The Bible — World English Bible
Psalm 147
In brief
Psalm 147 is a psalm of praise among the last Psalms, those of the hallelujah. It celebrates a God who is both very great and very near: he gathers the outcasts, heals the brokenhearted and counts the stars. He provides rain and food, blesses Jerusalem and sends his word to the earth. This God makes his law known to Jacob.
The chapter in 3 parts
1Praise Yah, for it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant and fitting to praise him.
2Yahweh builds up Jerusalem. He gathers together the outcasts of Israel.
3He heals the broken in heart, and binds up their wounds.
4He counts the number of the stars. He calls them all by their names.
5Great is our Lord, and mighty in power. His understanding is infinite.
6Yahweh upholds the humble. He brings the wicked down to the ground.
7Sing to Yahweh with thanksgiving. Sing praises on the harp to our God,
8who covers the sky with clouds, who prepares rain for the earth, who makes grass grow on the mountains.
9He provides food for the livestock, and for the young ravens when they call.
10He doesn’t delight in the strength of the horse. He takes no pleasure in the legs of a man.
11Yahweh takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his loving kindness.
12Praise Yahweh, Jerusalem! Praise your God, Zion!
13For he has strengthened the bars of your gates. He has blessed your children within you.
14He makes peace in your borders. He fills you with the finest of the wheat.
15He sends out his commandment to the earth. His word runs very swiftly.
16He gives snow like wool, and scatters frost like ashes.
17He hurls down his hail like pebbles. Who can stand before his cold?
18He sends out his word, and melts them. He causes his wind to blow, and the waters flow.
19He shows his word to Jacob, his statutes and his ordinances to Israel.
20He has not done this for just any nation. They don’t know his ordinances. Praise Yah!
Key verses
He heals the broken in heart, and binds up their wounds.
The verse shows God's tenderness toward those who suffer. The image of binding wounds suggests patient, attentive care for the hurts of the heart, without promising an instant solution to every situation.
He counts the number of the stars. He calls them all by their names. Great is our Lord, and mighty in power. His understanding is infinite.
God counts the stars and gives each a name: his greatness is not crushing, it is reassuring. The One who knows every star does not overlook your distress either.
Yahweh takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his loving kindness.
What God values is not the strength of the horse or of man, but those who fear him and hope in his loving kindness.
He sends out his commandment to the earth. His word runs very swiftly. He gives snow like wool, and scatters frost like ashes. He hurls down his hail like pebbles. Who can stand before his cold? He sends out his word, and melts them. He causes his wind to blow, and the waters flow.
God's word acts on nature, from snow to melting ice. The psalmist draws a lesson from it: that same word is entrusted to his people.
Bible verses to meditate on
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Frequently asked questions about Psalm 147
What does Psalm 147 mean?
Psalm 147 calls us to praise God for his greatness and his goodness. It shows a Creator who names the stars and upholds the afflicted, who gives rain and food, and who makes his word known. It invites us to see reasons to sing in creation and in everyday life.
What does Psalm 147:3 say about the brokenhearted?
Verse 3 speaks of inner suffering: grief, disappointment, exile, guilt. It presents God as the one who cares for it tenderly. It does not promise that all pain will vanish at once, but it affirms that God does not stay distant from those who are wounded.
How can I pray with Psalm 147?
Read it as a song of praise. Thank God for what he has created and provided, then pause at verse 3 and entrust to him what has hurt you. You can pray it with others, since the psalm was written to be sung together.
Articles quoting Psalm 147
World English Bible translation — public domain.