What Does Psalms 147:5 Mean?

The phrase 'Great is our God' echoes the testimony formula found throughout the Psalter and prophetic literature. The attribution of infinite understanding to God distinguishes Him from human rulers and even from angelic beings in ancient Near Eastern thought. Proverbs (composed in similar post-exilic period) emphasizes divine wisdom extensively (Proverbs 8), portraying Wisdom as an attribute coexistent with God. The idea that God's power and understanding are infinite provided theodicy framework in post-exilic Judaism: God's infinite wisdom means that apparent injustices or incomprehensibilities are understood by God, even if hidden from human perception. The verse's theological claims appear throughout later Jewish liturgy, particularly in the Kaddish prayer ('May His great name be blessed throughout all time and worlds') and in medieval philosophical works integrating Greek philosophy with Jewish theology. In Psalm 147 specifically, this verse of theological affirmation is followed by verses of particular examples of God's power and care (building Jerusalem, gathering exiles, healing broken hearts, numbering the stars), demonstrating that infinite power and understanding are known through specific historical and natural acts.