Psalms 40:5

Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.

From his own deliverance he passes to those vouchsafed to the people of God, not only to Israel of old (2 Samuel 7:22), but also to the spiritual Israel, through the 'wonderful work' of redemption.

And thy thoughts which are to us-ward - thy loving thoughts (Isaiah 63:7; Jeremiah 29:11). Contrast the thoughts of the wicked (Psalms 56:5).

They cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee - rather, as the Septuagint, Vulgate, Arabic, Ethiopic, and Syriac, 'there is nothing to be compared to thee' х 'eeyn (H369) `ªrok (H6186) 'eeleykaa (H413): understand lª- before `ªrok (H6186)]. Compare Exodus 15:11; 2 Samuel 7:22; Psalms 89:6.

Thus the Lord and His wonderful works for His people are contrasted with the "lies," or lying objects of trust, whose works are fatal disappointment to their votaries. The English version is good sense-`there is no ordering them unto thee;' i:e., one cannot so recount them before thee as to praise thee adequately. So the Chaldaic. Psalms 139:17 is then parallel - "How precious are thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand."