Psalms 111 · ESV Study Bible

Great Are the LORD’s Works

PSALM 111 [†] [1] p Praise the LORD!

I q will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart,

in the company of r the upright, in the congregation.

2[†] Great are the s works of the LORD,

t studied by all who delight in them.

3[†] u Full of splendor and majesty is his work,

and his v righteousness endures forever.

4[†] He has w caused his wondrous works to be remembered;

the LORD is gracious and merciful.

5[†] He provides food for those who fear him;

he x remembers his covenant forever.

6[†] He has shown his people the power of his works,

in giving them the inheritance of the nations.

7[†] The works of his hands are faithful and just;

all his precepts are y trustworthy;

8 they are z established forever and ever,

to be performed with a faithfulness and uprightness.

9[^][†] He sent b redemption to his people;

he has c commanded his covenant forever.

d Holy and awesome is his name!

10[†] e The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;

all those who practice it have f a good understanding.

His g praise endures forever!

PSALM—NOTE ON 111:3 splendor and majesty. See note on 96:6. his righteousness endures forever. Cf. 119:142; Isa. 51:8. God shows his righteousness, his uprightness and faithfulness to his promises, in his great deeds. See note on Ps. 112:3.

PSALM—NOTE ON 111:4 remembered. See note on 112:6–8. gracious and merciful. From Ex. 34:6. See note on Ps. 112:4.

PSALM—NOTE ON Psalm 111. This is a hymn of praise, celebrating the great works that the Lord has done for his people in calling them to be his, in caring for them, and in protecting them. These great works express God’s unstinting goodness toward his people. The purpose of singing the psalm is to remind the people of these deeds and to encourage them to embrace the privileges that God’s call has bestowed, by a heartfelt “fear of the LORD” (v. 10). Psalm 111 focuses on the deeds God has done for his people as a body. The “covenant” (v. 5) established Israel as God’s people, and the “works” sustain and protect Israel as a whole. The “redemption” described here (v. 9) is for the sake of calling and protecting the whole people and for fostering the conditions under which true piety may thrive (see note on Isa. 1:24–28). Psalms 111–112 go together. Both follow an acrostic pattern: after the initial “Praise the LORD” (Hb. hallelu-yah), the first word of each line begins with the successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. For both psalms, the flow of thought is governed by the acrostic structure. Psalm 111:10 brings its praise to a close with a reference to the fear of the Lord—a “wisdom” idea, coupled with “understanding”—while Ps. 112:1 leads off its wisdom meditation with “the man who fears the LORD.” This clear connection helps readers in interpretation: in Psalm 111 it is the Lord whose “righteousness endures forever” (v. 3) and who is “gracious and merciful” (v. 4, echoing Ex. 34:6), while in Psalm 112 it is the godly person whose “righteousness endures forever” (112:3) and who is “gracious and merciful” (112:4). The implication is that the person who fears the Lord and attends to his commandments has God’s own moral traits reflected in his character. This is the goal of redemption, to renew the image of God in human beings. Psalm 111, in stressing God’s mighty deeds of redemption for his people, focuses on the “big story” for the whole people; Psalm 112, in stressing “wisdom,” encourages each member of God’s people in a day-to-day walk, a “little story,” that contributes to the big story of the whole people. Christians sing these psalms in the same way, with the mighty deeds including Jesus’ resurrection and installation as the heir of David, and God’s continuing care for his people.

PSALM—NOTE ON 111:6 This describes the taking of the Promised Land.

PSALM—NOTE ON 111:7–8 God’s precepts (instructions; cf. 19:8; 119:4) given to his people express his love and faithfulness as much as do the works of his hands in redemptive history. Thus the precepts are established forever, in order for God’s people to perform them with faithfulness and uprightness.

PSALM—NOTE ON 111:9 redemption. See note on Psalm 111.

PSALM—NOTE ON 111:2 works (cf. vv. 6, 7). These are God’s deeds in creation (e.g., 8:3, 6; 104:24), and especially in redeeming his people (e.g., 145:9; Ex. 34:10; Deut. 3:24; 11:7; Dan. 9:14). studied. Carefully pondered.

PSALM—NOTE ON 111:5 those who fear him. See v. 10; 112:1. remembers his covenant. See notes on 25:6–7; 105:8. Just as God “remembers,” so should his people remember (111:4).

PSALM—NOTE ON 111:1 give thanks. Cf. 105:1. Each member of the congregation participates in the task of giving thanks and praise.

PSALM—NOTE ON 111:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom. See note on Prov. 1:7. By mentioning this and good understanding (i.e., sound insight into God’s moral order for the world), the psalm paves the way for Psalm 112, a “wisdom psalm.”