Psalm 111

Psalm 111 belongs to Book Five (Psalms 107–150) of the five books of the Psalms. It follows Psalm 110, a royal psalm, and forms a pair in structure with Psalm 112, which immediately follows it.

Outline

• Verse 1 The psalm opens with "Hallelujah." The psalmist resolves to praise the LORD with his whole heart in the assembly of the upright.
• Verses 2–4 The psalmist declares that the works of the LORD are great and honorable and that His righteousness endures forever. God has made His wonderful works to be remembered, and He is gracious and full of compassion.
• Verses 5–6 God gives food to those who fear Him and remembers His covenant. He has shown His power by giving His people the heritage (the portion they inherit) of the nations.
• Verses 7–9 The works of God's hands are true and just, and His commandments are sure. He has sent redemption (deliverance through the payment of a price) to His people and has commanded His covenant forever; holy is His name.
• Verse 10 The psalm concludes that the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom and that His praise endures forever.

Key Verses

• Psalm 111:4 "The LORD is gracious and full of compassion" — This verse contains one of the Old Testament's characteristic confessions of the character of God.
• Psalm 111:10 "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom" — This expresses the same thought as Proverbs 9:10 and Job 28:28 and connects with the central confession of wisdom literature.

People and Places

• The LORD The one praised throughout the psalm.
• The assembly of the upright The worshiping community in which thanks is offered. No specific individuals or places are named.

Points for Reflection

• In the Hebrew original, each of the psalm's 22 lines begins with a successive letter of the 22-letter Hebrew alphabet. Verses 1–8 contain two lines each, and verses 9–10 contain three lines each. This structure is not apparent in translation.
• The text does not identify specific events. Interpreters generally associate the food of verse 5 with the manna and quail in the wilderness, the heritage of verse 6 with the settlement of Canaan, and the redemption of verse 9 with the Exodus. These associations, however, are interpretations rather than statements made directly by the text.
• Christian interpreters sometimes read the redemption and the everlasting covenant of verse 9 in light of salvation through Christ and the new covenant.

In the Korean Church

• Verse 10, together with similar verses in Proverbs, is frequently cited as expressing the foundation of instruction in the faith.