in the Bible? If so, how do you do it? Let me know by leaving a comment below.
If you’ve never done this before, give Method #2 a try and let me know how it goes. I look forward to hearing from you.
- How to Find the Meaning of Any Word in the Bible - November 22, 2024
- Am I Really A Christian? (Part 4) - November 13, 2024
- The Greatest Knowledge of All - November 8, 2024
