Scripture does not argue for the greatness of God so much as keep running into it. The writers are forever reaching for something wide enough to say it with — the span of the heavens, the dust on a scale, the foundations of the earth, a voice that speaks and things exist. What follows is a gathering of those passages, arranged by theme, in the Latin the Church has sung for centuries and in a faithful English translation.
Read slowly. These are not verses to collect but to stand under.
He made all that is
The first proof of greatness the Scriptures offer is not an argument but a fact: everything that exists was spoken into being.
In principio creavit Deus cælum et terram.
In the beginning God created heaven and earth.
Genesis 1 · 1
Quoniam ipse dixit, et facta sunt; ipse mandavit, et creata sunt.
For he spoke and they were made: he commanded and they were created.
Psalm 32 (33) · 9
Verbo Domini cæli firmati sunt, et spiritu oris ejus omnis virtus eorum.
By the word of the Lord the heavens were established; and all the power of them by the spirit of his mouth.
Psalm 32 (33) · 6
Cæli enarrant gloriam Dei, et opera manuum ejus annuntiat firmamentum.
The heavens shew forth the glory of God, and the firmament declareth the work of his hands.
Psalm 18 (19) · 2
Quam magnificata sunt opera tua, Domine! omnia in sapientia fecisti.
How great are thy works, O Lord! thou hast made all things in wisdom.
Psalm 103 (104) · 24
Quis mensus est pugillo aquas, et cælos palmo ponderavit?
Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and weighed the heavens with his palm?
Isaias (Isaiah) 40 · 12
Ubi eras quando ponebam fundamenta terræ?
Where wast thou when I laid up the foundations of the earth?
Job 38 · 4
Ecce tu fecisti cælum et terram in fortitudine tua magna… non erit tibi difficile omne verbum.
Behold thou hast made heaven and earth by thy great power… no word shall be hard to thee.
Jeremias (Jeremiah) 32 · 17
Qui numerat multitudinem stellarum, et omnibus eis nomina vocat.
Who telleth the number of the stars: and calleth them all by their names.
Psalm 146 (147) · 4
Nothing is impossible to Him
Omnipotence in Scripture is never abstract. It is most often spoken to someone who has just been told that the thing cannot be done.
Scio quia omnia potes, et nulla te latet cogitatio.
I know that thou canst do all things, and no thought is hid from thee.
Job 42 · 2
Quia non erit impossibile apud Deum omne verbum.
Because no word shall be impossible with God.
Luke 1 · 37
Apud homines hoc impossibile est: apud Deum autem omnia possibilia sunt.
With men this is impossible: but with God all things are possible.
Matthew 19 · 26
Ego Deus omnipotens: ambula coram me, et esto perfectus.
I am the Almighty God: walk before me, and be perfect.
Genesis 17 · 1
Deus autem noster in cælo; omnia quæcumque voluit, fecit.
But our God is in heaven: he hath done all things whatsoever he would.
Psalm 113 (115) · 11
Consilium meum stabit, et omnis voluntas mea fiet.
My counsel shall stand, and all my will shall be done.
Isaias (Isaiah) 46 · 10
Alleluia: quoniam regnavit Dominus Deus noster omnipotens.
Alleluia: for the Lord our God the Almighty hath reigned.
Apocalypse (Revelation) 19 · 6
Numquid Deo quidquam est difficile?
Is there any thing hard to God?
Genesis 18 · 14
The weight of His glory
The prophets who saw something of God did not describe beauty first. They described weight — a glory heavy enough to make the temple shake.
Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus Dominus Deus exercituum; plena est omnis terra gloria ejus.
Holy, holy, holy, the Lord God of hosts, all the earth is full of his glory.
Isaias (Isaiah) 6 · 3
Quis similis tui in fortibus, Domine? quis similis tui, magnificus in sanctitate, terribilis atque laudabilis, faciens mirabilia?
Who is like to thee, among the strong, O Lord? who is like to thee, glorious in holiness, terrible and praiseworthy, doing wonders?
Exodus 15 · 11
Dominus regnavit, decorem indutus est.
The Lord hath reigned, he is clothed with beauty.
Psalm 92 (93) · 1
Quoniam Dominus excelsus, terribilis, rex magnus super omnem terram.
For the Lord is high, terrible: a great king over all the earth.
Psalm 46 (47) · 3
Qui solus habet immortalitatem, et lucem inhabitat inaccessibilem.
Who only hath immortality, and inhabiteth light inaccessible.
1 Timothy 6 · 16
Magnus Dominus et laudabilis nimis: et magnitudinis ejus non est finis.
Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised: and of his greatness there is no end.
Psalm 144 (145) · 3
Tua est, Domine, magnificentia, et potentia, et gloria, atque victoria.
Thine, O Lord, is magnificence, and power, and glory, and victory.
1 Paralipomenon (1 Chronicles) 29 · 11
There is none like Him
Greatness could still be compared. The Scriptures go further: God is not the greatest of a class of beings. There is no class.
Et cui assimilastis me, et adæquastis? dicit Sanctus.
And to whom have ye likened me, or made me equal, saith the Holy One?
Isaias (Isaiah) 40 · 25
Non enim cogitationes meæ, cogitationes vestræ; neque viæ vestræ, viæ meæ, dicit Dominus.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts: nor your ways my ways, saith the Lord.
Isaias (Isaiah) 55 · 8
Quia sicut exaltantur cæli a terra, sic exaltatæ sunt viæ meæ a viis vestris.
For as the heavens are exalted above the earth, so are my ways exalted above your ways.
Isaias (Isaiah) 55 · 9
Quod Dominus ipse sit Deus in cælo sursum, et in terra deorsum, et non sit alius.
That the Lord he is God in heaven above, and in the earth beneath, and there is no other.
Deuteronomy 4 · 39
Non est sanctus, ut est Dominus; neque enim est alius extra te.
There is none holy as the Lord is: for there is no other beside thee.
1 Kings (1 Samuel) 2 · 2
Before the mountains were made
He does not have a long life. He has no beginning to have a length from.
Priusquam montes fierent, aut formaretur terra et orbis, a sæculo et usque in sæculum tu es Deus.
Before the mountains were made, or the earth and the world was formed; from eternity and to eternity thou art God.
Psalm 89 (90) · 2
Ego sum qui sum.
I AM WHO AM.
Exodus 3 · 14
Ego sum alpha et omega, principium et finis, dicit Dominus Deus: qui est, et qui erat, et qui venturus est, omnipotens.
I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, saith the Lord God, who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.
Apocalypse (Revelation) 1 · 8
Ego enim Dominus, et non mutor.
For I am the Lord, and I change not.
Malachias (Malachi) 3 · 6
Apud quem non est transmutatio, nec vicissitudinis obumbratio.
With whom there is no change, nor shadow of alteration.
James 1 · 17
His wisdom has no number
To be great in power only would be terrible. The Scriptures insist that the same God is unlimited in wisdom.
Magnus Dominus noster, et magna virtus ejus; et sapientiæ ejus non est numerus.
Great is our Lord, and great is his power: and of his wisdom there is no number.
Psalm 146 (147) · 5
Domine, probasti me, et cognovisti me; tu cognovisti sessionem meam, et resurrectionem meam.
Lord, thou hast proved me, and known me: thou hast known my sitting down, and my rising up.
Psalm 138 (139) · 1–2
Omnia autem nuda et aperta sunt oculis ejus.
All things are naked and open to his eyes.
Hebrews 4 · 13
Quoniam major est Deus corde nostro, et novit omnia.
For God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.
1 John 3 · 20
O altitudo divitiarum sapientiæ et scientiæ Dei! quam incomprehensibilia sunt judicia ejus.
O the depth of the riches of the wisdom and of the knowledge of God! How incomprehensible are his judgments.
Romans 11 · 33
Where can I go from your Spirit?
The greatness of God is not far away. It is the one greatness a person cannot step outside of.
Quo ibo a spiritu tuo? et quo a facie tua fugiam?
Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy face?
Psalm 138 (139) · 7
Si ascendero in cælum, tu illic es; si descendero in infernum, ades.
If I ascend into heaven, thou art there: if I descend into hell, thou art present.
Psalm 138 (139) · 8
Numquid non cælum et terram ego impleo? dicit Dominus.
Do not I fill heaven and earth, saith the Lord?
Jeremias (Jeremiah) 23 · 24
In ipso enim vivimus, et movemur, et sumus.
For in him we live, and move, and are.
Acts 17 · 28
The nations are as a drop
Scripture measures empires against God, and the result is not close.
Ecce gentes quasi stilla situlæ, et quasi momentum stateræ reputatæ sunt.
Behold the Gentiles are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the smallest grain of a balance.
Isaias (Isaiah) 40 · 15
Omnes gentes quasi non sint, sic sunt coram eo.
All nations are before him as if they had no being at all.
Isaias (Isaiah) 40 · 17
Et ipse mutat tempora et ætates; transfert regna atque constituit.
And he changeth times and ages: taketh away kingdoms and establisheth them.
Daniel 2 · 21
Sicut divisiones aquarum, ita cor regis in manu Domini.
As the divisions of waters, so the heart of the king is in the hand of the Lord.
Proverbs 21 · 1
Deus magnus ostendit regi quæ ventura sunt postea.
The great God hath shewn the king what shall come to pass hereafter.
Daniel 2 · 45
The greatness that bends down
This is the turn that keeps the greatness of God from being merely terrifying: the same height that no one can climb comes down of its own accord.
Quoniam secundum altitudinem cæli a terra, corroboravit misericordiam suam super timentes se.
For according to the height of the heaven above the earth: he hath strengthened his mercy towards them that fear him.
Psalm 102 (103) · 11
Suavis Dominus universis, et miserationes ejus super omnia opera ejus.
The Lord is sweet to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.
Psalm 144 (145) · 9
Hæc dicit Excelsus et Sublimis, habitans æternitatem… cum contrito et humili spiritu.
For thus saith the High and the Eminent that inhabiteth eternity… with a contrite and humble spirit.
Isaias (Isaiah) 57 · 15
Et post ignem sibilus auræ tenuis.
And after the fire a whistling of a gentle air.
3 Kings (1 Kings) 19 · 12
Quid est homo, quod memor es ejus?
What is man that thou art mindful of him?
Psalm 8 · 5
Sic enim dilexit Deus mundum, ut Filium suum unigenitum daret.
For God so loved the world, as to give his only begotten Son.
John 3 · 16
How to pray with these verses
An ancient Christian way of reading Scripture is not to finish it but to stay in it. Take one verse — a single line is enough — and repeat it until the words are no longer being read but said. The Church calls this lectio divina: read, think, pray, rest. A verse like Magnus Dominus et laudabilis nimis can hold a whole morning.
If you would like these words sung rather than read, most of the great chants of the Church are settings of exactly these texts. Begin with the chants, or walk through the meditation on His greatness.
Last reviewed for accuracy on , against the Douay-Rheims Bible and the Church's own documents.