Lexical Summary sephorah: Number, Enumeration Original Word: סְפֹרָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance number From caphar; a numeration -- number. see HEBREW caphar NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom the same as sepher Definition a number NASB Translation sum (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [סְפֹרָה] noun feminine number; — plural absolute לֹא יָדַעְתִּי סְפֹרוֺת Psalm 71:15 I know not (the) numbers (of ׳י's acts of righteousness and deliverance, i.e. they are innumerable; compare ᵑ7 Symm.); > Du (after ᵐ5 B:ab א ᵑ6 ᵑ9) reads סְפָרוֺת (compare סִפְרָה above). Topical Lexicon Meaning within Scripture The single appearance of סְפֹרָה in Psalm 71:15 carries the idea of “the tally” or “the full count” of something. In context, the psalmist confesses that the saving acts and righteous deeds of the Lord exceed any human ability to total them. Far from an abstract concept, the word frames a worshiper’s humble admission that God’s mercies are literally uncountable. Biblical setting: Psalm 71 Psalm 71 portrays a believer who has walked with God from youth into old age (Psalm 71:17–18). In that lifelong testimony he vows, “My mouth will declare Your righteousness and Your salvation all day long, though I cannot know their full measure” (Psalm 71:15). The occurrence of סְפֹרָה climaxes a stream of verbs of proclamation (“declare,” “proclaim,” “tell”) and underscores that even continuous, lifelong praise cannot exhaust the catalogue of divine deliverance. The confession highlights both God’s limitless faithfulness and human finitude. Theological significance 1. Inexhaustible grace. The inability to “know the full measure” affirms that divine salvation is immeasurably rich (compare Psalm 40:5; Ephesians 2:7). Historical and literary background Ancient Near-Eastern hymnic traditions often celebrated a deity’s mighty deeds, but they typically enumerated specific victories or benefactions. Psalm 71 differs by stressing that Yahweh’s interventions cannot even be totaled. The single, well-placed noun intensifies the literary artistry of the Psalm: the poet reaches for a quantitative term precisely to concede that enumeration fails. Intertextual resonance Other biblical writers echo the same paradox of counting the uncountable: These parallels show that Psalm 71:15 belongs to a broader theological chorus affirming the infinite scope of God’s works. Implications for preaching and discipleship • Cultivate testimony: Encourage believers to rehearse God’s interventions; the act of recounting fuels faith even while acknowledging its limits. Summary סְפֹרָה spotlights a central biblical truth: the saving righteousness of the Lord is so abundant that it defies summation. In Psalm 71 it becomes the pivot for lifelong praise, a confession that the believer’s testimony, however fervent, will always be an unfinished ledger of God’s inexhaustible grace. Forms and Transliterations סְפֹרֽוֹת׃ ספרות׃ sə·p̄ō·rō·wṯ sefoRot səp̄ōrōwṯLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Psalm 71:15 HEB: לֹ֖א יָדַ֣עְתִּי סְפֹרֽוֹת׃ NAS: long; For I do not know the sum [of them]. KJV: for I know not the numbers [thereof]. INT: not know the sum 1 Occurrence |
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