What Can’t Be Understood

Knowledge is too wonderous for me, high above—I cannot attain it.  Psalm 139:6  Robert Alter

Too wonderous – The translators have taken a bit of poetic license here by rendering pilʾîy-yah with the superlative “too.”  The verb is simply pālāʾ, that is, “be marvelous, wonderful.”  In the derivative, pilʾî, it means “wonderful, incomprehensible,” but as you note, here we have an added yah.  That’s interesting, don’t you think?  It is as if we appended the shortened name of God to the end of this verb.  Perhaps we need something stronger than the adverb “too.” It seems as though the poet wants to say more than that this knowledge is extra special.  He wants the reader to see that he’s speaking about a particular kind of knowing, a knowing that belongs in the divine realm.  Perhaps we should have translated the beginning of the verse with incorrect English grammar as “knowledge is God-awful wonderful for me.”  That might be justified if we know something about the usual use of pālāʾ.

Preponderantly both the verb and substantive refer to the acts of God, designating either cosmic wonders or historical achievements on behalf of Israel. That is, in the Bible the root plʾ, refers to things that are unusual, beyond human capabilities. As such, it awakens astonishment (plʾ) in man. Thus, the “real importance of the miraculous for faith (is)—not in its material factuality, but in its evidential character … it is not, generally speaking, the especially abnormal character of the event which makes it a miracle; what strikes men forcibly is a clear impression of God’s care or retribution within it” (Eichrodt). We may add that it is essential that the miracle is so abnormal as to be unexplainable except as showing God’s care or retribution.^[1]

Notice the emphasis on historical events.  Unexplainable breaches of the laws of nature are not unique requirements for the miraculous.  Yes, that sometimes happens, but included under the umbrella of pālāʾ are all those events that demonstrate the unexpected and remarkable care of God; things that would never cross our minds.  Unlike manna or Jericho’s walls or empty tombs, pālāʾ also includes daily bread, deliverance from evil, and glimpses of the Kingdom.  Undeserved all.

Don’t imagine that this verse of poetry simply says we humans can’t attain divine knowledge.  That’s true—and a given for the human condition.  But this verse isn’t about unraveling the secrets of the universe.  It’s about not anticipating the enormity of God’s care.  It’s about being shocked that the Creator of everything should manage some small detail in your life.  It’s about divine willingness to even look upon you and me.  That’s what is truly amazing, truly astounding.  In the full scope of it all, we’re so insignificant that we don’t even amount to a speck on the scale.  But God still shows us for up.  It’s just too wonderous to believe.

Topical Index:  too wonderous, pālāʾ, care, Psalm 139:6

^[1] Hamilton, V. P. (1999). 1768 פָּלָא. R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer Jr., & B. K. Waltke (Eds.), Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (electronic ed., p. 723). Chicago: Moody Press.