Wonderful
“Pele, wonderful, marvelous, extraordinary, incomprehensible”
Summary
Wonderful is a prophetic title of the Messiah in Isaiah's great prophecy, signifying His incomprehensible character as the God-man who transcends human understanding.
☩Messianic Title
In Isaiah's prophecy of the coming deliverer, 'Wonderful' stands as the first of the great titles given to the child who would be born and the son who would be given. The Hebrew word pele denotes that which is marvelous, extraordinary, beyond natural explanation—incomprehensible to human reason. Applied to the Messiah, it designates His nature as the God-man, a mystery the church has always confessed but never fully grasped. He is wonderful in His person, works, and ways.
☩Connection to the Angel of the LORD
When Manoah asked the Angel of the LORD His name, the answer was 'Wonderful'—literally, 'Why do you ask my name, seeing it is wonderful?' This mysterious figure, often identified with the pre-incarnate Christ, bore a name that expressed His divine, incomprehensible nature. The same Hebrew root describes God's works that are 'too wonderful' for human understanding and the ways of God that are past finding out. The Messiah bears this name because He Himself is the supreme wonder.
Related Verses22 mentions
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Wonderful," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. X (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).