Bible Strands
Romans 11:33
O, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and untraceable His ways!
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Paul, writing to the Roman church, breaks into doxology at the close of his argument (ch. 9–11) on God's sovereign dealings with Israel and the Gentiles. He has just stated (v. 32) that God consigned all to disobedience so He might show mercy to all.
The words — ploutou (πλοὺτου), genitive of ploutos ("wealth, abundance"), is the unexpected noun: God's wisdom and knowledge are not merely great but a treasure, a store of riches.
The thread — Job 11:7 asks whether anyone can fathom the deep things of God; Job 5:9 calls His works unsearchable; Psalm 92:5 marvels at how deep His thoughts are.
Why it lands — It stops the reader mid-argument and demands a posture of surrender: you cannot out-reason God's plan, so the only honest response is to stop trying.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
Cross-references
- Job 11:7 Can you fathom the deep things of God or discover the limits of the Almighty?
- Job 5:9 the One who does great and unsearchable things, wonders without number.
- Psalms 92:5 How great are Your works, O LORD, how deep are Your thoughts!
- Colossians 2:2 that they may be encouraged in heart, knit together in love, and filled with the full riches of complete understanding, so that they may know the mystery of God, namely Christ,
- Romans 2:4 Or do you disregard the riches of His kindness, tolerance, and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you to repentance?
- Job 37:23 The Almighty is beyond our reach; He is exalted in power! In His justice and great righteousness He does not oppress.
- Ephesians 1:7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace
- Ephesians 3:10 His purpose was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms,
- Psalms 36:6 Your righteousness is like the highest mountains; Your judgments are like the deepest sea. O LORD, You preserve man and beast.
- Ecclesiastes 3:11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men, yet they cannot fathom the work that God has done from beginning to end.