Psalm 147:3
“He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Psalm 147 praises God for His power and care over creation and His people; verse 3 highlights His tender healing of the brokenhearted.
What Does Psalm 147:3 Mean?
This verse declares that God personally heals those whose hearts are broken and tends their wounds. The imagery is that of a physician or a caregiver gently binding up injuries. God is not distant from human pain; He stoops to heal the inner brokenness that words can hardly describe -- grief, loss, crushed hope, and sorrow that wounds the heart.
Strikingly, this tender care appears amid a psalm celebrating God's vast power -- the same God who counts the stars and names them all (the next verses) is the One who binds up broken hearts. His greatness and His gentleness belong together. The God of infinite power bends low to attend to the wounded. "Bindeth up their wounds" pictures careful, hands-on attention, the patient work of one who does not merely diagnose but heals. For the brokenhearted, this verse is a refuge. It assures us that our deepest hurts are not beneath God's notice; rather, they draw His tender, healing care. The One mighty enough to govern the heavens is near enough to mend the smallest crack in a grieving heart, and He does so with the gentleness of a healer who truly cares.
In the Original Language
"Bindeth up" translates the Hebrew chabash, to bind or wrap, as a physician dresses a wound with bandages.
Cross References
“The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.”
- Psalm 34:18
“He hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives.”
- Isaiah 61:1
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
- Matthew 11:28
Application
Bring your deepest hurts to God, trusting that the One who governs the stars also tenderly heals broken hearts.