What Does Psalm 106:2 Mean in the King James?

Who can utter the mighty acts of the LORD? who can shew forth all his praise?

Psalm 106:2 · KJV

The analysis reads the King James wording.

King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.

THE KEY

The Hebrew asks who can make all the LORD’s praise heard, because even the fullest voice cannot exhaust the scale of his mighty acts.

THE MEANING

The LORD’s mighty acts exceed what you can fully utter; no single telling exhausts them. His praise becomes something made heard, carried outward by voices that testify to what cannot be counted.

WHAT THIS UNDOES

The lie is that if you cannot find words for all the LORD has done, your praise has failed. The verse locates the limit in the boundless scale of his acts, not in your voice.

THE ROOT

יַשְׁמִיעַ

yashmi'a

GROWS FROM

שמע

shāmaʿ

Hear, listen, heed.

The verb is a causative form: to make heard. The verse pictures praise as something carried into hearing, so “shew forth” holds an audible force that the English phrase can obscure.

ALSO GROWS

shema: Hear and respond.

שְׁמַע

The same root makes hearing active; the LORD’s praise is not merely present but brought within hearing.

shemuah: Report, news.

שְׁמוּעָה

A report makes something heard by another, echoing the verse’s image of praise carried outward.

תְּהִלָּתוֹ

tehillato

GROWS FROM

הלל

hālal

Praise, celebrate, acclaim.

The word for praise grows from the root halal, to acclaim or celebrate. The verse asks who can make all this acclaim audible, linking praise to voiced recognition rather than a hidden feeling.

ALSO GROWS

tehillah: Praise, song of praise.

תְּהִלָּה

This noun shares the verse’s root and names praise as an expressed, shareable sound.

hallelu-yah: Praise Yah.

הַלְלוּיָהּ

This familiar call to praise carries the same root into a direct, spoken acclamation.

גְּבֻרוֹת

gevurot

GROWS FROM

גבר

gābar

Be strong, prevail.

The LORD’s “mighty acts” come from a root of strength and prevailing. Their scale is precisely why the verse asks who could utter them all: the acts of prevailing exceed any one account.

ALSO GROWS

gibbor: Mighty one, warrior.

גִּבּוֹר

The same root names one whose strength prevails, giving the acts their sense of force.

gevurah: Might, strength.

גְּבוּרָה

This branch names the strength embodied in the LORD’s mighty acts.

THE PATTERN

The LORD’s works exceed any single telling, so their greatness is carried through many voices and across generations.

Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.

Psalm 40:5 · KJVThe works cannot be numbered, so even a speaker who declares them cannot exhaust their telling.

One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts.

Psalm 145:4 · KJVWhat no single voice can finish passes from one generation to the next through praise and declaration.

Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.

Revelation 5:12 · KJVA gathered multitude gives voice to praise, joining many voices in declaring the Lamb’s worth.

THE THREAD

Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.

Psalm 150:6 · KJV

The Hebrew tehillah, “praise,” in this verse and halal, “praise,” in Psalm 150 share the same root. Psalm 106 asks who can make all the praise heard; Psalm 150 widens the answer until every living breath joins the sound.

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