Psalms 111

Verse-by-verse explanation

1. Psalms 111:1Like Psalms 119 and 145, this one is also an alphabet poem in the original Hebrew: each half-line begins with the next letter of the Hebrew alphabet, a stylistic exercise that gets lost in translation.
2. Psalms 111:2“Sought out of all them that have pleasure therein” describes God’s works as something actively pursued, almost an object of study and admiration, not just something glanced at in passing.
3. Psalms 111:3Joining “honour and majesty” with righteousness links two things that do not always go together: the visible beauty of God’s works and the morally right character behind them.
4. Psalms 111:4Saying that God “hath made his wonderful works to be remembered” suggests a deliberate effort to keep the memory of these acts alive, perhaps through feasts and rituals that recalled them.
5. Psalms 111:5Giving food to those who fear Him and always remembering the covenant appear side by side: a very practical kind of care, daily bread, tied to a long-term faithfulness.
6. Psalms 111:6Showing His people “the power of his works” had a concrete purpose: to prepare the way for Israel to receive the lands of other nations as an inheritance.
7. Psalms 111:7God’s works and His commandments are placed side by side as the same thing seen from two angles: trustworthy, sure, with no contradiction between what He does and what He commands.
8. Psalms 111:8It reinforces the idea from the previous verse: the commandments stand firm forever, made in truth and uprightness, setting up the practical conclusion about wisdom that comes at the end of the psalm.
9. Psalms 111:9“Reverend” here means “inspiring reverent awe,” not the informal compliment the word carries today, but the idea of a name before which one ought to bow.
10. Psalms 111:10“The fear of the Lord” in this kind of wisdom literature is not dread, but a deep respect that recognizes to whom one is accountable. It is this attitude that, according to the text, marks the beginning of any serious understanding of life.