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Psalm 147 Bible study: He heals the broken in heart
Psalm 147 sets the one who "heals the broken in heart" (147:3) right beside the one who "counts the number of the stars" (147:4), and its "His understanding is infinite" (147:5) is, in Hebrew, there is no number, the same word as the stars' number. In Hebrew, the word that melts the snow (147:18) and the word he shows to Jacob (147:19) are the same word, davar.
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“He heals the broken in heart, and binds up their wounds.”
Try it · Did you catch it?
“In Psalm 147, the verse saying the LORD heals the broken in heart comes right before the verse saying he counts the stars.”
Is that in Psalm 147, or not? Make your call.
What's really going on
Three calls to praise, and what the LORD does
Psalm 147 has no title and doesn't name its speaker, who says our God (147:1, 147:7) and our Lord (147:5). It calls to praise three times. "Praise the LORD, for it is good to sing praises to our God" (147:1). "Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving. Sing praises on the harp to our God" (147:7). "Praise the LORD, Jerusalem! Praise your God, Zion!" (147:12). After each call, the psalm says what the LORD does, and in Hebrew it says it again and again with participles, the verb form of the one who builds, the one who heals: "The LORD builds up Jerusalem" (147:2), "He heals the broken in heart" (147:3), "He counts the number of the stars" (147:4), "The LORD upholds the humble" (147:6), "who covers the sky with clouds" (147:8), "He shows his word to Jacob" (147:19). It ends as it begins: "Praise the LORD!" (147:20).
Honest questions
Questions people ask about Psalm 147
- "He gathers together the outcasts of Israel" (147:2). Who are the outcasts, and when did he gather them?
- "He doesn’t delight in the strength of the horse. He takes no pleasure in the legs of a man" (147:10). Is the psalm against strength?
- "He has not done this for just any nation" (147:20). Does the psalm mean God doesn't care about the other nations?
That was a taste
The rest of Psalm 147 is waiting in Favor
- The stars, and the broken in heart
- What the LORD takes pleasure in
- His word on the earth, and his word to Jacob
- Good and pleasant, again, and two verbs to one city
- The stars by number, in Isaiah
- "Bind up the broken hearted" in Isaiah
- 8 questions as you read
- 14 more Hebrew words
- A short check at the end
- Your notes, saved as you go
Favor reads the Bible in order, so you'll reach Psalm 147 with everything before it in view. First week free, then $10 a month per person.
The Hebrew word behind it
מִסְפָּרmisparsay mis-PAR
Brown-Driver-Briggs: "number, tale". Strong's: "a number, definite (arithmetical) or indefinite", and gives it as "from 5608", the verb tagged on count in "count the stars, if you are able to count them" (Genesis 15:5). "He counts the number of the stars" (147:4). The next verse has it again: "His understanding is infinite" (147:5) is, in Hebrew, litvunato ein mispar, to his understanding there is no number. Three other psalms have ein mispar, each where the WEB says innumerable or without number (Psalm 40:12, 104:25, 105:34).
For your group
Psalm 147 Bible study questions
- 1"He heals the broken in heart, and binds up their wounds" (147:3), right beside "He counts the number of the stars" (147:4). Where do you, or someone you love, need to hear that this week?
- 2The LORD doesn't delight in "the strength of the horse" but takes pleasure "in those who hope in his loving kindness" (147:10-11). Where are you most tempted to lean on your own strength right now?
- 3"He shows his word to Jacob" (147:19). How has God's word reached you, and who first put it in front of you?
Leading a group? In Favor, everyone reads Psalm 147 during the week and answers these questions privately. Answers stay sealed until you meet, then appear together, and you can print the week's sheet.
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Questions
What is Favor?
Favor is a Bible study app that explains every chapter as you read: the Hebrew and Greek behind the words, the details most readers miss, and how each part of the Bible leads to Jesus. Read on your own, or start a Bible study with friends, family or your church.
How much does it cost?
Your first week is free. After that it's $10 a month per person, the same for everyone, including groups and churches. There are no tiers and nothing extra to unlock.
Can I read Psalm 147 straight away?
Favor takes the Bible as one story, in order, so you'll reach Psalm 147 with everything that leads up to it in view. Start from Genesis, or meet Jesus first in the Gospels. You can read the text of any chapter in Favor's Look up whenever you like.
Do I need a group?
No. Many people read on their own. If you'd like to read with others, start a Bible study and share one link. Everyone's answers stay private until you meet.
I've never really read the Bible. Is this for me?
Yes. Favor starts where you are and explains as it goes. The questions along the way aren't marked right or wrong: you answer, then see what the text shows.
Which Bible does Favor use?
The World English Bible, a modern, readable translation in the public domain. God's name appears as "the LORD", as in most English Bibles.
Is Favor tied to a church?
No. Favor is non-denominational. Where Christians read a passage differently, it shows the main views side by side and doesn't pick one.
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Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Hebrew and Greek words are checked against the original-language texts and public-domain lexicons. What we believe · Favor home