Psalms 139:14
I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.
Study Note
Study Note
The declaration 'I am fearfully and wonderfully made' appears within a psalm meditating on God's omniscience and intimate knowledge of each person from conception. The Hebrew 'nora' (fearfully/awesomely) and 'niflaiti' (wonderfully/wonderously) are cultic terms used elsewhere for God's miraculous acts, here applied to ordinary human formation — the everyday is framed as miraculous. The psalm's movement from God's knowledge (verses 1-6) to God's presence (7-12) to God's creation of the self (13-16) climaxes here in a response of wonder. The verse is frequently cited in contemporary discussions of human dignity, prenatal life, and disability ethics, though these applications extend beyond the psalm's original scope.
Other Translations
I will give thanks unto thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: Wonderful are thy works; And that my soul knoweth right well.
I confess Thee, because that <FI>with<Fi> wonders I have been distinguished. Wonderful <FI>are<Fi> Thy works, And my soul is knowing <FI>it<Fi> well.
I will give you praise, for I am strangely and delicately formed; your works are great wonders, and of this my soul is fully conscious.
Cross References
Which doeth great things and unsearchable; marvellous things without number:
And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and …
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created …
And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the …
The works of the Lord are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein.
O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy …
O Lord, how great are thy works! and thy thoughts are very deep.
For thou, Lord, hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands.
Many, O Lord my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: …