Psalm 147:1-20
He Heals the Brokenhearted
1Hallelujah! How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and lovely to praise Him!
2The LORD builds up Jerusalem; He gathers the exiles of Israel.
3He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
4He determines the number of the stars; He calls them each by name.
5Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding has no limit.
6The LORD sustains the humble, but casts the wicked to the ground.
7Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving; make music on the harp to our God,
8who covers the sky with clouds, who prepares rain for the earth, who makes grass to grow on the hills.
9He provides food for the animals, and for the young ravens when they call.
10He does not delight in the strength of the horse; He takes no pleasure in the legs of a man.
11The LORD is pleased with those who fear Him, who hope in His loving devotion.
12Exalt the LORD, O Jerusalem; praise your God, O Zion!
13For He strengthens the bars of your gates and blesses the children within you.
14He makes peace at your borders; He fills you with the finest wheat.
15He sends forth His command to the earth; His word runs swiftly.
16He spreads the snow like wool; He scatters the frost like ashes;
17He casts forth His hail like pebbles. Who can withstand His icy blast?
18He sends forth His word and melts them; He unleashes His winds, and the waters flow.
19He declares His word to Jacob, His statutes and judgments to Israel.
20He has done this for no other nation; they do not know His judgments. Hallelujah!
Berean Standard Bible
It is good to sing praise because it is pleasant and fitting. The LORD rebuilds Jerusalem, gathers the exiles, heals the brokenhearted, and binds up their wounds. He counts the stars and calls each by name, so the God of vastness is also the God of wounded people.
The LORD sustains the humble and casts the wicked to the ground. He covers the sky with clouds, provides rain, makes grass grow, and gives food to animals and young ravens. His pleasure is not in a horse's strength or a warrior's power but in those who fear Him and hope in His loving devotion.
He sends His word to the earth and gives snow, frost, wind, and water. He declares His word, statutes, and judgments to Jacob and has not done this for every nation. The gift of revelation is a responsibility to receive and practice what God has made known.
Questions
1 Whom does God heal?
AnswerHe heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
2 What does God count?
AnswerHe counts the stars and calls each one by name.
3 What does God not delight in?
AnswerHe does not delight chiefly in a horse's strength or a warrior's power.
4 What did God give Jacob?
AnswerHe gave Jacob His word, statutes, and judgments.
What This Means for Us
The God who knows every star also notices a wounded heart. Do not use cosmic language to make personal grief feel small.
Revelation creates responsibility. If God has made His ways known, receiving them should shape how we treat the humble and the wounded.
Prayer
God who counts the stars, heal the brokenhearted and gather people scattered by loss. Give us compassion for wounds, humility about strength, and faithfulness to the truth You have made known. Amen.