John Calvin Commentary Psalms 106:2

"Who can utter the mighty acts of Jehovah, Or show forth all his praise?" — Psalms 106:2 (ASV)

Who shall express. This verse is open to two interpretations. For if you read it in connection with the verse immediately following, the meaning will be that not all people are equally capable of praising God, because the ungodly and the wicked do nothing but profane His holy name with their unclean lips. As it is said in Psalm 50:16: But unto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth? And so, to this sentence the following clause should have been added, as a reply: Blessed are they that keep judgment.

However, I believe the prophet had another purpose: namely, that anyone who has ever tried to concentrate all their energies, both physical and mental, in praising God, will find themselves inadequate for such a lofty subject, whose transcendent grandeur overpowers all our senses.

It is not that he exalts God's power intentionally to deter us from celebrating His praises, but rather as a way to encourage us to do so to the best of our ability. Is it any reason to stop our efforts that, however eagerly we pursue our course, we still fall far short of perfection?

But what should give us the greatest encouragement is knowing that, even if our ability fails us, the praises we offer to God from the heart are pleasing to Him. We must only beware of callousness; for it would certainly be very absurd for those who cannot attain even a tenth of perfection to use that as an excuse for not even reaching a hundredth part of it.