Psalms — Chapter 111

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1Hallelujah! I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart in the council of the upright and in the assembly.

2Great are the works of the LORD; they are pondered by all who delight in them.

3Splendid and majestic is His work; His righteousness endures forever.

4He has caused His wonders to be remembered; the LORD is gracious and compassionate.

5He provides food for those who fear Him; He remembers His covenant forever.

6He has shown His people the power of His works by giving them the inheritance of the nations.

7The works of His hands are truth and justice; all His precepts are trustworthy.

8They are upheld forever and ever, enacted in truth and uprightness.

9He has sent redemption to His people; He has ordained His covenant forever; holy and awesome is His name.

10The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow His precepts gain rich understanding. His praise endures forever!

1Praise ye the LORD. I will praise the LORD with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation.

2The works of the LORD are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein.

3His work is honourable and glorious: and his righteousness endureth for ever.

4He hath made his wonderful works to be remembered: the LORD is gracious and full of compassion.

5He hath given meat unto them that fear him: he will ever be mindful of his covenant.

6He hath shewed his people the power of his works, that he may give them the heritage of the heathen.

7The works of his hands are verity and judgment; all his commandments are sure.

8They stand fast for ever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness.

9He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name.

10The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.

1Praise ye Jehovah. I will give thanks unto Jehovah with my whole heart, In the council of the upright, and in the congregation.

2The works of Jehovah are great, Sought out of all them that have pleasure therein.

3His work is honor and majesty; And his righteousness endureth for ever.

4He hath made his wonderful works to be remembered: Jehovah is gracious and merciful.

5He hath given food unto them that fear him: He will ever be mindful of his covenant.

6He hath showed his people the power of his works, In giving them the heritage of the nations.

7The works of his hands are truth and justice; All his precepts are sure.

8They are established for ever and ever; They are done in truth and uprightness.

9He hath sent redemption unto his people; He hath commanded his covenant for ever: Holy and reverend is his name.

10The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all they that do [his commandments]: His praise endureth for ever. Psalm 112

1Praise the Lord! I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart, in the assembly of the godly and the congregation.

2The Lord’s deeds are great, eagerly awaited by all who desire them.

3His work is majestic and glorious, and his faithfulness endures forever.

4He does amazing things that will be remembered; the Lord is merciful and compassionate.

5He gives food to his faithful followers; he always remembers his covenant.

6He announced that he would do mighty deeds for his people, giving them a land that belonged to other nations.

7His acts are characterized by faithfulness and justice; all his precepts are reliable.

8They are forever firm and should be faithfully and properly carried out.

9He delivered his people; he ordained that his covenant be observed forever. His name is holy and awesome.

10To obey the Lord is the fundamental principle for wise living; all who carry out his precepts acquire good moral insight. He will receive praise forever.

1Praise Yah! I will give thanks to Yahweh with my whole heart, in the council of the upright, and in the congregation.

2Yahweh’s works are great, pondered by all those who delight in them.

3His work is honor and majesty. His righteousness endures forever.

4He has caused his wonderful works to be remembered. Yahweh is gracious and merciful.

5He has given food to those who fear him. He always remembers his covenant.

6He has shown his people the power of his works, in giving them the heritage of the nations.

7The works of his hands are truth and justice. All his precepts are sure.

8They are established forever and ever. They are done in truth and uprightness.

9He has sent redemption to his people. He has ordained his covenant forever. His name is holy and awesome!

10The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom. All those who do his work have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!

Summary
Authorship & Background
Commentary
Videos
Articles
Reflection

Summary

An acrostic psalm of praise — each line in Hebrew beginning with a successive letter of the alphabet — that celebrates the greatness of God's works, worthy to be studied by all who delight in them (vv. 1-2). It highlights his enduring righteousness, gracious and compassionate character, and faithfulness to remember his covenant by providing for those who fear him (vv. 3-6). His commandments are trustworthy and stand forever, and he has sent redemption to his people (vv. 7-9). The psalm closes with its most famous line: the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and his praise endures forever (v. 10).

Authorship & Background

Author: Multiple authors — primarily David (73 psalms attributed), plus Asaph (12), Sons of Korah (11), Solomon (2), Moses (1), Heman (1), Ethan (1), and anonymous. The Psalter was compiled over approximately 1000 years and served as Israel's hymnal and prayer book. The book is divided into five 'books' (1-41, 42-72, 73-89, 90-106, 107-150), paralleling the five books of Moses.
Classification: Acrostic Hymn of Praise / Wisdom Psalm
Attributed Author: Anonymous
Key Themes: God's works and character, covenant faithfulness, the fear of the LORD as beginning of wisdom, God's provision, redemption, praise in the congregation
Historical Context: Psalm 111 is an acrostic psalm — each line begins with successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. It is the companion to Psalm 112 (which is also acrostic). Psalm 111 celebrates GOD's character and works; Psalm 112 describes the blessed person who fears God. Together they show: what God is like (111) and what His people become (112). The acrostic structure suggests an educational purpose — teaching the fullness of God's character from A to Z (Aleph to Tav). The psalm opens and closes with "Hallelujah" (Praise the LORD) and culminates in the great wisdom statement of v.10.
I Will Praise the LORD with My Whole Heart (v.1): Praise ye the LORD. I will praise the LORD with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation. This psalm and the next are a matched pair, each an acrostic of twenty-two lines running the Hebrew alphabet, and they are meant to be read together: this one describes God and Psalm 112 describes the man who fears him, in some of the same words. The praise is private in resolve and public in setting.
The Works of the LORD Are Great (vv.2-4): The works of the LORD are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein. The line is engraved over the entrance to the Cavendish Laboratory in Cambridge, which is a fair use of it, since it makes investigation the natural response of anyone who enjoys the subject. His work is honourable and glorious: and his righteousness endureth for ever. Then a claim about deliberate memory, he hath made his wonderful works to be remembered, which is what the festivals and this psalm are both for.
He Will Ever Be Mindful of His Covenant (vv.5-6): He hath given meat unto them that fear him: he will ever be mindful of his covenant. Food and covenant in one verse, the daily and the permanent held together. And the works are given a purpose beyond display, he hath shewed his people the power of his works, that he may give them the heritage of the heathen, which reads the conquest as evidence rather than as reward.
All His Commandments Are Sure (vv.7-8): The works of his hands are verity and judgment; all his commandments are sure. The psalm moves from what God does to what God says and applies the same words to both, which is its quiet argument: the commands are as reliable as the creation. They stand fast for ever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness.
The Fear of the LORD Is the Beginning of Wisdom (vv.9-10): He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name. This is the only place KJV uses the word reverend, and the clerical title comes from it, which is a curious afterlife for a line about the name of God. Then the psalm's last verse states the proverb that Proverbs 1:7 and Proverbs 9:10 also carry, the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and adds the test, a good understanding have all they that do his commandments. Understanding is measured by conduct and not by comprehension.

Commentary

  • Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Verse-by-verse commentary on this chapter, written for the everyday reader and freely available online.
  • Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871): blueletterbible.org A critical and explanatory commentary on the whole Bible, more concise than Matthew Henry and closer to the Hebrew and Greek, with attention to historical and geographical detail. Public domain.
  • Matthew Henry's Exposition (1710): blueletterbible.org A devotional verse-by-verse commentary in the Puritan tradition, still among the most widely read three centuries on. Public domain.

Videos

Psalm 111 - The Greatness of God’s Works
David Guzik

Psalms 111-112 | Becoming Like God | Bible Study
Spoken Gospel

Articles

  • GotQuestions.org: gotquestions.org On the whole book: an overview of Psalms -- who wrote it, when, why, and how it fits the rest of Scripture.

Links open on the publisher's own site. Nothing here is reproduced on this page.

Reflection

  • Whole-Hearted Praise (v.1) — The psalmist praises the LORD with his whole heart, not half attention or divided devotion, in the gathered assembly. What would it look like for your praise to be undivided rather than distracted?
  • Delighting in God's Works (v.2) — God's works are described as being studied by those who delight in them, treating creation and God's acts in history as worth pursuing for joy, not just duty. Do you approach God's works with curiosity and delight, or only when required?
  • A Covenant-Keeping Provider (vv.5-6) — God provides for those who fear Him and never forgets His covenant, giving His people an inheritance they did not earn. Where do you need to trust that God remembers His promises to you even when provision feels delayed?
  • A Holy Name (v.9) — After describing God's redemption of His people, the psalm declares His name holy and to be revered. In a culture that treats God's name casually, how seriously do you guard the way you speak of Him?
  • Wisdom Through Reverence and Obedience (v.10) — Wisdom begins with fearing the LORD, and real understanding belongs to those who actually do what He commands, not merely those who know it. Is your relationship with God more about accumulating knowledge or about obedience that produces understanding?